cdngreenwaterdiver

“ The peddle boards are really stable right?”. Asked Tisha as her and family checked into the little excursion they booked while on the little island of Harvest Caye in Belize. “ Yes they are, quite difficult to tip over actually unless you stand right on the side with both feet” instructed the peddle board guide. “Perfect as I can’t swim” said Tisha. Tisha, Roy, Brent and Elsa were all family and visiting this small island while on their Caribbean cruise. Norwegian Cruise Lines owns this island so it is one of the stops during their seven day cruise. Being much like a resort, the island had a number of activities available for visitors to enjoy. You could zip line across the island from a lighthouse, paddle boat around a small lagoon, or rent peddle boards like Tisha, Roy, Brent and Elsa decided to do. After a short briefing on how the peddle boards actually work and how to steer them, everyone took a short practice run around the tiny inner lagoon before venturing out into the open waters of the much larger bay. This much larger bay was where everyone was told the manatee frequented and foraged on the sea grasses. Now this was what they all came for, to see a live wild manatee…..up close. The manatee or sometimes known as a sea cow can grow to over 900 pounds. Being this huge of an animal could be intimidation, but they are harmless herbivores. At least they all were hoping to see a manatee up close and to not fall off the peddle boards. Starting out slowly and following the guide, every thing was going great. There was a small group of ten including the guide. “Just follow me and keep your eyes peeled on the water surface out in the distance”. All the peddle boarders were instructed that the manatee eat the grasses, so if you see small little patches of grass floating on the surface then there’s a good chance a manatee is near. Shortly after departing the protection of the inner lagoon that was sheltered from wind by the mangroves, of course the winds increased. As we all know, when winds increase so do the size of waves. No fear, these peddle boards are extremely stable!!! So everyone thought. Enjoy the video and keep your eyes peeled for the manatee, they are there.

“911 what is your emergency?”. In a rather frantic voice the woman on the phone explains a situation. “Send the fire and paramedics, there is a horrible crash on the freeway. People are trapped in their car and it is upside down”. This is the conversation that most likely took place just moments before Brent passed this accident. Dealing with this type of emergency daily, the 911 dispatcher follows through with all the information needed to get help to the accident as soon as possible. After completing a week cruising the Caribbean with family, Brent was travelling south through the Florida Keys. Passing through Marathon on a beautiful sunny day everyone in the car was having a great day, until the traffic slowed and they saw a horrible collision. This highway, the Overseas Highway, that passes all the way from Miami to Key West covers 113 miles of amazing scenery. The road, follows a trail originally blazed in 1912 by Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad. Also along this highway is an amazing bridge known as the Seven Mile Bridge. It is a bridge in the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, which connects Knight's Key (part of the city of Marathon, Florida) in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. As Brent and his family approached the cause of the traffic slow down, he noticed fire trucks and ambulances with lights flashing. A number of bystanders could also be seen from a distance, but what he saw as he got nearer was frightening. One vehicle had rolled over and come near to crashing through the bushes at the side of the highway and into the ocean. Paramedics were standing by as well as assisting the fire fighters to extricate the passengers from inside the vehicle. One commuter was assisting the police to direct traffic. This fellow and the female police officer directing traffic appeared to be visually upset with the scene. Together the commuter and police kept the traffic moving along quite smoothly making for a good outcome. Brent and everyone was hoping that the passengers of the inverted vehicle would get out of the incident without major injuries.

“Come here, swim over here to me!” Brent was thinking as he hovered over the beautiful coral reef 55 feet below the surface. Remaining as motionless as possible, Brent and his dive buddy wife Elsa watched as the Hawksbill turtle swam up to the surface for air. Hoping the Hawksbill turtle would descend close enough for them to get a nice look and take some photos and video, they watched in anticipation. Hawksbill turtles are critically endangered and are of limited numbers so seeing them is a treat. Located 40 miles off the northern coast of Honduras, Roatan is a small Caribbean Island that is famous for snorkeling and scuba diving. Being 40 miles long and 5 miles wide Roatan is definitely a fairly small island. After approximately 2 minutes, the Hawksbill Turtle began its descent into a valley of coral searching out his next meal of sponge. Searching the cracks and crevices of the reef that flowed towards the sandy bottom, the Hawksbill Turtle finally turned towards Brent. Elsa also was recording some footage of the turtle as he swam right in front of her heading towards Brent. Actually having to back away as the turtle approached her, Elsa back paddled while avoiding to touch the reef with her hands. Touching live coral with bare skin can cause it to die in certain circumstances so this is avoided. Heading directly at Brent as though he had called it to come like we do with our pet dogs, he was exhilarated as the Hawksbill began closing in on him. Having to back paddle as well, it was quite a chore keeping from impacting the reef as well as keeping the turtle in the view finder of the camera. “This is the first time I have ever had a sea turtle come this close to me on its own. To have him swim within inches of my face was amazing” Brent explained. As the Hawksbill closed in, the light from Brent’s camera setup illuminated the turtles shell showing off how gorgeous it was. At 55 feet below the surface the natural light from the sun is depleted so colors are greatly reduced making a lot of corals, fish and other creatures appear grey and faded. Hit all these mentioned beautiful creatures of the sea with a source of light and it is as though a painting has just been converted from black and white to color. It is amazing to see this change Brent mentioned. Running low on air, Brent and Elsa had to surface and were they ever excited to tell the others back at the scuba shop what they had seen. Not everyone gets this kind of close encounter. The animals are all wild so it is just “luck of the draw” as to what divers see on each dive. On this day, it was definitely an amazing dive during their short visit to Roatan. Back on shore it was time for Brent and Elsa to head back to the cruise ship. Onward they went to visit other stops on their Caribbean cruise.

