Amphitrite Lighthouse

Distance traveled: 93 km
Cumulative distance: 1683 km
Maximum speed: 141 kph
Average speed: 56 kph
Temperature range: 15.8 - 19.6

Len and Windy met us at the Chesterman Beach House and we ride down to Ucluelete and have a snack - not even close to our 4,000 calorie allotment but still great. It is a little warmer than yesterday though the air remains fresh. That's the norm here.

 Amphitrite Lighthouse is the first lighthouse on the BC coast, dating back to 1905. The original lantern, a kerosene lamp, was placed on a bowl of mercury and two mirrors revolved around the lamp by a spring-wound timer that lasted for eight hours. At each interval, the lighthouse keeper would have to re-wind the spring, a system that remained in use till the arrival of electricity to the lighthouse in 1961.

While we were wandering around the lighthouse area, we heard a persistent hollow, blowing sound, not unlike the sound when a person is blows across the top of a beer bottle.  The four of us speculated what might be causing it and I walked down nearly to the water's edge thinking I would find the source, such as the wind blowing in a hollow tube in the rocks. The closer I got the water's edge ("risking life and limb" in Len's words), with the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, the harder it was to determine from what direction the sound was coming and thus, the mystery remained. At least until we were leaving and came across a descriptive sign that we hadn't bothered to stop and read when we arrived.

It turns out that the sound was a "whistle buoy" and is a navigation beacon for mariners. There is also a "bell buoy", the idea being that in the fog or darkness, mariners should navigate between the two and avoid the shore or reefs that might be under the water.  This system has also been in use here since 1905.

Surfing is popular here in Tofino and this is not a unique sight. We also saw a motorcycle rider with his board strapped to the side of his bike, moving considerably faster than this fellow.