The industrial development in Cowichan Bay has a narrow strip of gravelly beach along its north-east edge. Following are a few photos taken during a walk there. Trumpeter swans are part of the bevy visiting the bay every year.
Trumpeter swans are easily recognizable by their straight black beaks.
The bay has a long history and some of it still shows. Originally logging filled local mills and Cowichan Bay was an important distribution point using road, rail (a different diameter from regular tracks), and ocean. Its depth allowed large freighters to load their lumber and logs.
During the past century the bay was covered with log booms. Masses of logs tied together and organized by small tug boat operators. Some of these operators, self-employed, earned their money collecting stray logs. And half sunk logs, deadhead logs, were a real danger to boaters. All of that has been discontinued and cleaned up, but heavy industry still is part of the bay’s life and probably always will be. A constantly growing carbuncle on the bay’s face.
Anyway, I enjoy the occasional walk in that area.
Views galore.
Here is the dinosaur turned into a log.
All part of the estuary’s wetlands.
The beach
And the industry
The walk as always was great, the weather today moody, and despite its greyness the scene was visually stimulating.
