Photos and Video | Quarrybbean | Nelson Island

Whale Watching From Shore

Even in the drizzling rain, this lone observer got a pleasant surprise. Two killer whales pass by within 30 feet of his feet! It was bumpy for a telephoto; starting to rain with poor lighting; I was operating the boat; and had five excited passengers. Got the shot when these two surfaced!

Seeking Prey

Don't mess with these talons. Check out how curved and sharp they are. Once you're hooked, you're dinner! Excellent lighting conditions and I was close enough.

Robert's Beach & Cabin

Robert's Beach is a 10-12 minute boat ride from the Quarrybbean and often you could be the only ones there. The only pebble beach around. (Shot from a Cessna 182).

Whale Watching From Shore

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PHOTOGRAPHS & VIDEOS

Above: 10 photos in a preview slideshow. Click and enjoy!

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Below: Extensive photos capturing many Quarrybbean experiences. Click and explore!

Tree House Cabin Ground floor deck with stairs to ground and to the main floor deck.	Wind Turbulence No air traffic control helping this one.	Big Quarry Lake Trail Fern city and maple trees in this section of a 15 minute hike.
Beauty In A Moment Dragon flies hover like nature's helicopters and they're fun to watch taking out small flies and mosquitos.	Good Signage This way to Big Quarry Lake.	Portrait Of An Eagle Immature bald eagle posed for this. Photo was taken from the Perch deck.
Rainbow Skies Rainbows usually happen on the east side of the bay as the sun sets in the west.	Starfish Migration These starfish appear to be creeping towards deeper waters.	Chatting It Up These red billed oyster catchers seemed to be discussing who might share in a snack. Photographed on Nelson Rock. Starfish seem vulnerable.
Respecting Their Personal Space Cormorants seem to be maintaining their personal distances from each other.	Tails You Win! Note the unique markings on this Humback's tail. Also note the barnacles on both tips that are dripping water. Shot within 400 feet of the Quarrybbean dock!	Alien Ship Landing Entering the upper landing at night time seems surreal.
Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay... ... Watching the tide roll away! Grabbing the last of the direct sunlight before heading back up for appies and dinner.	Barbie With A View! Ya cannie eat yer puddin' if you haven't eattin' your meat!	18th Hole! One of two reef markers out in the bay. Love that 'skin' on the water.
Watch The Action From The Cliffs Paddle board racing with bragging rights on the line.	Low Glider Sometimes the eagles swoop quite low and through the trees.	Balancing Act Herons like to get perch and shiners that hang around under the floats.
Duel Water Skiers If you bring a speed boat, water skiing becomes an option. If not, watching the action from the dock or up top is fun too.	Cheers To A Great Day! A communal meal outside on a mid-summer's night.	Scoters in Unison Scoters tend to arrive at the Quarrybbean in the fall. They get spooked easily and their wings make a high pitched whistle sound upon take off.
Wind and Power Boats It can get busy during the summer months with never a dull moment when the sun's out and its calm.	Indigenous Art A large eagle on a yellow cedar shield.	Colour In The Sky Close to the sunset hour, colours happen and clouds absorb them.
Low Tide, Early Morning Always a great morning spot to observe nature waking up.	Talk Like No One Is Listening Sometimes you may be the only ones at the lake and it feels special. Taken at Little Quarry Lake.	Prep Chef Our new kitchen has all you should need for prepping that special meal. Crown Royal is a small reward for cooking.
Grab A Floatie Many options for water toys, or just relax with a brewski and soak it all up!	Tidal Shelf Knuckles Early morning sun defines the tidal shelf knuckles. As seen from the elevator landing ramp.	Heron Amongst the Rocks Herons are the ideal photo models. They remain posed and patient.
Don't Worry. Be Happy! Love the one you're with!	Couples Therapy Sharing the grand expanse with nature and themselves.	Rainbow Gold Summer rains bring amazing rainbows. Because there are no nearby mountains, the winds blow the cloudy weather away. They don't get socked in like Vancouver.
