Waves inside a Tunnel Wave

This past July, my photographer brother, Michael and I decided to take the ferry from Nanaimo (not far from our new home) to Gabriola Island, one of the Southern Gulf Islands known for its spectacular natural features, one of which is called the Malaspina Galleries by Gabriolans. It is a massive, 100 m-long barrel wave formation created by the erosion of sandstone by salt. And because the wave is almost 4 m tall, we were able to walk beneath it and marvel at the intricate tide pools and patterns at our feet.

After that trip, I was hooked on tafoni (also known as honeycomb weathering or “Swiss-cheese rock”), sandstone caves and the prehistoric-looking natural sculptures we discovered.

So, in September, we decided to venture out to one of our spectacular local beaches here on Vancouver Island. It is located in Nanaimo’s Jack Point and Biggs Park, known for its massive sandstone formations lining the shore. We arrived mid-morning to ensure that the tide was far enough out to enable us to view these unique colossi while standing on the sandy beach (it’s important to check the tides to make sure you don’t get “trapped” if the tide is coming in).

We started our adventure by taking a small dirt footpath off the main trail down to a huge sandstone tunnel wave. At its entrance, I was captivated by these “waves” of lava frozen in time, with their honeycomb pockets swirling around this sandstone globe in the dappled light of the morning. By capturing this image in black and white, I hoped to accentuate the curves of this otherworldly, moonscape-like scene.