Search for the Painted Turtle: Part I

Odocoileus hemionus columbianus. Saratoga Beach, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 11, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0, 17.3mm, 0 EV, f/5, 1/250.

In my early teen years, I heard that painted turtles had been seen living on Vancouver Island. Remembering earlier days in Wisconsin patrolling the lakes and having a heyday catching turtles around the mud and reeds I was ecstatic to imagine such a place existed on Vancouver Island and I set out to find it. Although I had spent a spring living at Saratoga Beach, a small resort town, and never seen any painted turtles, I thought it worth another go when I found inside the nature house of Miracle Beach Provincial Park. I called the lady managing the house and asked where it had been found. She said someone had found it crossing the road near Saratoga Beach. I left the nature house as the turtle continued to bash its face against the glass. The turtle had disappeared when I came to call sometime later. I searched this place, a slough between Saratoga and Miracle Beach. Besides scratched up legs, I found a variety of snakes (3 species) and frogs (3 species), but no turtles. After talking to some of the locals, I found some native naturalists who obliged me with descriptions of their own encounters with the turtles in the area. I was out of time but, given the positive, albeit, dated accounts of others, I decided to come back. Slough north of Miracle Beach Provincial Park. Saratoga Beach, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 11, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/5.6, 1/320.

On my second (or was it the third?) trip to Saratoga Beach in search of turtles, I found this lovely faun curled up in the grass. It was truly adorable and the temptation to touch was almost unbearable. My friend, Aiden, wanted badly to touch it but, uncertain of the consequences, I bade against it. I was probably overcautious and, in hind site, I think I should have let him touch it. I later learned that there no problems of does not accepting their young after human interactions. That's only an old wive's tail. No serious harm could be done, and I probably missed a very memorable animal encounter. The faun probably thought we never saw it. Odocoileus hemionus columbianus. Saratoga Beach, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 11, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0, 11.84mm, 0 EV, f/4, 1/250.

My friend, Aiden, looking for whatever he can find in the sedges of the brackish slough north of Miracle Beach Provincial Park. I enjoy the sun-damaged look. It is nostalgic. It capitulates the childhood of a nature nut so well. I love this picture. Saratoga Beach, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 11, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0, 17.3mm, 0 EV, f/5, 1/250.

Odocoileus hemionus columbianus. Saratoga Beach, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 11, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 0, 17.3mm, 0 EV, f/5, 1/200.

The day was coming to a close and no turtles. Disappointing, but a great time nonetheless. I snapped off some final shots of the Nootka rose. A nasty little plant really. My legs are always bleeding after these forays in the slough. I haven't been back to the slough for a long time now. They built a resort on top of the sandbar, the only good place to lay eggs in the area so, any turtles that were living there have since had to move on. Probably why the last survivor wound up a road-rescued display in a nature house. Bombus sp. on Rosa nutkana. Saratoga Beach, near Campbell River, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. June 11, 2009. Canon PowerShot A430. ISO 200, 5.4mm, 0 EV, f/2.8, 1/640.