A Workhorse Chopper! This helicopter had its work cut out for itself. Later it was busy lifting supplies from a barge up to a building site, just around the corner from the Quarrybbean.	The Merganser Walk Mom and her maturing offspring prance by the granite rock stacks.	Fungi Umbrellas If you look for them they appear on trees near moisture, but then in a rainforest, it can be damp a lot.
All Lit Up Nearing dusk...returning home on the elevator.	Thrill of Flying Great way to arrive or leave the Quarrybbean. From YVR's South Terminal, it's about a 40 minute flight along the Sunshine Coast.	Step Into Your Ocean... You can liberate and refresh yourself from the lower elevator landing!
Slow But Easy Way Down! Take the scenic route. It's under 3 minutes to the water and you can enjoy a beverage and the scenery at the same time.	Dramatic Granite Formations Following the shorelines reveal such rugged beauty.	The Future's So Bright... This squinting mink's gotta get shades.
Miniture Dragon Fly Slow down and observe. Then you will see beauty in all things nature. Is he about to break this dead strand?	Sea Otter On The Move Scouting shore for encrustations and other tasty delights.	Malaspina Views If whales are migrating, you'll see their spouts from here. A set of binos help. We have several.
Pink Granite This granite has pink pigmentation. It's a visual delight when the sun hits it in a certain way.	A Witch's Hat This peak is usually black like a Witch's Hat but with this spring snow dusting it's different.	Lover's Lookout! Embrace the grand spectacle with the one you love! Okay, and take the selfie!
Elevator Building Sea to peak view from the Malaspina Strait.	Islands Ahoy! The sand cliffs of Thornmanby Island are in the far distance. The three barren islets are the Hodgson Islands. They offer a slight breakwater on the way to Pender Harbour. A windy day out on the chuck!	Whale Watching From Shore! Even on a drizzling day, pleasant surprises can happen! Two killer whales do a drive-by for this lone observer.
Nattering Squirrel They can be cute but they sure natter. In the early morning, you can hear a loud banging sound as they drop green acorns onto the wooden deck from up high in the trees. That's your wake up call.	Dolphins Beneath the Cliffs Early April 2012, we heard these visitors churning the waters, but also their heavy exhale puffs. Photographed from the Perch deck.	A Shower Cleansing! Enjoy our outdoor shower clad in drift wood from Robert's Beach. We deliver the lake water to you, all warmed up by the sun's rays, as it flows down the elevator rails.
Braving A North-Westerly Departing on a north-westerly is like surfing. Arriving on one is bucking the white caps. Giddy-up!	Time To Set The Traps Pawning is a lot of work but if lucky - very rewarding. At worst, for the young bucks, it's a great work out.	Pacific Island Face Look closer with squinted eyes. You should see a set of large lips, a flat nose and 2 closed eyes with a furrowed forehead. If you see that look again, there's another small face to the right of his jaw!
Synchronized Swimming! Early morning visit and synchronized show at the Quarrybbean. Sleepy heads with hang-overs missed out on this special visit.	Observe and Absorb Nature Solitude offers calmness and clarity of thought. Pensive moments are possible when you leave all the clutter and noise behind.	Brand New Day... The sun hits the top of the cliffs in the early morning. Sitting out front with a coffee or tea is a great way to ease into a brand new day!
Swim From The Dock You don't have to make a splash from up high. Whatever works for you.	Some First Timers Always exciting for first time guests. How could it not be after a scenic boat trip and an elevator ride to the top!	Quarrybbean By Air East Quarry Bay with its reefs and docks. The Quarrybbean cliffs are visible in the middle outcropping. Note the beach comber's log booms.
Watchful Eyes Eagles abound. Perched amongst a dead tree's branches, I got the eye ball from both.	Hammock Zone Get closer. Hammock together!	Hot Day? Chill Out! This group knows where to hang. Great chill area that's down low to the water where they can catch a soothing Quarrybbean breeze.
Happy Campers With A Catch! Fresh salmon tonight. And these are only the ones they kept!	Lake Time! After a short hike, there's nothing like a dip at Little Quarry Lake. Even the dogs love it.	What's Missing? Get in the picture! One of several best places to have an early morning coffee. Actually, its a great place most times of the day.
