So Nitinat is on Vancouver Island, we have to take the ferry there then drive down a long dirt road that’s full of potholes.  I’ve been going every summer since I was born. I get really excited to go there. I get to make lots of friends, swing on the big rope swing that shakes the whole entire tree, it scares my Mum, but it’s lots of fun.  There’s a really nice cold, but super fun river that has a great swimming area that I can swim in, jump off the log or catch tiny fish in.  I would swim every day at least 2 times, one scorching hot day I went 4 times!!  

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On the third day, , we took the Zodiac up the lake, past the place where all the crabs are to where it gets really narrow and the water rushes very fast with the tide, out onto the ocean, it was really fun. We loaded up the boat early and zoomed up the lake.  I was a little uncomfortable and worried the waves would tip us over, but Dad said that it was all ok.   Then after we caught the first fish my discomfort went from an 8 to a 2.  We caught 8 fish, it was really fun, one Ling Cod and the rest were Rock Cod. We had yummy cod for dinner.  

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  Ling Cod

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  Dad & Charley

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  Ling Cod

One morning mum & I went out for a paddle board. I sat on the cushion up front.   We saw zillions of jellyfish but only 2 kinds, Moon the see through with a little bit of purple & Lions mane. Those are the yellowish-orange ones with really long tentacles that can sting you.  One time we saw a lion attacking a moon, his tentacles were wrapped up and all around him.   So mum used her paddle to save the moon & I called the jellyfish police to put that bad lion, in jelly jail. 

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There are lots of different kinds of berry bushes growing all over camp. Some are poisonous, so we just pick the wild blue & huckleberries.  There are thousands of them, we put them in smoothies and overnight oats or just eat them right off the bush. 

What kind of wildlife did we see?  Well the jellyfish, rockstars ( I call them Rock Stars I like that better than Starfish, cos they aren’t really fish) , some seals popping their heads out of the water in front of the zodiac at us.  We saw Soar & Dive, the eagle pair that we spotted last year, circling above the lake looking for fish for their breakfast.  Too many crows in the campground to count, they are the super noisy, noisy noisy!   On our last day mum saw a bird that sounded to me like a Turkey Vulture, I didn’t see it, but when mum described it I said it sounds like a turkey vulture, and when I checked my bird book, I was RIGHT!

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On the way back out, on the bumpy bumpy road we saw a small family of Elk eating plants on the side of the road. One of them had long antlers, the other two didn’t have any.  Then lastly on the ferry we saw some Orcas, sticking their fins out of the water. 

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This was the best trip to Nitinaht EVER!!!!