My husband and I sailed around the Gulf Islands enjoying four glorious days of complete tranquility. Our first night we arrived at Cabbage Island,
part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. A beautiful little island bustling with sealife that is located near Saturna Island and tucked in behind Tumbor Island.
part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. A beautiful little island bustling with sealife that is located near Saturna Island and tucked in behind Tumbor Island.
After securing a mooring bouy we rowed our dingy to shore and setup our tent. Although the weather was sunny and blue sky for as far as you could see my husband masterfully put a tarp up, just in case the rain clouds decided to roll in. After we had staked our claim for our campsite, we decided to go and explore. During our adventure, we found an abondonned goose egg, tons of crab, an eagle, swimming by seals and clams that seemed to be a natural sprinkling system for the sandy beach. As we headed back to our campsite we stumbled across a dead carcass of an animal we could not quite distinguish what it was as it had large bones one of which was as long as my calf. We decided that perhaps it was a deer. Then of course we tried to figure out which predator was picking the bones clean. As there was an eagle perched high above us in a tree, we concluded that it may be the eagle but didn’t know if it could eat such a large animal.
Still unsure we continued our exploration and after touring around the wee little island we discovered that we were the only campers. As we watched the sunset over the picturistique calm and soothing ocean we found a certain magical energy on the island. We made our way back to our campsite and along the way discovered a skull of a small animal, perhaps a squirrel. We curled up into our sleeping bags and quickly feel asleep to the methodical sound of the waves lapping the shore.
Still unsure we continued our exploration and after touring around the wee little island we discovered that we were the only campers. As we watched the sunset over the picturistique calm and soothing ocean we found a certain magical energy on the island. We made our way back to our campsite and along the way discovered a skull of a small animal, perhaps a squirrel. We curled up into our sleeping bags and quickly feel asleep to the methodical sound of the waves lapping the shore.
When suddenly I woke up to a growling sound, almost cat like. Freaked right out I shook my husband out of his deep reverie and told him to get on guard. I needed him to protect us because of this horrible sound outside our tent. We both that it was a cougar and it sounded like it was circling our tent preparing for his dinner. My heart began to pump furiously and my body became extremely sweaty. Soon I felt light headed and naseaus and thought I was going to either pass out or puke from fear. We stayed very still, in my husbands hand a knife ready just in case. I prayed for what seemed an eternity that the animal outside of our tent would go away.
After at least an hour of paralyzing fear we could hear growling at the other end of the island. As soon as the sun rose we packed up our things, we were carrying our gear down to the shore and we saw two Park Wardens. Quickly we told them of our terrifying night that we had just escaped a cougar’s dinner. The Warden smiled and told us that the sounds I had described were very similar to racoons. Cabbage Island is home to a large population of raccoons. The island racoons had become accustomed to campers feeding them resulting in a learned behaviour. Now instead of depending on nature for food they seek out humans to feed them.
I consider myself to be a quite seasoned camper and have seen all sorts of wildlife skunks, bears, deer, raccoons, coyotes and rabbits. To tell you the truth I felt quite foolish and embarrassed about my experience. At this campsite we didn’t have any food only some bottled water we did nothing to provoke the raccoons. Simply uneducated campers have successfully trained the wild raccoons of Cabbage Island to now howl for food all night long. I hope that everyone will learn that training wild animals to depend on human food is putting wildlife in danger and our own safety at risk. We can look from afar but do not feed the wildlife!
After at least an hour of paralyzing fear we could hear growling at the other end of the island. As soon as the sun rose we packed up our things, we were carrying our gear down to the shore and we saw two Park Wardens. Quickly we told them of our terrifying night that we had just escaped a cougar’s dinner. The Warden smiled and told us that the sounds I had described were very similar to racoons. Cabbage Island is home to a large population of raccoons. The island racoons had become accustomed to campers feeding them resulting in a learned behaviour. Now instead of depending on nature for food they seek out humans to feed them.
I consider myself to be a quite seasoned camper and have seen all sorts of wildlife skunks, bears, deer, raccoons, coyotes and rabbits. To tell you the truth I felt quite foolish and embarrassed about my experience. At this campsite we didn’t have any food only some bottled water we did nothing to provoke the raccoons. Simply uneducated campers have successfully trained the wild raccoons of Cabbage Island to now howl for food all night long. I hope that everyone will learn that training wild animals to depend on human food is putting wildlife in danger and our own safety at risk. We can look from afar but do not feed the wildlife!
