I am spending some time on southern Vancouver Island and made a trip to Port Renfrew, BC. This remote community on the southwest coast of the island is the starting place for the world renown West Coast Trail and some lesser known but no less stunning Provincial Parks.
Botanical Beach is one of the most stunning and diverse tidal areas along the west coast, formed by tides and wave action against sandstone, basalt and tumbling rocks.
This area has so much diversity that the University of Minnesota established a marine research station here in 1900. Researchers continue to travel here under special park permits.
Tidal pools formed by rocks tumbling over the soft sandstone by tide action are full of unique marine life which have to be capable of surviving the extreme conditions of tides, temperatures and predation. (Some of these tidal pools, which look like puddles are over six feet deep!)
There is a saying on the west coast..."when the tide is out the table is set!"
Mmmmm....Blue mussels!
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