Life-sized driftwood whale installed in Campbell River, B.C.
Campbell River, B.C. -
A Vancouver Island community that promotes itself as the Salmon Capital of the World could easily add Driftwood Capital of the World to that moniker thanks to a new creation added this week.
A whale made out of pieces of driftwood was dropped onto the shoreline in Campbell River near the Ken Forde boat ramp in Willow Point on Wednesday.
"She's 26, 27 feet long, so it's a life-sized juvenile humpback whale and probably weighs in at about two and a half ton, a little bit shy of the 20 ton that they like to get to, but two and a half is plenty" says Dean Parsonage, a member of the Campbell River Association of Tour Operators.
The operators came up with the idea of the sculpture about 15 months ago as a way to give back to the community.
"It started off as a vision and it became a pitch and then it became a reality," Parsonage says.
The sculpture is the latest high-profile art piece created by Alex Witcombe of Drifted Creations and was completed in his Quadra Island studio before being trucked from there to Campbell River.
"It came across from Quadra Island on the ferry, so there was a beached whale being delivered by Road Kill Recovery, which was pretty awesome, watching it come over on the back of the ferry, backed in here and installed on the concrete," Parsonage says.
The move was documented on the ground and in the air by James Kay of DHT Productions.
The installation of the whale is just the first stage of a multi-phase Sea Walk Interpretive Centre Enhancement Project that will be created by the tour operators, the Rotary Club of Campbell River, the city and Ocean Wise.
"It started off as a whale that literally grew fins, and now she'll become a showcase piece on the BC Whale Trail, which is all land-based whale watching right along our coastline into the U.S. as well," Parsonage says.
The groups are seeking a name for the new whale, information for which can be found on the Campbell River Association of Tour Operators website.
Information on the whale trail can be found on its website.
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