The Search for Oak Bay’s Elusive Cadborosaurus Continues
Summer offers a number of ways to spot Oak
Bay’s oldest resident
June 25, 2004. Victoria BC: With the return of summer’s
warm days, visitors and residents are increasingly likely to catch a glimpse
of Cadborosaururs Willsi - better known as Caddy, Oak Bay’s sea serpent
in residence. While there were a handful of sightings through 2003, none met
the criteria to collect a $10,000 bounty - offered by Oak Bay Tourism - for
verifiable footage of a wild Cadborosaurus. The bounty is offered again in 2004
and Oak Bay’s variety of marine adventure activities offers plenty of
opportunity to capture this elusive creature on camera.
“Oak Bay is a hot spot of Cadborosaurus activity,” says Jason Walton,
team and field co-ordinator for CaddyScan and vice-president of the British
Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club (BCSCC). “For reasons that aren’t
yet clear we consistently have sightings here.” Cryptozoology is the study
of animals not yet classified by science.
Descriptions of Caddy from First Nations legends as well as modern sightings
consistently refer to a serpentine body five to 15 metres in length with an
elongated neck and a head resembling a horse or camel. Frequently a series of
vertical humps or loops are seen in line with the head.
Caddy has often been spotted from the shore during strolls along sandy Willows
Beach or Cadboro Bay, for which the Cadborosaurus is named. The rocky beaches
of Clover Point and along King George Terrace are also popular viewpoints. Binoculars
are recommended as Caddy has often been mistaken for a log or a seal.
Whale watching is available from the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and sailing adventures
may be booked with Oak Bay Sailing School at the Oak Bay Marina, taking observers
beyond Discovery and Chatham Islands where chances of a sighting are good and
where the first modern Caddy sighting was reported in 1932. Year-round fishing
adventures provide excellent Caddy-spotting opportunities in addition to the
chance to catch some of the largest halibut on the coast. For a more adventurous
approach, kayaking adventures may be booked out of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel.
Walton offers some advice to serious Caddy-spotters: “Take pictures first,
ask questions later. Most sightings are very fast and often once the spotter
has realized that it’s Caddy, he’s gone.”
If you experience a close encounter with Caddy a slow approach is recommended.
Maintain a comfortable distance and always leave him with an escape route. Never
come closer than 100 feet of a small animal, as a nearby parent may intervene
to protect its offspring.
While automatic surveillance, such as Oak Bay Tourism’s Caddycam, (www.oakbaycam.com)
is predicted to produce the most publishable images of Caddy, first-hand eyewitness
accounts make up the majority of Caddy sightings. “We hope someone will
be in the right place at the right time,” says Heather Wheeler, President,
Oak Bay Tourism. “It’s worth keeping your eyes open.”
Full contest details, as well as more information on an Oak Bay adventure,
are available at www.oakbaytourism.com. All footage submitted will be evaluated
by a panel of judges including cryptozoologists and Tourism Oak Bay members
and remains property of Oak Bay Tourism.
Just 10 minutes from downtown Victoria, Oak Bay is a vibrant community where
the pace reflects the relaxed attitude of its residents. Visitors can spend
an unhurried day browsing a variety of shops, antique stores and art galleries,
soaking up the street life, or enjoying quiet parks, gardens and beaches. Outdoor
enthusiasts will find endless marine, cycling and gardening adventures. Oak
Bay is Canada’s Palm Tree Capital.
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Media Contacts:
Heather Leary
Oak Bay Tourism Media Relations
250-385-2285
hleary@shaw.ca
Heather Wheeler
Oak Bay Tourism President
250-598-2184
Jason Walton
CaddyScan team and field coordinator
250-721-3836
caddyscan@shaw.ca
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