"Wow, how is he doing this?" Roy asked his cousin as they walked past a street performer in Cozumel. Street performers come in many variations. There's "The Statue" who may paint themselves in Gold and stand motionless for what seems an eternity until a gracious passerby tosses a coin into the performers "tip jar", creating the "statue " to come alive for a short period. Magicians and slight of hand performers are also amazing. How they make that coin pass through a steel bar inside a deck of cards box, that is amazing. One man bands are a huge favorite. Pianists with fingers that move like they are magically plucking the keys and guitarists that can bring goosebumps to your skin. On this day after departing the cruise ship terminal for a day on Cozumel, Elsa and her husband as well as her cousin Roy and his wife walked through the cruise ship terminal. Just like at almost all airports, you are directed through a shopping area. Here on Cozumel, it is more like walking through a whole mall. With a total of 4 ships docked this day, Cozumel was definitely happy to see more than 12 thousand tourists arriving. Walking past multiple t-shirt stores, leather shops, and kiosks selling everything from sunglasses to coconut hummingbird hanging plant holders, Roy had one thing on his mind: Coffee. He had spotted from the ship a famous coffee shop so he was determined to track it down in the mall. But.... during his trek through the shops and kiosks he also noticed a sole street performer. Dressed in a very bright gold outfit, floating motionless ABOVE the floor! "How is this possible? How is he doing this?" Roy seemed amazed. Checking below the performer, around and even behind, Roy could not figure out how this performer was accomplishing this amazing feat. Astounded, Roy reached out and fist bumped the street performer, showing his gratitude and then tossed a few dollars into the performers tip jar. Many tourists passed while Elsa and her family observed this street performer and Roy was not the only one struggling to figure out what mystical force was levitating this fellow above the floor!

What kind of a lazy bones lays motionless in the sand? No this is not pertaining to a lazy vacationer after a night of too much fun! After cruising from Miami Florida aboard the Norwegian Getaway cruise liner, Brent and his wife Elsa had plans for scuba diving on the Island of Roatan. Roatan is approximately 40 miles off the northeast coast of the country of Honduras. Being a fairly small coral reef island of 48 miles long and 5 miles wide it’s main source for income is tourism. Well known for scuba diving and snorkeling there are many locations throughout the island to take in the beautiful waters and sea life. Located near the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean Sea (second largest worldwide after Australia's Great Barrier Reef), Roatán has become an important cruise ship, scuba diving and eco-tourism destination in Honduras. The diving company that Brent had booked with was located in Westbay, a short drive from the cruise ship port of Coxed Hole. Coxen Hole is also the capital of Roatán municipality. After a short meet and greet with the dive guide Vero from Roatán Divers, Brent, Elsa and Vero were off to their first dive site called Punchers Paradise aboard a very speedy panga boat. Five minutes with wind in their hair and then Vero was tying up the boat to an anchor rope. Into the crystal clear Caribbean water the three divers plunged. Descending to the bottom so they could all meet up after settling in, Brent checked his dive computer which showed his depth of 55 feet, and water temperatures of 82° F. Once together Elsa and Brent ventured along the beautiful sandy bottom looking for small creatures. Being one of the largest coral reefs in the world, this location was filled with small and large coral heads (structures) raising out of the sandy bottom. Thousands of beautiful tropical fish like we have seen in the footage of the famous Jacques Cousteau filled every crevice of these coral structures. Moving slowly along, Brent spotted a very strange fish in the distance. Brightly colored, it stood out very well. Approaching slowly, Brent noticed it had a strange looking head, or was it upside down? Descending onto the sandy floor, Brent could see this fish was staring right back at him and not moving a muscle. Identifying this little guy of about a foot long, Brent now knew it was a remora. These fish attach themselves to larger fish, turtles, rays, and sharks to scavenge food scraps from their larger “free ride”. The suction cup looking section on the top of the remora’s head is his ticket to a free ride. What a beautiful but strange looking creature when not attached to his free ride. Why was he just laying on the bottom motionless? Was he sick? Was he waiting for a new “ride” to come along? Most likely that is exactly what this beautiful remora was doing. Waiting for a new ride to show up so he could continue his duties as a “cleaner fish” and enjoy a life of just “hanging around”.

What kind of a sucker lays motionless in the sand? No this is not pertaining to a lazy vacationer after a night of too much fun! After cruising from Miami Florida aboard the Norwegian Getaway cruise liner, Brent and his wife Elsa had plans for scuba diving on the Island of Roatan. Roatan is approximately 40 miles off the northeast coast of the country of Honduras. Being a fairly small coral reef island of 48 miles long and 5 miles wide it’s main source for income is tourism. Well known for scuba diving and snorkelling there are many locations throughout the island to take in the beautiful waters and sea life. Located near the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean Sea (second largest worldwide after Australia's Great Barrier Reef), Roatán has become an important cruise ship, scuba diving and eco-tourism destination in Honduras. The diving company that Brent had booked with was located in Westbay, a short drive from the cruise ship port of Coxed Hole. Coxen Hole is also the capital of Roatán municipality. After a short meet and greet with the dive guide Vero from Roatán Divers, Brent, Elsa and Vero were off to their first dive site called Punchers Paradise aboard a very speedy panga boat. Five minutes with wind in their hair and then Vero was tying up the boat to an anchor rope. Into the crystal clear Caribbean water the three divers plunged. Descending to the bottom so they could all meet up after settling in, Brent checked his dive computer which showed his depth of 55 feet, and water temperatures of 82° F. Once together Elsa and Brent ventured along the beautiful sandy bottom looking for small creatures. Being one of the largest coral reefs in the world, this location was filled with small and large coral heads ( structures) raising out of the sandy bottom. Thousands of beautiful tropical fish like we have seen in the footage of the famous Jacques Cousteau filled every crevice of these coral structures. Moving slowly along, Brent spotted a very strange fish in the distance. Brightly coloured it stood out very well. Approaching slowly, Brent noticed it had a strange looking head, or was it upside down? Descending onto the sandy floor, Brent could see this fish was staring right back at him and not moving a muscle. Identifying this little guy of about a foot long, Brent now knew it was a remora. These fish attach themselves to larger fish, turtles, rays, and sharks to scavenge food scraps from their larger “free ride”. The suction cup looking section on the top of the remora’s head is his ticket to a free ride. What a beautiful but strange looking creature when not attached to his free ride. Why was he just laying on the bottom motionless? Was he sick? Was he waiting for a new “ride” to come along? Most likely that is exactly what this beautiful remora was doing. Waiting for a new ride to show up so he could continue his duties as a “cleaner fish” and enjoy a life of just “hanging around”.

“Hey dad, I am just going to go over here and see how many people I can attract ok! Last time I hit an amazing amount of 12.” This is what Ester the Schnauzer Poodle puppy definitely had going on in her mind this day. After a 10 day vacation enjoying a Caribbean cruise as well as the Florida Keys in Southern Florida it was time for Brent and family to head back to Vancouver, Canada. Awaiting the arrival of their aircraft at the gate in Miami they sat along the side of the walkway as did many other travelers. Noticing a cute little pooch and his owner across the way and seeing the dog’s personality start to shine, Brent knew this was the perfect opportunity to record some memories. Dogs of all breeds and sizes seem to attract attention. We all love to see the excitement of a dog when we approach them and offer our love whether from a scratch on the head or a gentle pat on it’s back. Ester here is a Schnauzer Poodle cross with definitely an amazing personality. Her owner commented that they travel often and Ester is the perfect travelling companion. She never gets air sick or car sick and never wanders far from his side. He also mentioned that on one trip to Las Vegas, even when the aircraft encountered some major turbulence while landing and having to actually perform an overshoot and take a second attempt, Ester was perfectly calm in her travel kennel. Ester definitely is a crowd-pleaser. As you can see in the video, Ester plays her audience and wins their hearts. Once it was time to board the plane, Ester’s owner simply needed to start heading to the gate and once again she shows what a great pet and companion she is. Don’t we all wish our pets were this well behaved? Dog’s are man’s best friend for sure. They warm our hearts with very little effort.

After boarding their ship in Miami, Brent and Elsa ventured to the upper decks. Taking in all the views of the Miami Beach area around the shipping ports proved to be quite interesting. As the ship departed there proved to be quite a wealthy group of residents. Massive personal yachts lined the waterway the cruise ship was taking to the open ocean. Small boats with many friends aboard partied as the ship passed them. Onboard the cruise ship, passengers and crew had begun their week aboard en-route to the Caribbean. As they enjoyed seeing all the activity off the ship, Elsa made note of one guy that was doing loops and flips while attached to a jetpack blasting water. The high pressure provided by the personal water craft attached to the "performer" forced him high into the sky. circling the watercraft, the performer spun and flipped. Waiting for this performer do execute his next trick became quite exciting. Was he going to crash? Was the jetpack going to keep working? As time went by, he showed his huge crowd some great skills. Round and round he went, up, down, spinning. Many onlookers cheered him on as they passed. What a fun thing to see.

The tiny Fraser Valley community of Harrison Mills is preparing to host thousands of visiting bald eagles in the world’s largest gathering of nature’s foremost dead-salmon connoisseurs. The area’s 600 mating pairs could possibly be joined by over 35,000 migratory eagles this coming winter. Annually as many as 15,000 of those birds regularly visit Harrison Mills through the winter and this exciting viewing season kicks off November 17th with the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival. With the huge number of spawning salmon in this area, of course there is a very plentiful food source for these beautiful birds. The area has many walking trails that are very close to the local creeks and rivers that the salmon venture through. These trails allow excellent access to tourists and locals to see these majestic birds or prey in their natural habitat. Bird watchers and photographers gather in numbers to take in this short lived opportunity. As the weather in northern B.C. gets colder, up to 500 eagles a day will flow into the Harrison Mills area, like they did during a cold snap in October. More than 2,000 are already in the area. A local organization known as the Hancock Wildlife Foundation are the ones that care for injured birds and then gather in November to release these rehabilitated birds back into their environment. Established byDAVID HANCOCKin2006to broaden his at that time more than 60 years of lecturing and teaching about wildlife and conservation,especially bald eagles. The organization also has a number of webcams active that anyone can log into via the web to see just how the eagles and possibly their young are coming along through the season. Eagles are such beautiful, graceful and amazing birds, they deserve to be helped along their way.

