An Immersive & Transcendent Experience in Clayoquot Sound
On my recent trip to Tofino, I was treated to an immersive, tranquil and exuberant experience at Moon Jelly Bathhouse. When hosts Kaeli and Mike, along with their charming malamute Zeke, picked me up at the dock in Tofino, I was immediately touched by their warm smiles, genuineness and down-to earth nature. As we boated for about thirty minutes through the breathtaking beauty of Clayoquot Sound to a private bay where Moon Jelly is located, co-owners and partners Kaeli and Mike told me what had inspired them to create Moon Jelly Bathhouse. They recounted that when they had begun bathing in seaweeds, they were astounded by the immense benefits and pleasure they experienced. Their personal revelations about the healing power of bathing in seaweeds and their desire to share this experience with their community led them to create their one-of-kind offering.
After a stunning boat ride through the sound, we slowed and entered a sheltered bay with a couple of little islands that probably don’t exist when the tide is high. The western red cedar, western hemlock and Sitka spruce-covered mountains dropped steeply down from the bright blue sky before plunging into the green-black water of the Pacific Ocean.
When we arrived at the floating dock, I walked past Mike and Kaeli’s charming float house, passing by planted herbs and hanging shells, and then onto another dock upon which Moon Jelly was built. There were two tubs, both heated by wood fires, one filled with ocean water and one with freshwater from a nearby creek. Behind the tubs there was a comfy, covered lounge area with pillows and a gas fireplace. Behind that was an outdoor shower and a change area that smelled strongly of cedar and where I found the warmest and most sturdy-looking bath robe I have ever seen, clearly built for the rugged elements that Clayoquot Sound is famous for. Just outside the change area, a paddleboard hung above the water, ready to be employed for an exploration of the untouched beauty of the bay.
After they had showed me around, Mike and Kaeli presented a bucket filled with golden lime- green blades of bull kelp they had harvested that morning for me to add to my bath and then left me to experience the unique solitude that exists when one is deep within a wild place.
I remember wanting to make the most of my time there: I had plans to write, swim, snorkel, paddle, read, etc. But as I sank into the warm water, made silky in texture by the kelp that floated among me, I allowed the plans I had made to fade in volume. I reclined in the tub and stared out at the water and the trees, my ears attuned to the sound of tiny waves lapping against the floating dock and the odd bird singing a short refrain. I spent most of the afternoon like that, allowing even my “fun to-do list” to melt away. I truly felt like I was just being...exchanging my breath with the breath of the trees and returning my body to its primordial sensation of floating in a watery womb.
Bathing with seaweeds, a healing practise called “thalassotherapy,” has been used for generations to relieve pain, improve circulation, cleanse toxins and especially to restore vitality and induce an overall sense of tranquility. Moon Jelly Bathhouse has uniquely combined the immense healing benefits of soaking in seaweed and soaking in saltwater with the experience of being secluded in wild and stunningly beautiful nature to create an extraordinary and transcendent experience.
I’m already dreaming of my next journey to Moon Jelly, and grateful to Kaeli and Mike for bringing their tremendous vision to reality.
Book by Amanda Swinimer - The Science & Spirit of Seaweed
With over 300 images, including stunning underwater photos of the kelp forests of the Pacific Northwest, The Science & Spirit of Seaweed is an immersive, visually captivating book which uniquely weaves science and information with spiritual contemplation and delivers the memoir of a true to life mermaid.
