Algonquin VI: Wildlife

Throughout our voyage we constantly encountered the natural inhabitants of the park; at each twist of the river or stretch of lake we were welcomed by the local wildlife. The least welcoming were the countless beavers who dammed our route but who were generally invisible, except for the occasional glimpse caught as they swam away from the canoe.

Hassan's pocket digital came in handy for these shots. The Rollei's wide angle is not best suited for wildlife close-ups.



The rivers were the abode of the crane, that elegan long-beaked bird that seemed to guide us through the reeds, flying ahead of us as we made our way through the twisting path.

All kinds of butterflies and other insects perched on our canoe, curious at the unusual fiberglass craft making its way through their land.

But the most impressive encournters we had were with several moose. These massive animals awed us with their sheer size and strength. On one occasion, we turned a bend in the windy Nipissing river and came face to face with a grazing moose. He seemed to pay little attention to us as he filtered the river bed seeking the vegetation that moose spend most of their waking hours eating. Only after it had wallowed in the cool waters for some time did he decide to retreat into the shady pine boughs and let us pass.