Sailing and learning in the Salish Sea

Another October, another successful sailing trip aboard the SV Achiever is in the books for the Salish Sea Emerging Stewards program. This time, we partnered with the Special Bird Service to bring out eight participants for four days of birding, hiking and bonding, as we sailed around the Southern Gulf Islands. The windy nights, chilly mornings and sporadic rain showers couldn’t dampen our mood, as at every turn, we were awed by singing birds, blooming mushrooms, frolicking whales, and vivid rainbows.

I am once again reminded how time spent on the Salish Sea is transformational, and I’m so grateful to share this experience with others.

Participants photograph, identify and log on Ebird the seabirds spotted in Boundary Pass.
Photo by Pascale Campagna-Slater.

One of the many rainbows we witnessed from *Achiever*.
Photo by Pascale Campagna-Slater.

Special Bird Service

Since 2016, the Salish Sea Emerging Stewards youth education program has been reducing barriers to experiential learning and access to nature for Indigenous, racialized and underserved youth.

This fall was our first time partnering with Special Bird Service, a regional nonprofit that creates opportunities for education, recreation and habitat restoration through birding for BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ communities of the Salish Coast. Our 68’ sailing vessel Achiever is a unique learning platform, and we were excited to give the opportunity to Special Bird Service youth to observe birds, spend time in nature, and connect to each other.

“Opportunities like this are truly special! Historically, our communities have faced barriers to equitable access to the outdoors, specifically of the type Raincoast Conservation Foundation is able to collaborate on and provide participants with. The Achiever’s work is so important to better understanding our own environment here on the coast and how we can be better stewards of that environment. Special Bird Service and our membership were thoroughly excited to have been involved and we look forward to the next time our organizations collaborate on protecting, preserving and conserving our remaining biodiversity.”
Trenton Schulz-Franco, Special Bird Service Co-Founder.

Seabirds, sails, science, and so much more

We met the group in Sidney on a Friday morning. After a round of introductions and a safety briefing led by captain Drew Grav-Graham and mate Hilary Buckley, Achiever set sail in search of adventure. While the group was of course avid birders, they were as excited as I was to observe all the local species we might encounter.

We sailed past Mandarte Island, a prominent seabird nesting site for pelagic and double-crested cormorants, and glaucous-winged gulls, and made our way to Saturna Island, where we anchored for our first night. Just before sunset, we hopped off to stretch our legs in Winter Cove, where we completed and submitted our first of many bird counts to the citizen science project Ebird. Over the course of four days, we identified and logged over 45 species of birds, including two types of scoters, marbled murrelets, scaups, red-necked phalaropes, and a peregrine falcon.

The group explores the forests of Prevost Island. Photo by Pascale Campagna-Slater.

The diversity and abundance of mushrooms in the Gulf Islands were of particular interest to the youth. Photo by Pascale Campagna-Slater.

The group gathers on the bow of Achiever to look for humpback whales. Photo by Trenton Schulz-Franco.

As is typical of the fall months in the Salish Sea, we experienced some temperamental weather patterns as we made our way around the Gulf Islands. This was a group of avid outdoor enthusiasts, and they never shied away from spending time outdoors and taking in all that mother nature has to offer. We donned our rain gear to explore lush, mossy forests where we discovered an incredible abundance of mushrooms, and before we knew it, the skies had parted and rainbows were beaming. Strong winds gave us plenty of opportunities to raise the sails and glide through the waves. With the engine off, we watched as humpback whales came to the surface, and listened to the distinctive sound of their blows.

“I learned so many new things about mushrooms, local plant species, marine life, and birds. The conversations and books aboard helped me learn more about communities in coastal BC.”
Youth participant

One of the many mushrooms that filled the forest floors. Photo by Trenton Schulz-Franco.

Participants observe a shore crab moult.
Photo by Trenton Schulz-Franco.

Over our four days at sea, we also encountered many of the incredible marine mammals of the Salish Sea. We cruised by various islets that serve as harbour seal and Steller sea lion haulouts, which also attract seabirds such as oystercatchers. We spotted multiple humpback whales having their last meals before undertaking their months-long migration to their winter breeding grounds. We also witnessed a group of marine mammal-eating Bigg’s killer whales as they hunted a pair of Steller sea lions in an unforgettable display of skill and power.

A group of Bigg’s killer whales hunts a pair of sea lions in Trincomali Channel. Photo by Pascale Campagna-Slater.

A humpback whale lifts its flukes high out of the water. Photo by Pascale Campagna-Slater.

Amongst all the excitement of our outdoor activities, we also found some downtime to chat and get to know each other. Though many of the participants had never met each other, they quickly bonded over their love of nature and their shared experiences. With everyone having diverse interests and expertise, we all learned together and from each other. Life on Achiever also requires lots of teamwork, from cooking to raising the sails, and everyone worked splendidly together.

“I really loved how everyone worked together and took care of each other throughout the trip. That was something very special and unexpected.”
Youth participant

Wanting to take full advantage of our last day on the boat, we completed one more bird count and observed more whales by Montague Harbour, before heading south back towards Sidney. We said our goodbyes, and reluctantly returned to our regular lives with some incredible memories, new friends, and a renewed appreciation for the Salish Sea.

“It’s made me even more in love with this world around us. I knew I would enjoy the trip but truly it was so special, and better than I could have expected.”
Youth participant

Our sponsors

The Salish Sea Emerging Stewards program would like to thank our sponsors and supporters who help make these life-changing opportunities for youth possible.

You can help

Raincoast’s in-house scientists, collaborating graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors make us unique among conservation groups. We work with First Nations, academic institutions, government, and other NGOs to build support and inform decisions that protect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and the wildlife that depend on them. We conduct ethically applied, process-oriented, and hypothesis-driven research that has immediate and relevant utility for conservation deliberations and the collective body of scientific knowledge.

We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We inform by bringing science to decision-makers and communities. We inspire action to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats.