The Pacific Giants (16 page)
Read The Pacific Giants Online
Authors: Jean Flitcroft
She knew that her excuses sounded really pathetic, but they were partly true.
“Well, we have lots of time now,” Lee said
determinedly. “A ferry ride all on our own. That's plenty of time for you to tell me the whole story.”
Not entirely alone
, Toddy muttered from the comfort of Vanessa's backpack.
And telling the whole story may not be the best idea
, he warned.
Vanessa looked thoughtfully at Lee's trusting face and wondered what on earth she would say. Toddy had a point. Just how much should she tell Leeâand where exactly would she start?
Many thanks to Dr. Paul LeBlond, scientist and cryptozoologist, who welcomed me to his home on one of the beautiful gulf islands in British Columbia and talked to me at length about Caddy and about his book with Dr. Edward L. Bousfield,
Cadborosaurus: Survivor from the Deep
. I am most grateful for all the information and your time.
Thanks also to Jessica Wilson from Greenpeace in Vancouver, and Anne who runs the fantastic whale-watching tours in Panama. Watching the baby
humpbacks that day will stay with me for a long time.
Once again I am indebted to my publishers, Elaina and Siobhán at Little Island, for all their work on this book. Thanks also to my dear friends Jenny and Paula for their helpful feedback on the manuscript. And to my family, Ian, Cal, Myles, and Ollie, for being there when I need them most.
I've tried to be as factual as I can about the Cadborosaurus sightings. Most of the information is thanks to my interview with Paul LeBlond and material from his book
Cadborosaurus: Survivor from the Deep
. But the cetacean research center on Brighton Island, the place I call Duquette Island, and all its residents are entirely fictitious. The following are references that I've used and make interesting reading on Caddy and environmental issues.
Loren Coleman and Jerome Clark.
Cryptozoology A to Z: The Encyclopedia of Loch Ness Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras and other Authentic Mysteries of Nature
. Simon and Schuster, 1999.
John Robert Colombo.
The Monster Book of Canadian Monsters
. p. 142â153. Battered Silicon Dispatch, 2004.
Betty Sanders Garner.
Canada's Monsters
. Chapter 10, p. 75â82. Potlach Publications, 1976.
Bernard Heuvelmans.
In the Wake of the Sea-Serpents
. Hill and Wang, 1968.
Paul LeBlond and Edward L. Bousfield.
Cadborosaurus: Survivor from the Deep
. Horsdal and Schubert, 1995.
Howard White. “The Cadborosaurus meets Hubert Evans.”
Raincoast Chronicles Six/Ten, Collector's Edition II
. p. 276â278. Harbour Publishing, 1995.
Jeff Bell. “It's prime time for spotting
Cadborosaurus.”
Times Colonist
. 6 July 1999.
Patrick Murphy. “Three sightings of mysterious Caddy.”
Times Colonist
. 27 July 1996.
Patrick Murphy. “Caddy attracts new fans.”
Times Colonist
. 21 July 1998.
www.gvpl.ca/interests/local-history/tales-from-the-vault/caddy
www.bcscc.ca/cadborosaurus.htm
Dr. Jean Flitcroft started her career as a scriptwriter for medical and scientific films, and later became a travel writer when her obsession with travel won out. It was on these journeys around the world that she started writing books for children. She lives in Dublin, Ireland, with her husband and three sons. Learn more at
www.jeanflitcroft.com
.