The time had come. Ryan and Megan had chosen that they wanted to know the gender of their baby. Three months into her pregnancy and she was getting eager to know whether the new little Ferguson was going to a boy or a girl. Of course either way that little baby is going to be loved more than anything. With both sides of the family quite close this was a very exciting time. Megan's sisters had thought hard and done all the planning of the type of reveal this was going to be. Ryan and Megan wanted this to be a big surprise for them. Kelly and Dana got very creative and even had rules. Upon the game commencing the noise and anxiety rose for almost everyone in attendance. Ryan had friends from elementary school, yes his kindergarten class, and Megan had many of her close friends as well. Elsa, Ryan's step mom had prepared an incredible meal for all the guests making this a wonderful evening of friends and family. Working their way through the first stage of the reveal was fun. Soon everyone was seeing the balloons showing this was going to be a girl.... but then there was a twist. You will see the expression on Megan's face when Ryan and her are down to the last two balloons. One boy and one girl balloon. Which will have the surprise inside? One, Two, Three... Now you will have to watch the video to see the outcome. Keep an eye on the picture in picture inset and catch the SUPER EXCITEMENT of Ryan's step mom, it is classic. What a great evening this was. Many were surprised which gender the little surprise was, all because many had the same "feeling" as to the gender. Very joyful outcome with tears of joy and many hugs for the soon to be new mom and dad. Ryan and Megan, here comes the most exciting time of your lives. Bella the family dog is sure to make for a great "big sister".

Gliding in beautiful British Columbia has become a huge part of Kevin's life. Growing up on Vancouver Island not far from the Comox Airforce base, Kevin always dreamt of becoming a fighter pilot. Cfb Comox as it is know houses the CC-115 Buffalo Aircraft and CH-149 Cormorant Helicopters, they also carry out search and rescue operations in the busiest region in Canada, stretching from the B.C.-Washington border to the Arctic, and from the Rocky Mountains to 1,200 km out into the Pacific. As a young teenager Kevin had been involved with Air Cadets and did some gliding, but never attained his glider pilots licence. Once graduated from high school, Kevin began chasing his dream. He enrolled for the preliminaries of becoming an officer, and passed the first testing of aptitude, physical health and general knowledge. Then one day his world came crashing down, he was diagnosed with colour blindness. His dream of joining the forces and becoming a pilot were finished. Although colour blindness is not actually blindness, it is a deficiency in the way someone can see colours. Mainly blue and yellow, red and green cause the issues for those with this issue. Onward with life brought Kevin many accomplishments. Always loving aircraft he took up the hobby of flying radio controlled aircraft and became highly skilled with this. Airplanes and then helicopters opened up one BIG investment into turbine powered jets. Years go by, hobbies change, and Kevin gets that bug. That bug, is to fly once again. He heads out to Hope Airpark in Hope British Columbia and starts asking about learning to fly gliders. Soon enough he is enrolled in ground school at Skyquest Aviation and jumps in with both feet. School, flight training, all mixed in with everyday life and within a year Kevin is a certified Canadian Glider Pilot. Browsing a website for aircraft he comes across the perfect glider for him. Complete with trailer, parachute and some extra bits and pieces. How is he going to afford this? Well hanging in his garage are a few of those turbine radio controlled jets.... they carry a hefty price tag, so yes you guessed it. Two of those beauties get sold and Kevin is the proud owner of his first full scale glider. In this video you see the amazing scenery that both glider and powered aircraft pilots in the Vancouver area get to enjoy. This is an extremely beautiful part of Canada. Along with the scenery enjoy the "pilot chatter", it is always fun listening to someones passion.

Scuba diving with Great White Sharks is an amazing experience. Near Guadalupe Island in Mexico is the perfect location to see these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. More than 100 miles off the shore of Ensenada Mexico which is just across the U.S border, means this is quite the trip. Boarding a live aboard yacht the group endured an over night voyage to get to the dive sight. Once there they were briefed on the very strict rules of engagement with these animals which is governed by the Mexican government. On board was also a government official to keep track and log the animals seen as the movements and return of these beautiful animals is of highest priority. Guadalupe Island is a mid point from the regular area the sharks live to their breeding grounds. Being a declared marine reserve the sharks are at no threat to humans making this the perfect location to view these beautiful animals in their natural environment. Divers and animal lovers alike travel from all over the world to visit the Great Whites of Guadalupe. These massive animals can reach 20 feet long and nearly 5000 pounds. Amazing. Many say they feel intimidated and anxious at first when entering the water with these sharks, but that soon becomes amazement once you see how graceful they are. Curious may be the best way to describe the sharks with the divers. But beware, wild animals can never be predicted. This definitely is an experience that creates memories.

Aldor Acres farm in Aldergrove, British Columbia has a very special event during the fall season. Along with opening their property up to the public to visit their pumpkin patch and choose that special pre Jack o lantern pumpkin for Halloween they do much more. This is an amazing gem found in the farmlands of the area. Fall decorations cover the complete public areas. From a market store visitors can purchase preserves, honey and other goods. They also have some very fun mini pumpkins, gourds, mini hay bales along with corn stalks and sunflowers to complete your fall home decorations. If you like farm animals then this is also the place to come. Cows, big cows not just those little guys, they have a massive male that just hangs around and gets petted by everyone. Goats.... they have babies and mama and papa goats. The little goats are the cutest but very sneaky so watch your shoe laces and bag of feed. Head into the barn and get ready for some "awwws" as this is where you will find these tiny little 10 day old bunnies seen in the video. So tiny they look like mice, but cuter of course. Want to pet and feed a Llama, well you can do that too. Like the goats the Llama are sneaky too, feed him and sneak in a scratch on his head . Piglets by the dozen are here as well. Donkeys love to be scratched as well, big floppy ears will create some chuckles for sure. And if you have come for that big ol' pumpkin or the wee little one then get ready to hit the 15 acre field and make a decision. No you don't have to walk, the tractor drawn super fun hay wagon ride will drop you right in the perfect spot to make your selection. Year after year many return and make this a very special time of year with family and friends. Who doesn't love a farm and all it's fun and loving animals just waiting for you to come visit. If you get out to Aldor Acres in Aldergrove, British Columbia, just a short hour drive from the centre of Vancouver, enjoy. You will want to make it an annual ritual as Brent and his family do.

