Mandarte Island Cruise
May 25, 2008
 
Last May we went on a short cruise off Sidney to Mandarte Island. The island is a designated bird sanctuary with over 5000 gulls. It is basically a big rock jutting out of the ocean. The south side is steep and stained white and has nests in every nook and cranny. The North side has a much gentler slope and a minimal amount of vegetation. We cruised around the South face for a while and watched all the bird action.
 
From there we proceeded over to North Cod Reef and visited all the seals soaking up the sunshine. We tried some drift fishing, strictly catch and release. The seals on the reef kept a close eye on our activities, but for the most part were un-phased.