Just Another Mountain

Bioluminescence is a fascinating phenomenon that is the result of living organisms producing light through a chemical reaction. Dinoflagellates (a type of phytoplankton) emit light and glow in the water when they are disturbed. This spectacle can be witnessed along the BC Coast, especially on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.

July-early September is the best time due to the warmer waters and the higher quantity of phytoplankton. The darker the night, the better it is too.

You could by all means go on your own adventure to see the glow of the water. All you have to do is find the right place and run your hand or paddle through the water and voila! For convenience sake, there are several companies that do kayaking tours, which is what we decided to do.

We got the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo and drove to Cowichan Bay which is less than an hour’s drive. We stopped for breakfast at an amazing little cafe called the Owl’s Nest in Chemainus, they have a cute little decking area and really great food. We headed to our campsite, Cowichan River campground which is a decent enough spot. There were lots of RVs that looked like they’d been there for a long time, and a lot of families. There’s no real tree coverage or privacy, so I was glad that we only really were at the campsite to sleep and have breakfast the following morning.

Since we got the early ferry and our kayak tour was scheduled for sunset, we had lots of time to fit in a little hike – the Stoney Hill Trail. It was a short 3.4km loop with stunning views of the Sansum Narrows. We were considering a swim before dinner, but couldn’t really find anywhere suitable so we headed into Cowichan Bay to relax before our tour. It is extremely small with only 3 places to eat, with one of them being fully booked that evening. 

Our tour was scheduled for 7:15 PM (it was August 31st so an earlier sunset than if you were to go in July) with Cowichan Bay Kayaking & Adventure Centre. It was very reasonable at approx. $70 for a 2-hour guided tour. There were about 12 people in our group with 2 guides, and everyone had to use a double kayak. The guides were informative and we paddled all around the bay as the sun was setting which caused a gorgeous golden sky. By the time it was dark, we had reached an area that was rife with phytoplankton and we began seeing the blue/green glow as our paddles brushed across the water. It looked like glitter in the water but was only visible upon touch.

The following day, we explored the area a little bit starting with a visit to The Old Farm Market Coffee Shop for a coffee & pastry (the date square was 10/10!) We spent the morning at Fuller Lake Park in Chemainus, a busy spot with a small sandy area and a dock in the water that’s great for jumping off! We went for another refreshing dip at Stocking Creek Waterfall, found by completing a short forest trail. Before heading back to Nanaimo, we managed to fit in one more trail that was a beautiful walk in a forest that opened up onto a shoreline trail in Roberts Memorial Provincial Park.