To many who scuba dive, seeing large animals while below the water surface is the key experience they always strive for. To others it is the small minute creatures that also inhabit the liquid that covers 70 percent of our earth. For Domenico, originally from Italy whom has been scuba diving for more than 15 years it is the Giant Great White Sharks. Finally having the opportunity to travel from his home in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada to Guadalupe Island, Mexico is the experience of a lifetime for him. Being in the water with one of the most feared creatures in the ocean, the Great White shark, was about to happen.These sharks truly are giants, the adult male sharks range in size from 11' to 13'. The females are larger, measuring 16' to 20' and weighing over 4000 pounds. The Great White male seen here was approximately 12 feet long. Domenico mentioned “ He was massive! When it turned and swam straight up at me I was both nervous and excited. I was hoping he was just going to keep swimming past so I continued recording”. Departing Vancouver International Airport for San Diego California was how the trip began. Domenico was then picked up by the tour operator, transported across the Mexican border with the others in the group to board the custom live aboard yacht which they all would be staying on for seven days. Guadalupe Island is approximately 150 miles off shore from Ensenada Mexico, taking 18 hours to arrive while aboard the custom yacht. Guadalupe is a small volcanic island that affords the best dive site for the opportunity of seeing these animals with up to 150 foot visibility. A dive spot so rich with Great White presence that little baiting is needed to draw their attention. Diving in Guadalupe is all about getting up close and personal with Great White Sharks. This location is a mating grounds for the Great White sharks followed by an 11 month gestation period. They then return to the Baja Peninsula coast to give birth to their shark pups. Once giving birth, the adult sharks then repeat the process and return to Guadalupe . Kept safe by metal cages, divers can take photos or video while observing their behaviours and maybe even catch sight of a Great White hunting its prey. These dive spots help divers and shark enthusiast in general enter a new world of understanding for the great white sharks and their inquisitive nature. Safety for the divers is key for all the tour operators that come here and the rules and regulations are governed by the Mexican government. Break the rules and the operator loses their licence. The divers are directed to not touch the animals, no matter how inviting it seems. At the time this was recorded, Domenico and the other divers were allowed to be outside on top of the shark cage. This apparently is no longer allowed which makes this footage extra special. As you can see by the “Happy dance” of the couple divers, seeing these beautiful creatures in their own habitat is a once in a lifetime experience.“What an experience it was, I could have touched his fin” Domenico explained. “ I will definitely be going back”. Some divers have taken this excursion many times and say “it never gets boring or old”. ” There are always different things happening as the sharks come close”.

The Lower Mainland of British Columbia is a pretty amazing place. Vancouver is the main city in this area, but the area extends from the Canada U.S border to the South, to Whistler in the North. To the West is the Pacific Ocean being Burrard Inlet and to the East is the city of Hope and the Coast Mountain range. The Coast Range of mountains also offer up some great snow skiing, hiking, and snowboarding in the winter. During the summer and actually every season of the year they also offer up amazing hiking, biking, or just plain outdoor activities in general to the locals and visitors from all over the world. With many ocean harbors the area also offers up many locations for kayaking and boating of any kind. With logging also being one of the main natural resource industries in the Vancouver area this brings in the major topic in the video you are about to enjoy. Logging which of course includes cutting of trees. After being cut, the trees are hauled into the water to then be moved about by barge or dragged by tug boats. When the logs are gathered in a bunch, called a boom, they are tied with ropes and cables. Once gathered in booms these large gatherings of logs are anchored to pilings usually near the shore until scheduled to be moved to a saw mill in the area. Sometimes taking days or weeks to be relocated, the local wildlife can sometimes take up residence on these booms as they are a safe place for them out of the water. Seals and sea lions are in abundance in the waters around Vancouver as are killer whales. As you may know killer whales are a main predator of seals, so guess who you may just find perched upon one of these log booms? Seals also love to lounge in the sun, sucking in all the warmth they can on a nice Vancouver summer day. The wildlife knows as well as the residence of Vancouver, warm sunny days are not in abundance at times, so you need to enjoy them while you can. Also while enjoying this video you will see another gorgeous creature that loves this area. They are very majestic and amazing to watch. Keep an eye out to make sure you don't miss this beautiful bird. Squamish British Columbia which is only a short drive from Vancouver en-route to Whistler is another location that is famous for viewing the bald eagles. Whistler is just one more reason to visit this amazing part of the world. Beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Come visit and see what it is all about.

The Lower Mainland of British Columbia is a pretty amazing place. Vancouver is the main city in this area, but the area extends from the Canada U.S border to the south, to Whistler in the north. To the west is the Pacific Ocean being Burrard Inlet and to the east is Hope and the Coast Mountain range. The Coast Range of mountains also offer up some great snow skiing, hiking, and snowboarding in the winter. During the summer and actually every season of the year they also offer up amazing hiking, biking, or just plain outdoor activities in general to the locals and visitors from all over the world. With many ocean harbours the area also offers up many locations for kayaking and boating of any kind. With logging also being one of the main natural resource industries in the Vancouver area this brings in the major topic in the video you are about to enjoy. Logging which of course includes cutting of trees. After being cut, the trees are hauled into the water to then be moved about by barge or dragged by tug boats . When the logs are gathered in a bunch, called a boom, they are tied with ropes and cables. Once gathered in booms these large gatherings of logs are anchored to pilings usually near the shore until scheduled to be moved to a saw mill in the area. Sometimes taking days or weeks to be relocated, the local wildlife can sometimes take up residence on these booms as they are a safe place for them out of the water. Seals and sea lions are in abundance in the waters around Vancouver as are killer whales. As you may know killer whales are a main predator of seals, so guess who you may just find perched upon one of these log booms? Seals also love to lounge in the sun, sucking in all the warmth they can on a nice Vancouver summer day. The wildlife knows as well as the residence of Vancouver, warm sunny days are not in abundance at times, so you need to enjoy them while you can. Also while enjoying this video you will see another gorgeous creature that loves this area. They are very majestic and amazing to watch. Keep an eye out to make sure you don't miss this beautiful bird. Squamish British Columbia which is only a short drive from Vancouver en-route to Whistler is another location that is famous for viewing the bald eagles. Whistler is just one more reason to visit this amazing part of the world. Beautiful British Columbia, Canada. Come and visit and see what it is all about.

