The Nature Conservancy Photo Contest

Do you have a passion for photography? Are you able to capture the beauty of our planet and inspire others with pictures that you have taken?

Or, perhaps you're just like me, and all of your photos turn out grainy, awkward, and underwhelming. BUT by pure luck, sometimes the moon aligns with the cosmic forces of the universe and you manage to get one decent shot of our beautiful natural world. (I don't think I have a family member left who hasn't been forced to ooh and aah over my Tanzanian elephant picture...)

Regardless of if you're Rolf Hickler or, well... me, if you have managed to capture a good shot of nature, our friends over at the Nature Conservancy want to hear from you.
They are holding a photo contest this summer to help them illustrate the beauty of our planet and the need for greater conservation of our environment. They are looking for your most breathtaking images of nature, including lands, waters, plants, animals or people.

For more information, visit nature.org.

Here at LOS, we're always looking for good oceans-related photos to add to our library as well. If you have good photos to donate (we will credit you appropriately), we would love to hear from you too!

Name This Spot!

We have a winner for our very first "Name This Spot!" contest!
Our winner is Sarah who resides in Ottawa and correctly identified the photo at left as Kilbella Bay. She is the lucky recipient of our coveted Pncima "Floats My Boat" ball cap!
Thanks to all the others who sent in their answers.

Kilbella Bay which is situated on the north shore at the upper end of Rivers Inlet has two rivers, the Chuckwalla and the Kilbella flowing into a common estuary. Both river systems support a rich and diverse array of wildlife. The largest grizzly bear I've ever seen was at the confluence of the two rivers. About one hundred years ago there was a large salmon cannery operating in Kilbella Bay. Now there is just an old boiler, some pilings and a couple of derelict cabins left. The logging camp which operated there for a number of years is gone now. It has been over a decade since any commercial salmon fishing has taken place in Rivers Inlet due to diminished sockeye returns, however there is still a viable sport fishery in the area where anglers can catch some of the worlds largest chinook or the feisty coho. There has been some salmon enhancement projects to help build up the chinook stocks on the Chuckwalla and Kilbella rivers in recent years but these efforts are now concerned with the nearby Wannock River (chinook) and Johnston Creek. (coho)
About 7 km away is the First Nations Wuikinuxv Village whose people include Kilbella Bay and the two large watersheds in their traditional territory.
While Kilbella Bay is much quieter these days the salmon, steelhead, bears, wolves and eagles still thrive there. Trumpeter swans and geese still stop by on their annual migrations and the Wuikinuxv people still value the area as they have always done.
I'll post another photo of one of my favourite places on the coast shortly - stay tuned.

Phytoplankton Bloom off Vancouver Island

An explanation of the July 14 NASA MODIS Image of the Day, taken from spaceref.com:

Shown in this image, captured by the MODIS on the Aqua satellite on July 3, 2009, is the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and British Columbia, Canada.

In the upper left corner of the image is Vancouver Island.

Further south is (across from the left) Washington State, and south of Washington, part of Oregon. The bright green patches (one of which is right up against the southwestern shore of Vancouver Island

) are caused by millions of tiny ocean plants called phytoplankton. The coastal waters of the Eastern Pacific are productive because wind and ocean currents allow nutrient-rich water from deep in the ocean to rise to the surface. The cold, rising water carries phosphates and nitrates, which act as fertilizer to the phytoplankton

that grow in the sunlit waters at the ocean's surface. Since phytoplankton are the base of the food chain, areas that support large phytoplankton blooms tend to have large fish populations. Off the coast of Vancouver Island and Washington State, phytoplankton blooms tend to happen when winds blow down the coast from the north. The winds push the ocean's surface water west, out to sea. Deep water rises up to replace the wind-blown surface water, and it carries the nutrients needed to support phytoplankton blooms.

Realistic Habitats?

This past weekend, I took the long trip to Vancouver to visit with an old friend that I know from my Congo days. [Sadly, many people who aren't familiar with the North Island or British Columbia, don't really understand that 'visiting' for a weekend in Vancouver isn't really 'visiting' at all: it's more like 'rendez-vous-ing'... but that is a North-Islander rant that I'll save for another time!]

As part of our tourist tour of Vancouver, I took my friend to Stanley Park, and of course, to the Vancouver Aquarium. We spent hours marveling at the diverse and beautiful creatures that are usually hidden beneath the sea and we both left the Aquarium bubbling with excitement about the ocean. Our excitement carried over into dinner, with a long conversation about ocean conservation-related issues.

At the Vancouver Aquarium - I don't know why I look so melancholy here

Many aquaria in North America do a fantastic job of showcasing the beauty of our seas and sparking a passion, in both the young and the old, to preserve this beauty for generations to come. They help to inspire promising young scientists, marine biologists, and conservationists; and for those who already love the ocean, aquaria can serve to reinforce their passion or provide an outlet to share this passion with others. There is no better time to give a message of conservation to the general public than right after you have shown them firsthand the fish, sea turtles, whales, and other marine life that we stand to lose through thoughtless practices.

But how realistic are the pristine ocean-replica habitats that house marine life in a modern-day aquarium? Not very, I'm sure a German duo would argue. They have created an art exhibit at the Schonbrunn Zoo in Vienna to challenge all of our typical expectations of natural habitat depictions.

According to the artists, "the viewer is forced to reconsider traditional modes of animal presentation and simultaneously to question the authenticity of concepts which are restaging 'natural' environments while they are increasingly endangered."

