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 ...

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 main outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The Canada–United States border, international boundary between Canada and the ...

Metchosin The District of Metchosin () is a municipality and community in Greater Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is a coastal community adjacent to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Metchosin is part of the We ...

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

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. ...

and the historic

Race Rocks Lighthouse Race Rocks Light is one of the first two lighthouses that were built on the west coast of Canada, financed by the British Government and illuminated in 1860. It is the only lighthouse on that coast built of rock, (granite) purportedly quarried ...

itself. That area is leased by the

Canadian Coast Guard The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; ) 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 in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and i ...

. 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 haul out area for the

California sea lion The California sea lion (''Zalophus californianus'') is a coastal eared seal native to western North America. It is one of six species of sea lions. Its natural habitat ranges from southeast Alaska to central Mexico, including the Gulf of Califo ...

(''Zalophus californianus'') and Northern/Steller sea lion (''Eumetopias jubatus'') and a birthing rookery for

harbour seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinnipeds, pinniped (walruses ...

s (''Phoca vitulina'') and it is also the most northerly birthing colony on the Pacific Coast of North America for the

elephant seal Elephant seals or sea elephants are very large, oceangoing earless seals in the genus ''Mirounga''. Both species, the northern elephant seal (''M. angustirostris'') and the southern elephant seal (''M. leonina''), were hunted to the brink of ...

(''Mirounga angustirostris'').

History

The idea of protecting Race Rocks came about following a marine science project by the students of

Pearson College UWC Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific (also referred to as Pearson College UWC) is one of eighteen schools and colleges around the world in the United World Colleges movement, located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. ...

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, funga, or features of geologic ...

under joint

BC Parks BC Parks is an Government agency, agency of the British Columbia British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy that manages all of the, as of 2020, 1,035 List of British C ...

management. 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.

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 {{BritishColumbia-protected-area-stub

Description

History

See also

References

External links