Fall on the West Coast of British Columbia brings some amazing changes to the area. Trees leaves begin to change color, and fall to the ground. Weather in Vancouver also starts to change. From the warm sunny days with bright blue skies to darker and wetter days. Although these weather patterns are not new to the locals, they still make the most of every season and type of weather that this beautiful part of the country brings. The Coast Mountains are very close to the city, some locations are less than 30 minutes away by car. Be it hiking in the local parks, or mountain biking up at world famous Whistler Blackcomb everything is within a short drive. Another extremely popular area is Squamish. This city is a short 45 minutes from Vancouver, and on the Sea to Sky Highway which is the main route to Whistler. Squamish has two very popular claims to fame. The Stawamus Chief, officially Stawamus Chief Mountain, which is a granite dome located adjacent to the town of Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. It towers over 700 m above the waters of nearby Howe Sound. It is often claimed to be the "second largest granite monolith in the world” and is a very popular location for rock climbers and hikers alike. Whether a casual hiker or hard core climber, “the Chief” has something for you. The next claim to fame is the annual migration of the Bald Eagles that frequent the Squamish area and specifically Brackendale which is a suburban neighborhood of Squamish. Squamish held the world-record count of 3,769 eagles in 1994 and continues to attract many eagles each year. Why do the eagles come to Brackendale? Well plain and simply they come to feed on the migrating salmon. The salmon venture up the rivers to spawn after spending their time in the ocean. After enduring their time in the oceans, the salmon take on another huge challenge of making their way to the spawning grounds at which they themselves were born. This may seem like a simple challenge, just swim up the creek, find some gravel and sand, deposit your eggs and that's it. This is not quite how it all takes place. The salmon have to fight their way up over rapids, log jams that can happen in the creeks and rivers, as well as predators. man himself it one predator for the salmon in ways, anglers too are trying to catch some of these tasty fish. Aside from anglers, there are bears, coyotes, wolves, and of course the eagles. If the salmon are lucky enough and have endured all the hardship of their travels they hopefully find the perfect location to lay their eggs which then the male salmon will fertilize, hopefully with success. Mother Nature is an amazing thing. All the wildlife that Mother Nature encompasses is also simply amazing and many of us take it for granted. Take time out of your busy lives to “smell the roses”. It is times like this we get to enjoy the efforts that videographers like Domenico endure to record footage like this for us all. He endured freezing temperatures, snow and ice and was also blessed with some sunny skies to bring this footage to us. Enjoy and remember, come to Vancouver British Columbia to see all the beauty that the locals see on a daily basis. British Columbia, “the most beautiful place on earth”.

During a dive, the two divers were working their way along a rock wall when one of them noticed something moving behind a very dense kelp growth. Shifting a few of the very large kelp leaves revealed a massive octopus, known as a Giant Pacific Octopus. As you will see, the octopus almost immediately engaged with the diver showing intense curiosity. Octopus are incredibly intelligent and curious animals and knowing this, the diver did not pull away but rather relaxed, managed themselves in a safe manner and enjoyed the experience. Relaxing and showing no fear towards the animal was the best option as these creatures are extremely strong. If it had decided it was not going to free the diver, things may have gone differently. Having buddies while diving is also extremely important. When an issue arises they are there to help, just as this divers buddy did by gently manipulating the octopus off of the fellow diver that was slowly being engulfed. Enjoy the video and if diving is on your bucket list, check that off as an adventure. You will not be disappointed with the experiences and life long memories it brings!

Waving his arm and trying to use his dive light to signal his dive buddy and wife Elsa, Brent was finally successful. Swimming nearer to see what all the commotion and arm waving was about, Elsa too noticed what had got Brent so excited. Sea Turtles are Brent’s favourite animal to come across next to sharks. Their clumsy gracefulness is a delight to watch. The patterns they display on their shells is nothing less than artwork. To come across another beautiful but much smaller creature on the same dive was outstanding. This second creature turned out to be more spectacular in its own way that Brent and Elsa expected.This was something new for both of them. Both being avid scuba divers from Vancouver British Columbia they are use to seeing different varieties of marine life while being below the waves, but this little creature seemed extra special to Brent. Diving along the reef near Grand Cayman’s East End Brent noticed a tiny snail looking creature with white, yellow-and-black markings that camouflaged it fairly well. This beauty was roughly an inch long in size. Pausing for a short time to video this amazing looking animal, which Brent thought was another marine creature called a nudibranch, he was quite astounded how beautiful it was. Keeping in mind that those very brilliantly coloured little creatures in the sea are poisonous, Brent was careful not to be pushed into the sea fan from the surging currents. Usually in male-female pairs munching on their favourite foods of gorgonians and sea fans, this one appeared to be solo at the time. Do not, however, assume these harmless-looking creatures are, in fact, without bite, as they actually are poisonous and show their toxicity via the bright colours on their shell. As most women will say regarding gifts “big things come in small packages”. This is also true with many beautiful and amazing creatures in the ocean. Flamingo Tongues are actually one of the major predators on gorgonians. When inspecting the sea fans closely you can often see trails behind them showing where the Flamingo Tongues have been feeding. Being snail-paced they might seem easy pickings for predators, and are a favoured food item of the Giant Hogfish but as mentioned the Flamingo Tongue is well defended. Since this little guy feeds on the toxic coral being the gorgonian it is able to concentrate the toxic chemicals from the coral into its own tissues, which it then wraps around the outside of its shell. But there is no point being poisonous, unless you advertise the fact, and the Flamingo Tongue displays bright warning colours of its toxicity. It is often a surprise to divers to learn that the shells of Flamingo tongues are actually white, and it is the spotty mantle, the layer of living tissue that the snails wraps over its shell, that gives it its colour. The mantle also allows the snail to breath, by absorbing oxygen from the water. What an amazing creature!

