Human disturbances, such as off-leash dogs and increased tourism, are causing a decline in shorebird populations at the Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary, disrupting their critical stopover habitat and reflecting broader global biodiversity challenges.

A fuel tanker crashed Friday off Highway 101, spilling some 3,000 gallons of fossil fuels into Indian Creek. The creek is a tributary of the Elwha River, which has for years been a model for salmon recovery efforts.

A blue-green algae bloom detected at Lower Thetis Lake’s main beach prompted a Capital Regional District health advisory on July 20, 2025, warning humans and pets to avoid the water.

A 4-year-old child was attacked and injured by a cougar while hiking near Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park; the National Park Service is seeking witnesses.

Victoria is close to setting a record for the longest January dry streak, with only 18% of normal precipitation recorded this month.

A 23-year-old male orca named Noah made a surprising visit to Victoria's Inner Harbour on December 14, causing excitement among locals.

The Orca Conservancy said the sightings made history. Some whale watchers hope it will again raise awareness of the need to protect them.

Researchers in Washington reported observing orcas in Puget Sound balancing salmon on their heads, a behavior not seen in decades.

The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe catches coho salmon on the free-flowing Elwha River for the first time in over a century since the removal of dams, marking a historic moment for the tribe and the river's recovery.

Three adult harbor seals in Puget Sound have tested positive for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 strain, marking the first incidence of HPAI in marine mammals on the West Coast, and officials are urging beachgoers to avoid contact with wildlife.

Joe Gaydos found a bluefin tuna washed up on Orcas Island off the coast of Washington state. According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the fish usually roam the more temperate waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife said the fish are yellow perch, which are common in the lake.

New fish have been spotted in a recently revitalized section of Craigflower Creek in View Royal, B.C., thanks to a development site with an environmental focus.

In 2022, a record number of Bigg’s killer whales (orcas) and humpback whales were spotted in the waters surrounding Victoria as well as south along Washington’s border.

Volunteers from the Friends of Bowker Creek Society say uncovering caddisfly larvae in the gravel beds of the stream show the water quality has improved to a level sufficient to sustain salmon and cutthroat trout.

We saw over 100 on a 1/2 mile stretch of beach. I am wondering if the chiton die-off is related to the stormy conditions or something else?

It would be an obscure sighting of the species. The closest beluga population, which lives at least 1,400 miles away in Alaska’s Cook Inlet, is endangered and covered under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

If upwelling starts a month earlier than usual, the amount of oxygen, already low, has to last until the fall when storms promote mixing which adds oxygen back into the system. As of late September this year, upwelling is still occurring and low levels of oxygen are still persisting.

Nearly 30 transient orcas were spotted in the Salish Sea around British Columbia and Washington state over the Labor Day weekend, a positive sign for the species, according to local whale watchers and researchers.

For the first time in Seattle’s history, temperatures spiked above 100 degrees two days in a row, with residents scrambling to find relief — and flocking to beaches, parks and...