Seaweed Harvest

Coming into Cockle Bay on Lady Douglas Island, another favourite anchorage, we noticed people in colourful clothing in the low tide rocks.
“What are they doing?” we wondered. “What are they putting in those bags?” We are always looking at our neighbours through binoculars, but when they are human it feels a bit impolite. Still we were very curious.
“Seaweed!” we exclamed. That wonderful black seaweed that only grows on rocks exposed to outer waters. We were on the protected side of some islands just off Milbanke Sound. The Heiltsuk name of this special area is Tsugway (sp?), we were later told. Thomas remembers the Tsimshian seaweed-gathering place out on Dundas Island, and we’ve seen the Hartley Bay site on the outer shores of Princess Royal Island. It is exciting to find people keeping up the traditional ways. And this year we have an order for black seaweed to be delivered to back to Egmont when we head south.

The seaweed pickers heading home in today's harvest boat.

When we arrived in Klemtu we found the seaweed that people had been gathering. Ted gave me a taste of lasts year’s crop, both the dried and the roasted variety. Delicious! We were able to get a batch for our Egmont friends. I can see why the seaweed sites are such important places in first Nations culture.

We continue to do our own seaweed harvesting. We found the first kelp patch of the season in Cockle Bay. Thomas has created two new varieties of kelp pickles. And we have red and green dried sea lettuce for sprinkling on our popcorn.

Kelp patch

The kelp patch was also a great spot for greenling, and we harvested clams, pending a local report re: red tide.
How often do you get a picture of the one that got away? Sylvia's kelp greenling jumped overboard just after the photo was taken. Hard to see those lovely square blue spots on his brown sides.

Contact us at elizabeale@yahoo.ca
To read about the Sustainable Coast Project see the May 16 posting.
To find out more about our sailing charters see Welcome to La Sonrisa, April 30 posting.