A 21-year-old humpback whale, identified as Polyphemus, was found dead near Lasqueti Island, the second confirmed humpback death in B.C.’s coastal waters in just over two weeks. Cause of death is unknown; DFO and MERS urge caution to mariners to reduce vessel-strike risks.

The Mount Underwood wildfire south of Port Alberni grew to 630 hectares on August 11, prompting highway closures, campground evacuations, and a power outage affecting over 500 customers.

The Wesley Ridge wildfire near Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island has expanded to nearly 590 hectares, and smoke is expected to linger across the region through the summer.

A BC Wildfire Service update reports that a wildfire near Comox Lake in B.C. grew to 4.5 hectares overnight as crews and aircraft work to contain the out-of-control blaze, while a separate 3-hectare fire near Nanaimo River Road also remains uncontained.

A human-caused wildfire on Nahamint Mountain south of Sproat Lake grew overnight from about 10 to 15 hectares, remaining out of control as BC Wildfire Service crews and helicopters respond.

A bomb cyclone hitting Vancouver Island has caused widespread power outages, affecting over 140,000 BC Hydro customers and leading to the closure of multiple highways on the island.

Goldfish have a special ability to live under extreme conditions, making them prolific invaders of natural habitats. They are tolerant to low oxygen conditions and can survive water temperatures well below freezing, said the Invasive Species Council of B.C. on their website.

Decades ago, wall lizards from the Mediterranean got a toehold near Victoria. Now they’re island-hopping.

When Kathleen Reed descended for her usual weekly dive off the coast of Nanaimo, B.C., last Saturday she was shocked by how many dead sea cucumbers she saw. Experts and harvesters fear that sea cucumbers are being hit by an illness similar to sea star wasting disease.

Sweeping salmon closures and protection measures were put in place for the 2021 season to protect stocks of concern. Between 200 and 250 illegal fishing nets have been seized on the Fraser River so far this year.

Ferocious fish, not native to Canada, was netted and released in Alberni Inlet

A Parksville photographer has captured some stunning images of a grey whale that has been hanging out in the community of Nanoose Bay over the past several days.

November is typically the wettest and stormiest month of the year here on Vancouver Island, but not this year. If it seemed drier than usual, you would be right.

A weak and hypothermic sea turtle is recovering after being rescued near Port Alberni.It’s the fourth olive ridley sea turtle on record in B.C. waters

"During my childhood, Mt. Arrowsmith and surrounding peaks tended to have a fair amount of snow cover; it was into the summer months before it totally disappeared."

the Beaufort Picnic Area appears to consist of stream-origin alluvial cobbles, pebbles, and perhaps sand, and so not well consolidated, thus perhaps making these trees relatively vulnerable to wind. The snapped-off trees, however, indicate the unusually high intensity of this particular windstorm.

Damage assessment underway due to fallen trees, hanging debris

We have visited this creek every summer for 10 years, since 2008, including every August, and we have never seen the water this low.