Coming home to an open pantry isn't always a big deal or a surprise, specially when you have children. But this day it was quite funny. After arriving home after running errands, Brent noticed the pantry open and he knew it was closed or almost closed when they left. Looking around he noticed a definite clue as to whom was lurking around while he was gone. Upon closer examination it was clear..... there was a dog treat thief in the house. Now Poncho, Brent and Elsa's rescue dog from Mexico, has a number of quite hilarious quirks. Almost ever time either Brent or Elsa returns home from being out and about, something is noticed misplaced. Many times it is a shoe moved from a shoe rack in the den to Poncho's bed, or a couch. Never chewed but always moved. Some days it may be a entry way carpet all scrunched into a ball, as Poncho is known for "making a nest" or something similar. Some days Brent wonders if Poncho was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper because his reading glasses, which were on the kitchen table, mysteriously have appeared on the living room couch. Poncho is a pretty keen pooch, so you just never know if she is reading up on "100 ways to be a better dog" in the local paper. Watch and enjoy one of Ponchos funny ways, and see just how adorable of a pet she is to Brent and Elsa. Poncho's expressions after the theft will melt your heart. What a great dog. She is definitely loved and she knows it. Just look at those eyes!

The beautiful black figure spotted with white is an enormous spotted Eagle Ray. Closing in on at least 12 feet across, the ray glides through the water like a seasoned jet fighter pilot performing at an airshow. Coming across an Eagle Ray when scuba diving is always a highlight moment to divers. While diving in Utila, Honduras, in clear deep blue waters, this gorgeous Eagle Ray wanted to put on a spectacular display. Karl and his dive buddies had traveled many miles from Montreal, Quebec to take in the breathtaking waters and animals Utila has to offer. Rays are carnivorous, meaning their diet consists of other animals, they never eat plants. Mostly, other little creatures that live beneath the sand like worms, shrimp and squid. Alongside these small ocean animals, they may eat small fish, clams, oysters, and even sea snails. After Karl and his buddies descended onto the sand after noticing this large Eagle Ray gliding towards them, the ray began to put on an amazing display. Gliding past numerous times as though examining the area like a Bald Eagle soaring above a field, the Eagle Ray pin points its prey. Settling onto the sand he begins vacuuming the area with it’s incredible suction. Rays do not have teeth, but rather have hard bony plates in which they grind their food after sucking it from beneath the sand. Finding their prey is not as easy as such animals as sharks. The rays eyes are on the top of its head making it difficult to see below them. Using their keen sense of smell for locating prey, they take aim and pounce. What an amazing and beautiful animal!

Have you ever thought about becoming a truck driver? All those thoughts about the glorious life of travelling from town to town, city to city, state to state! Heck, you may even be able to become an international traveller ! Look at it this way, how hard can it be? Almost everyone has a drivers licence right ? “ I drive a car, i am sure i can drive that rig, it isn’t brain surgery”. Then again, i am sure some brain surgeons also say after years of school, and many more years of practical training if you can call it that, their job too” is a piece of cake” in a matter of speaking. But of course we all know, the brain is an amazing and strange thing, so we can’t compare brain surgery to truck or any other type of driving a vehicle on our roads of today. Onto the main subject here, driver training is a very real and important part of driving whether it be for a daily commute or transporting products to our stores and warehouses. Starting out in the driving world as teenagers many take lessons. These lesson or training build basic skills for becoming a safe and alert motorist, some learn faster than others. We have all seen this on the crazy highways and byways we transit daily. Family transporters or “cars” if you like, take us here and there. To sports games, work, theatre, and also maybe just for a little scoot to the countryside for some r & r . This is not the case for the PROFESSIONAL DRIVER.Yes there is such a term. The professional driver comes in many forms, today we are targeting the commercial truck driver. He or she has taken on a challenge… to transport products from point A to point B in the safest and most efficient way possible. Of course to take on this career as a professional driver one needs a standard drivers licence. Once that is accomplished, training is a definite . Learning all the systems of a BIG RIG ,how they work, the mechanics behind all those wheels and GIANT engines, and how to make sure “your” rig is ready for a day of safe travels. After the in class time, there is also a required number of hours of “on the road practice”. This actual time may vary from state to state and country to country. A class 1 drivers licence allows one to drive semi-trailer trucks as well as all other classes of vehicles 1 through 5. These being buses, smaller commercial trucks, taxis with restrictions, and the ability to drive ambulances. Of course for an ambulance it is most likely you need to be a paramedic, but that is another subject. And of course class 5, the main class of licence for driving our personal family cars, light trucks and the infamous family mini van. Well, in the video you are about to enjoy, Dale our videographer is one of these highly skilled professional drivers. Dale drives the BIG RIGS, as well as he is a heavy equipment operator. During his day, he enters and exits many storage yards and commercial properties. Not all these locations are a drive in and drive out location. Some require backing into a loading / unloading bay or backing out of the entire complex. Here we see a bit of two struggles for a commercial driver. These being a lack of skill as well a lack of situational awareness. In the end, Dale mentioned “this driver could have simply driven out of the yard, just as he drove in”. “ There is plenty of room to turn around inside the property”. Enjoy but remember “ we all have to learn at some point”. Be patient of those in training and learning, we were there as well!

