Meet Larry Taylor, a diver who participated in last May’s BioBlitz.

While diving off our shores Larry used his camera to record his findings and he is delighted to share them with us!

In May of 2019 the Mayne Island Conservancy along with our counterparts on Galiano Island held a BioBlitz with the objective of establishing an inventory of living things on and around our islands. The BioBlitz was designed to improve knowledge of local biodiversity, providing a comprehensive picture of our flora and fauna and helping to identify rare and sensitive species. Research scientists, graduate students and other interested people were invited to assist.

That’s where Larry Taylor comes in.

Larry is a diver, not a scientist. Scuba diving drew him in 25 years ago after the prairie boy went for a snorkel in the warm Mexican waters of the Sea of Cortez, near Cabo.  Wowed beyond description with what he witnessed, he went home and signed up for diving. It has been an integral part of his life ever since. He left Edmonton where he had been living and moved to Vancouver Island in 1998 just to be close to the ocean.

Cold waters or tropical, he doesn’t care.  Diving, he says, can be both challenging and rewarding.

Boat or shore, wall or reef, deep or shallow, night or day, clear or murky, whatever the conditions, Larry feels he wins. Whether on the lookout for plants, animals or just the rock formations, diving year-round in a choice of still waters or serious rapids, and occasionally even freshwater lakes, he finds it all a joy.

We were fortunate that Larry has some wonderful friends with similar attractions to this life of diving. Due to a scheduling mishap by a beloved friend and dive buddy, Larry was asked to fill in for his friend and participate in the 2019 BioBlitz on Mayne and Galiano Islands. With the added skill of underwater photography, he was able to capture how wonderful life is below the water’s surface. We were excited when Larry contacted the office a number of months ago expressing interest in sharing his findings with the community.

Join us on the evening of January 18^th at the Ag Hall at 7pm to see photos that Larry took the weekend of the BioBlitz along with some fascinating video footage and photos of the underwater world around Vancouver Island.