Does Kwilákm Have Two Species of Oyster?
Photo: Len Gilday Shores Does Kwilákm Have Two Species of Oyster On this Page Pacific Oyster (Magallana gigas) The Pacific oyster is Kwilákm’s common oyster and a relative newcomer to our shores. Pacifics were introduced into aquaculture operation beginning in 1925 following the collapse of the Olympia oyster fishery. Pacific oysters, originating from Asian waters […]
Chum Salmon
Photo: Will Husby The Lagoon (Oncorhynchus keta) On this Page Chum is the largest salmon species that spawns on Bowen Island. Individual fish are typically in the 4 to 6 kg range as returning adults. Adult chum spend about four years fattening up at sea before returning to the stream where they were born to […]
The Tidal Inlet that became the Lagoon
Photo: Will Husby The Lagoon On this Page This estimate is based on historic photographs (see the photos in this story) which show the pre-Lagoon shoreline at various tide levels. At a high tide, the shore line of the pre-Lagoon inlet would have been similar to the current shoreline of the Lagoon. A later bridge […]
Changing Ocean Chemistry
Photo: Will Husby Changing Climate On this Page At least one-quarter of the carbon dioxide released by burning coal, oil, and gas doesn’t stay in the air, but instead dissolves into the ocean. When carbon dioxide and seawater mix, they combine to form carbonic acid. The ocean is becoming more acidic, which is having a […]
Hotter Ocean Temperatures
Photo: Will Husby Changing Climate On this Page As the world’s oceans absorb heat from the atmosphere, marine life is attempting to shift towards the poles to stay cool. For instance, in recent years, large schools of northern anchovy, more commonly found off the coast of California, have begun making regular appearances in Atl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound […]
Rising Sea Levels and Intensifying Winter Storms
Photo: Will Husby Changing Climate On this Page As the ocean gets warmer, causing seawater to expand, the level of the sea rises. Melting land-based ice sheets and glaciers, contributing their own water, cause oceans to rise even further. The BC government advises to plan for a one metre rise by 2100 and two metres […]
Adam Taylor’s Close Encounters of the Octopus Kind
Photo: Young Tze Kuah Deeper Waters by Adam Taylor On this Page My first encounter with an octopus in the wild was nearly 30 years ago and I remember it clearly. It was a cold day in late winter with fresh snow blanketing the North Shore Mountains. We were on our first open-water training dives […]
Octopus
Photo: Bill Abbott, Creative Commons Deeper Waters On this Page Two octopus species call the bottom of Kwilákm home: the Pacific red octopus (Octopus rubescens), which can grow to 61 cm arm tip to arm tip, and the Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini), which is, by far, the largest octopus species in the world, can […]
Harbour Seal
Photo: Will Husby Deeper Water (Phoca vitulina) On this Page We are fortunate that we can count on seeing harbour seals in Kwilákm and along the other shores of Bowen Island just about any time of year. If you are a paddler or swimmer, or even just walking along the shore, you will know that […]
Northern Anchovy
Photo: Bob Turner Deeper Waters (Engraulis mordax) On this Page Anchovy are a small fish with a huge impact on the overall health of Atl’ka7tsem/Howe Soundand Kwilákm and our enjoyment of nature. If a school of anchovy is nearby, you are sure to know because it creates a spectacle that you cannot miss. All sorts […]
Plankton
Photo: Will Husby Deeper Waters On this Page A breathtaking miniature world of beauty lies hidden beneath the surface of Kwilákm. Plankton are free-floating plants (phytoplankton), animals (zooplankton), and bacteria (bacterioplankton) of infinite form, function, and design. Some are easily seen, such as jellyfish. But most are less than a millimetre long. Many can be […]
Winter Bay Bird Conservation
Photo: Will Husby Shallows On this Page Marine birds are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment. Bird population trends are vital indicators of overall ecosystem health. A decrease in species population could be due to a reduction in their food supply, quality of food, or changing ocean conditions. By protecting marine birds, we improve […]
Surf Scoter
Photo: Alan Schmierer, Creative Commons Shallows (Melanitta perspicillata) On this Page Surf scoters feed in large flocks close along the shore, right in the dangerous drag of the breakers. As the steep waves curl over, scoters scoot neatly beneath the roaring white lines of foam in search of mussels. Bowen photographer Mary Le Patourel has […]
Common Loon
Photo: Rhododendrites, Creative Commons Shallows (Gavia immer) On this Page Bowen birders can spot three species of loon in nearby waters. Pacific loons and the red-throated loons are occasional visitors, while the common loon is the most abundant loon species you can see fishing in Kwilákm. Common loons are winter migrants to Bowen waters, drawn […]
Barrow’s Goldeneye
Photo: Will Husby Shallows (Bucephala islandica) On this Page When winter’s freeze forces Barrow’s goldeneye from their nesting ponds in BC’s interior, the ducks head to the coast. Starting late October, you can often find goldeneye gathered along Bowen’s shores and sometimes in Kwilákm. Goldeneye are here for the sheltered waters and fine food. Eighty […]
Year-Round Bay Birds
Photo: Will Husby Shallows On this Page Common mergansers are year-round residents of Kwilákm, and a common sight along any Bowen shore, and top predators in the aquatic food chain. When you look over the ducks in the Bay or the Lagoon, common mergansers are handsome birds. Distinguishing the drake (male) from the hen (female) […]