Race Rocks Ecological Reserve is a
BC Parks ecological reserve off the southern tip of
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...
in the
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca (officially named Juan de Fuca Strait in Canada) is a body of water about long that is the Salish Sea's outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The international boundary between Canada and the United States runs down the centre ...
in
Metchosin,
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
.
Description
Located at a narrow part of the Strait, the area covers of ocean, rocks, and reefs, but does not include the small envelope of land with the
foghorn
A foghorn or fog signal is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of navigational hazards such as rocky coastlines, or boats of the presence of other vessels, in foggy conditions. The term is most often used in relation to marine transport. Wh ...
and the historic
Race Rocks Lighthouse itself. That area is leased by the
Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; french: links=no, Garde côtière canadienne, GCC) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues ...
.
Because of the location in a high tidal current area, there is an exceptional variety of marine life to be found, including marine mammals, sea birds, fish, marine invertebrates, and marine algae and sea grass. It is a haulout area for California and Northern sealions and a birthing rookery for Harbour seals and it is also the most northerly birthing colony on the Pacific Coast of North America for the elephant seal, ''Mirounga angustirostris''.
History
The idea of protecting Race Rocks came about following a marine science project by the students of
Pearson College UWC under the supervision and guidance of their teachers, Garry Fletcher and Marks McAvity, in 1978. They described an area of great biodiversity and ecological importance. In 1980, the rocks and surrounding areas were protected as an
ecological reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
under joint
BC Parks
BC Parks is an agency of the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy that manages all of the, as of 2020, 1,035 provincial parks and other conservation and historical properties of various title designations within t ...
-
Pearson College UWC management.
In 1998, Race Rocks was proposed to become the first
marine protected area
Marine protected areas (MPA) are protected areas of seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity for a con ...
of Canada. However,
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; french: Pêches et Océans Canada, MPO), is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and sci ...
deemed the site unfit for the new designation and the bid was cancelled in 2000. Instead, the
Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents
The Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents (also known as the Main Endeavour Field, MEF, or EHV) are a group of hydrothermal vents in the north-eastern Pacific Ocean, located southwest of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The vent field lies be ...
would go on to become the first marine protected area in 2003.
In 2006 and 2007, the
Race Rocks Tidal Power Demonstration Project
The Race Rocks Tidal Power Demonstration Project (official name: Pearson College - EnCana - Clean Current Tidal Power Demonstration Project at Race Rocks) was a joint project of the Lester B. Pearson College, EnCana Corporation and Clean Current ...
was installed. After a six-year period for experimental research, the tidal energy generator was removed.
See also
*
Trial Islands Ecological Reserve
The Trial Islands Ecological Reserve is a nature reserve on the Trial Islands in the British Columbia province of Canada just off the southern tip of Oak Bay in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The twenty-three-hectare ecological reserve was establ ...
References
External links
Home page of racerocks.com and racerocks.ca website Pearson College UWCImages of Race Rocks on Google EarthRace Rocks on the Friends of Ecological Reserves website
Protected areas of British Columbia
Strait of Juan de Fuca
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