Mom and the Twins The twins are about 3 days old. As soon as Mom was 6 feet away, they turned and hopped after her.	Family Gathering Deer like to stroll and eat the grass on the flat spot of the cliffs.	Showing Off The other humpback slapping its tail. It took me so long to get out into the Strait that they'd already stopped breaching. Bummer!
Rogue Invaders A rogue group of sea-do enthusiasts invade the bay. It was a quiet calming atmosphere but it was a mere pit stop and then they were gone!	Energy For The Quarrybbean Our 12 panel solar array captures the sun's rays for renewable energy. It heads to the mechanical room on the ground floor of the Elevator Building.	Storm Watching A brewing storm as seen from the Perch Studio. South easterlies whip up the whitecaps and pound the west point of Quarry Bay.
Cooking With A View Oysters to go. One of them produced a small pearl for a lucky guest!	Fearney Point & Agamemnon Channel There's a new trail to Fearney Point where you can check out the Agamemnon Channel and these snow-capped mountains. Towering views! The Fearney cliffs are almost twice the height as those at the Quarrybbean!	Above Big Quarry Lake Great perspective! The higher elevation of Big Quarry Lake, with the forested point (in the middle) where home base is. Way out in the background is the Malaspina Strait and Texada Island.
Eagle Eye View See the bridge lead into the Elevator Bldg, and then the rails to below. The lower landing, concrete ramp to the wharf, and aluminum ramp to the floats held in place with stiff legs.	Indoor Dining Views all round at the dinner table. Still room for 4 more!	Canada Geese Migration In early/mid October, you can hear the honking cries of the migrating Canada Geese overhead. They take turns being the lead bird of the evolving V-shaped formations. These waves can continue for up to 3 days or more.
Stand Tall Become giants for a few moments and create shapes and forms with your shadows. It's fun!	Exalting The Sun FARA, an indigenous singer/songwriter, has a spiritual moment as a fog bank rolls into Quarry Bay.	Heavenly Beams Always a dramatic moment when sun beams like these burst through the menacing clouds.
Heaven's Light Even on a heavy overcast day, heaven shines a spotlight on Malaspina Strait.	Beneath The Surface Star fish and a red/brown jelly, as seen from the dock ramp.	Magnificence of Early Spring! The splendour of spring's last big snowfall, as seen from out in Malaspina Strait.
Jelly Fish Bloom! Rare but magnificent when it happens. Note the reflection of the trees from on top of the cliffs.	Killer Whale In The Bay A summer's day visitor cruises the bay with boaters keeping their distance. Note the Quarrybbean off in the distance.	Above It All A mystical fog crept across the Malaspina Strait near sunset. Viewed from the Perch, it felt like we were above the clouds!
Fresh Cod For Dinner! Look closely, and you'll see a hint of blood on the eagle's beak. The cod's head has already been eaten.	Another Lazy Summer Day Summer mornings come early. But best not to miss them.	The Calming Shores Boats anchor at Robert's Beach while some visitors swim ashore to beach comb for hidden bounty or to visit Harry's cabin.
Team Swim At Big Quarry Lake A mid-day dip and swim to the island, on the lake, on Nelson island.	Poetry In Motion Nearby trees look like squiggles on the reflecting surface. The kayaker's efforts glide her on.	Curve Cutter A small boat cuts a smooth curve with its wake, as seen from the Quarrybbean cliffs.
Turkey Vulture Salute This vulture appears to be airing out its wings, from smell or wishing to dry its feathers.	Wedged in Beauty Beauty is where you find it.	Red Shirted Oyster Catcher There's always a seafood bounty to be procured at low tide.
Lover's Paradise A barefoot stroll on the granite. A place for introspection and affection. Wandering without a path.	Spirit Tree The spirits are watching and dancing from above. Note the stick man on left and skirted dancer on right.	Break On Through.. These are such special moments in time when the sun breaks through and sprinkles a few beams of light upon the horizon.
Guest Arrival Loading supplies into the carriage for the first ride up!	Spirit Man in the Granite This pattern of a man with a wide brimmed hat appears every day when the sun creates the shadow to make it so.	A Mariner's Refuge Yachts like to anchor in Quarry Bay. Sailboats often come in during a storm to wait it out. Others come for an afternoon of paddle boarding, rowing in their dingy, or to hang out for a refreshing dip during a scorching hot day.