“Hey kids, how would you like to go get lost in a corn field this afternoon?” “What? said 8 year old Ben and his 7 year old sister Samantha. “Why would we want to get lost dad?” Then their father went on to explain just what he was meaning. The Bose family farm started in 1891 in Surrey British Columbia when Henry Bose landed in the Canadian province from London, England. The son of an innkeeper, Henry immigrated to Canada as a young man wanting to start a new life as a farmer. Exploring his new homeland, Henry settled in Surrey, an area approximately a 30 minute drive from Vancouver nowadays. Henry chose Surrey as he felt it had the best soil in the area. Henry started with a dairy farm and also harvested potatoes in the fields. The crops have changed over the last 100 years, but the Bose family farm has the same passion, as their forefathers, as they continue to put food on your table as a fifth-generation farming family.Today, Bose and Son Family Farm raise poultry and grow a variety of field crops sustainably using cultivation to limit the use of sprays. You will find their quality, GMO-free vegetables for sale at the Langley, New Westminster, Burnaby and White Rock local farmers markets from May until October. GMO- free produce is extremely important to many that take great care and concern with their health.The Bose family also grows a corn maze for the enjoyment of locals and visitors alike. Many can also enjoy the Bose Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch on their commercial farmland as a seasonal agritourism event open to the public from late-August to Canadian Thanksgiving in early October. Leaders in the local community, the Bose’s believe in pricing the corn maze admission and pumpkins reasonably so a young family can afford to have fun and learn more about where their food comes from. For the last number of years, Mike Bose has chosen artwork as the design for their corn maze. Themes have included logo’s for local events and this year 2018, Mike decided on creating the logo of a local junior hockey franchise. The Vancouver Giants are the junior hockey teams Mike chose to feature. Being a hockey fan, this theme came easy to him. There was no hi tech gadgetry used in the layout. Kevin Bose, mike’s son explained to the videographer that is is done with graph paper and eco friendly spray paint.The Giants turn out many great hockey players that become big names in the NHL. Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens, and Milan Lucic of the Edmonton Oilers are only a couple of the big names. Once completing the maze, and since the maze is open rain or shine and into the dark evenings visitors can enjoy a bonfire roasting marshmallows which are provided free of charge. The Bose’ also have some of their produce available for purchase while at the corn maze location. What is better than a night out on the farm and taking home fresh produce that you know is fresher than fresh? What a bast!

This guy seems to be mastering the wakeboard, but just wait until the end. Too funny!

“Hey Rudder, hey Fluke, do you hear that?” Asked Gerald as the three sea lion buddies frolicked beneath the waves near Bartholome Island in the Galapagos Archipelago. “I think it is an approaching ship, maybe there are some of those funny looking creatures that wear rubber suits and blow bubbles down here!” “Possibly, since you are usually correct Gerald “ gurgled Rudder the California sea lion. Within minutes the three sea lion buddies had the audience they had been waiting for days. “Okay, Gerald, let’s show these guys a show they will never forget!” And so the show began. They had been working tirelessly on a new performance and could hardly wait until the scuba divers descended into the theater the sea lions call home. Karl the videographer at this location of Cousins Rock at Bartholome Island made the long journey from Quebec, Canada. Taking three flights and over twelve hours of travel to arrive. Cousins Rock is a small rock island which is the remains of an eroded crater. On the eastern side of the island, the rock cascades down in a series of recessed ledges strewn with black coral, which happens to appear bright green under the water. Taking cover in the coral is Cousins claim to fame in diving - stunning seahorses. On site just past 6:15 am made for an early start from the dive resort for Karl and his buddies. Along with many sea lions, divers can also experience many more incredible sea creatures here. Located North-east of the coast of Santiago Island and North of Bartolome, Cousins Rock offers opportunity to watch seahorses, frogfish and nudibranchs. Seahorses can be spotted taking cover in the coral at depths of around 50 feet. Long nosed hawkfish, turtles and many other types of fish are plentiful as well. Eagle rays, golden rays, mobulas and numbers of <a href="https://rumble.com/v4jnwy-diving-with-the-giants-of-the-oceana-scuba-divers-dream.html" target="_blank">giant mantas</a> also enjoy getting up close and personal with divers here. Ranging from the surface to approximately 90 feet, this can be a great dive site for all skill levels of diver. At the time Karl was at Cousins Rock the water temperature was a chilly 68 degrees Fahrenheit with visibility ranging from 30 to 60 feet approximately. Not quite tropical but an amazing site nonetheless. Karl mentioned that the sea lions were quite amazing. “If we ignored the <a href="https://rumble.com/v687sr-underwater-flashmob-of-sea-lions-catches-the-divers-off-guard.html" target="_blank">sea lions</a>, they would come in close to grab our attention and continue to swim all around us, getting very up close and personal at times” mentioned Karl. Nibbling and biting on the divers fins was not uncommon from the sea lions. Karl and his buddies mentioned this is an amazing location to dive, so if you are considering visiting Galapagos, don’t pass up the opportunity. What do you think about this video? Make sure you tell us more in the comments down below. If you like what you see, don’t forget to share it with others who might like it as well. It just might be the highlight of their day! Enjoy!