With the morning skies still overcast, a light rain petering down and breakfast barely digested, twenty-two adventurous souls from Sea Lion geared up and prepared to get intimate with the very sea that was diligently and carefully carrying us up through the Inside Passage...we were going kayaking!! Donning life vests and kayak skirts, we quickly learned how to maneuver and manipulate these small and agile watercraft away from the secluded beach in Pirates Cove on De Courcy Island. Despite a slight wind and light rain, the kayak was a pleasurable departure from the much larger Sea Lion. Inches from the water and feet from the shoreline, kayaking participants were able to see firsthand the true natural beauty of the Gulf Islands along the Inside Passage.
The natural beauty was not alone in captivating participants as they kayaked and hiked around De Courcy Island. The lurid past of the island, once the home to the suspicious cult of Brother XII and Madam Zee of the 1920s, also wove a magical and humorous spell upon all that joined in the morning's activities.
Upon first glance, De Courcy Island looks no different than the other 225 islands that make up the Gulf Island group: tranquil, remote and untouched by modernization. After this morning's activity and lecture, however, it is apparent that this small island is a truly unique specimen. A fine example of "Beautiful British Columbia".
