HOME OF THE ORCAS
Between Vancouver and Victoria lie the emerald waters of the Southern Strait of Georgia, home to most endangered marine mammals in Canada– the Southern Resident killer whales. Southern Resident orca critical habitat has been identified in the area, where they feed on extreme dwindling numbers of their favored chinook salmon.
The legacy of thriving orca echoes through stories told across the surrounding Salish Sea where now a mere 75 remain. Precariously low numbers of their favoured Chinook salmon and noise from marine transportation affect their hunting. While interim and seasonal measures have been put in place to increase food availability and decrease human disturbance, they need permanent protections if there is to be any chance of their survival.
The planned NMCAR would include critical feeding habitat for endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
BIODIVERSITRY HOTSPOTS
The Southern Strait of Georgia is more than just the home of the Southern Resident orcas. More than 3,000 species can be found here seasonally and year-round. These include the Bigg’s transient killer whales, the Pacific giant octopus — the world’s largest, 100-year-old rockfish, schools of herring and salmon, millions of birds, as well as seals and sea lions, dolphins and whales. The region also contains climate change fighting, biodiverse habitats like seagrass beds and glass sponge reefs.
The shores of the Salish Sea and the many islands within it have sustained Indigenous Peoples for generations. The incredible natural beauty and abundance of life led scientists, including world-renowned ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau, to call for its protection back in 1970.
In 2003, Parks Canada and the provincial government began working to establish the Southern Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area Reserve (NMCAR), but two decades later, the area is still not protected.
