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Rocky
Shoreline, Ucluelet, Vancouver Island
Ocean waves pound the rocky shoreline along the Wild Pacific
Trail near Ucluelet, Vancouver Island. |
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Northern Lights Over Vancouver Island
A severe solar storm resulted in this vibrant display of the
northern lights (aurora borealis) over several
Vancouver Island peaks. Mountains in this image include
Mount Walker, Malaspina Peak, Mount Alava, Stevens Peak,
Leighton Peak and Conuma Peak. |
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Arbutus Tree, Peeling Bark
The curling, peeling bark of the Arbutus tree
(Arbutus menziesii) forms abstract patterns. The Arbutus,
relatively common on the south end of Vancouver Island, is
the only evergreen broad-leafed tree in Canada. This tree,
found in Strathcona Provincial Park, is one of the
northern-most Arbutus trees in the world. |
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Canada
Geese, McNeill Bay, Vancouver Island
A Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
watches over its babies from a rocky perch overlooking McNeill
Bay in Victoria, British Columbia, on the southern tip of
Vancouver Island. |
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Canada
Geese, Mother and Babies
A Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) guides its babies
down a rocky bluff near McNeill Bay, Victoria, British
Columbia. |
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Harbor
Seals, Crashing Waves, Strait of Juan de Fuca
Several Harbor Seals (Phoca
vitulina) attempt to sun themselves on the rocky shore of the
Strait of Juan de Fuca off Vancouver Island, but they are
constantly interrupted by crashing waves. |
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Harbor
Seal, Oak Bay, Vancouver Island
A female harbor seal (Phoca
vitulina) swims under water near the Oak Bay Marina in Victoria,
British Columbia. |
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Great Blue
Heron, Silhouette, Strait of Georgia
A Great Blue Heron (Ardea
herodias), rendered as a silhouette, fishes at sunrise in the
Strait of Georgia off Vancouver Island. |
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Coho Salmon
Jumping Up Waterfall
A coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)
attempts to jump up Stamp Creek Falls near Port Alberni on
Vancouver Island to reach its spawning grounds. The coho salmon,
also known as a silver salmon, didn't make it, and was forced to use a
manmade fish ladder. |
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Little Beach,
Ucluelet, Vancouver Island
The twilight arch, the last light of day, illuminates the
sky above Little Beach, named Cla-Wa-Chuck-Tu by the
Ucluelet First Nation, near Uclulet on the west coast of
Vancouver Island. |
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Cathedral
Grove, Vancouver Island
An old-growth forest contains a surprising amount of new
growth. This Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), referred
to as the "big tree" in Vancouver Island's Cathedral
Grove, is believed to be 800 years old. It withstood a
devastating fire 300 years ago and a severe windstorm
January 1, 1997 that toppled many of its neighbors. |
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Lush
Forest, Botany Bay, Vancouver Island
The Vancouver Island mountains effectively act as a net,
trapping moisture from marine weather systems, depositing it
along the coast, resulting in lush forests, such as
this one near Botany Bay. |
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Rocky Coastline, Vancouver Island
The coastline of Vancouver Island, which is very
jagged and rocky, was formed by the collision of the Earth's
plates, the same force that formed the Olympic Mountains
visible across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. |
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Botany Bay, Vancouver
Island
Thick fog obscures much of the view of the rocky coastline
from Botany Bay, Vancouver Island. |
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Haro Strait and San
Juan Island
A late summer stormy sunset lights up the sky above Haro
Strait and San Juan Island in this view from the summit
of Mount Douglas on Vancovuer Island. |
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Western Gulls,
Sombrio Beach, Vancouver Island
Hundreds of Western Gulls (Larus occidentalis) wait
along Sombrio Beach on Vancouver Island for low tide to
reveal an all-you-can-eat buffet. |
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Horne Lake
Cave, Vancouver Island
The Horne Lake Cave is one of the more dramatic Karst
caves on Vancouver Island. The largely white bumps are
formed by water saturated with calcium carbonate dripping
from one rock and settling on another. The reddish-orange
color comes from iron stains. The caves themselves were
formed by water that dissolved the rock. |
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Sharp Scaly Pholiota
Mushrooms
Sharp Scaly Pholiota mushrooms (Pholiota
squarrosoides) grow on a decaying log near Botanical Beach
on Vancouver Island. |
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Myra Falls, Vancouver Island
Myra Falls, located in Strathcona Provincial Park on
Vancouver Island, empties directly into Buttle Lake. |
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Henshaw Creek
Falls, Vancouver Island
Henshaw Creek tumbles down several rocky steps in
Strathcona Provincial Park, Vancouver Island. |
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Minute
Creek Falls, Vancouver Island
Minute Creek Falls drops down a steep bluff on
Vancouver Island just before emptying into the Strait of
Juan de Fuca. |
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Upper
Englishman River Falls, Vancouver Island
Upper Englishman River Falls, located near Parksville,
Vancouver Island, is a unique waterfall. The river abruptly
drops 85 feet into a very narrow slot canyon, creating these
falls. |
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Lower
Englishman River Falls, Vancouver Island
Lower Englishman River Falls, located near Parksville
on Vancouver Island, winds through a narrow gorge bordered
by moss-draped trees. |
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Tlupana Inlet,
Vancouver Island
The relatively calm waters of Tlupana Inlet reflect
the dramatic blue color of the twilight arch just before
sunrise. The inlet, bordered by Mount Walker, is located
near Nootka Sound. |
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Drum Lake, Strathcona
Provincial Park,
Vancouver Island
Kings Peak, framed by clouds lit by the setting sun, is
reflected in one of the Drum Lakes, located in
Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. |
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Salmon Jumping
Up A Waterfall
A coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) attempts to jump
up Stamp Creek Falls near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island
to reach its spawning grounds. The coho salmon, also known
as a silver salmon, didn't make it, and was to use a manmade
fish ladder. |
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Victoria,
British Columbia, Parliament Building
The nearly full moon rises over the parliament
building in Victoria, British Columbia. |
