6052 x 4040 px | 51,2 x 34,2 cm | 20,2 x 13,5 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
9 aprile 2016
Ubicazione:
Big Rock, Campbell River, Georgia Straits, South Island Highway, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.
Altre informazioni:
Native folklore has also survived European settlement, including the mythology of local landmarks like the Big Rock. Sitting on the shoreline near the south end of town, the Big Rock is a 10-m (30-ft) tall glacial erratic. According to native folklore, however, the rock was originally a boastful grizzly bear. A native Legend handed down through the generations explains why there are no Grizzly bears on Vancouver Island. In the early days many grizzlies and black bears living on the mainland eyed Vancouver Island longingly, but it was too far for them to swim. Finally, the great spirit announced that if the bears could jump in one mighty leap, they might stay and live there. However they must not get as much as one claw wet, for if they did they would turn to stone. Many bears tried and failed, and the boulders strewn along the shores of Vancouver Island attest to that. It is said that the mountains and valleys on the mainland were created by the bears digging in for a run at the island. One day after watching many of his black bear relatives make the jump, a King-sized grizzly boasted that he could jump the distance too. The great spirit warned him what would happen if he failed. The Grizzly went miles back into the mainland to get a mighty leap. But, alas the tide was in. He landed on the beach with his feet in the water and was instantly turned to stone. And there he remains today – The Big Rock.