To quote the artists further: "Present-day conceptions of zoological gardens aim at the presentation of animals in an idyllic and apparently natural environment, untouched by civilization. But this is a contemporary conception, since courtly menageries and kennels were adapted to the exposure of animals as decorative objects. Until the early years of the 20th century, animals were part of a preferably spectacular and exotic staging, to the entertainment and amazement of the public. The artificial and the sensational were foregrounded, without creating a realistic setting of the natural environment of the animals."

So what do you think? What is a better way to get a conservation message across: using exhibits like the ones at the Vancouver Aquarium that show marine life at it's best and demonstrate what we stand to lose; or using exhibits such as the one at the Vienna Zoo that show natural life at its worst and demonstrate the harsh reality of an undesired future?

All photos in this post (except for the first): © Steinbrener/Dempf
www.steinbrener-dempf.com

Otesha Sunshine Coast Bike Tour 2009

The Otesha Project Sunshine Coast Bike Tour stopped in Sointula once again this year, as a part of the North Island leg of a 2,000+ kilometer tour that stops in towns and educates youth through theatre about the impacts that our choices have on the world around us.

The group performed at AJ Elliot Elementary School on Friday, June 12 and came back over to Malcolm Island to perform at the community hall on Sunday, June 14. I was thoroughly entertained by the performance, and was very impressed by the group's incredible energy. Otesha's goal of empowering youth to make their own positive life choices is very commendable.

The Otesha team was a joy to host in Sointula. I have had numerous community members remark about how nice it was to see all these smiling cyclists on the island over the weekend! Thanks for stopping by, Otesha, and please make sure to swing by Sointula again next year!

The Finding Coral Expedition does a test dive in Mitchell Bay!

The Cape Flattery pulling in to Mitchell Bay

Jennifer going for a practice dive

LOS Sointula staff getting a tour

All attempts at aloofness were spoiled the second I got near the subs.

Will and Jennifer

The Cape Flattery

All photos credit: Lori Anderson

Happy World Oceans Day!

A happy World Oceans Day to everyone! Living Oceans celebrated World Oceans Day a little early in Sointula. On Saturday we had an Oceans Festival with a free seafood chowder lunch, games, ocean crafts, prizes, and some interesting displays from Straitwatch and DFO.


Our new summer student, Sointula's own Kirie McMurchy, roamed the event with the video camera, so you can look forward to a new video blog this week as well.


Today, the Living Oceans Society launches the Finding Coral Expedition in Vancouver. Bon Voyage!

Sounds of the Sea

When I am reveling in peace and quiet on a boat in the middle of the ocean on a calm day, or alone on a strip of beach, it is easy to forget how loud the ocean actually is. The other day, I stumbled upon a pretty neat educational tool that I thought I would share: the University of Rhode Island's Audio Gallery for Discovery of Sound in the Sea. Just click on the species of your choice, and prepare to be amazed.

Mass Migration of Stingrays

All I can say is this is an amazing sight to behold.

Looking like giant leaves floating in the sea, thousands of Golden Rays are seen here gathering off the coast of Mexico. The spectacular scene was captured as the magnificent creatures made one of their biannual mass migrations to more agreeable waters.


Gliding silently beneath the waves, they turned vast areas of blue water to gold off the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. Sandra Critelli, an amateur photographer, stumbled across the phenomenon while looking for whale sharks.

She said: 'It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades of gold and looked like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind. It's hard to say exactly how many there were, but in the range of a few thousand'

'We were surrounded by them without seeing the edge of the school and we could see many under the water surface too. I feel very fortunate I was there in the right place at the right time to experience nature at its best'

Measuring up to 7ft (2.1 meters) from wing-tip to wing-tip, Golden rays are also more prosaically known as cow nose rays.

They have long, pointed pectoral fins that separate into two lobes in front of their high-domed heads and give them a cow-like appearance. Despite having poisonous stingers, they are known to be shy and non-threatening when in large schools.

The population in the Gulf of Mexico migrates, in schools of as many as 10,000, clockwise from western Florida to the Yucatan.

I have a story to tell you...

At the Living Oceans Society's 10th Anniversary Masquerade Ball, LOS rolled out its "I have a story to tell you..." photo album. Here, I get a little more information about this album from our Local Knowledge Project Coordinator, Vern Sampson.

What is the background of this photo album?
"As part of our 10th anniversary celebrations, Jennifer Lash [the Executive Director of Living Oceans Society] wanted to celebrate the fishing heritage of Sointula. A number of ideas were brainstormed around the office and we finally decided on a photo album focused on showing the development of the local fishing culture over time. We wanted the help of the local community , so I went out on Malcolm Island to ask folks for interesting photographs of their fishing heritage. The response was excellent and in very short order, [some other staff members and I] were tasked with having to choose just a modest selection from the hundreds of photos we had received. "

I have noticed that this photo album is not in the traditional format, can you tell me a little more about this?
"When we were scanning and compiling the photos, we realized that many of the images and the memories and stories attached to them represent a unique history of the area. In order to capture this history, Jennifer came up with the idea of an interactive photo album.

Each image in the album has empty lines upon which the album owner can write in names, dates, and most importantly, the stories that each photograph evokes for him or her. These would be the stories told around the galley table or on the dock; of memorable fishing trips and 'the good old days'. Living Oceans hopes that these stories will be written down and if people choose to lend their albums to us we will record these stories and ensure they have a place in the Sointula Archives. "

What has been the response of the community to these albums?
"We showed the new albums off at our 10th anniversary masquerade ball here in Sointula on December 5th. They were a great hit! Complimentary copies were given to each of the image donors, the Sointula Museum and the Sointula Resource Centre"

Thanks, Vern! Any last words about the album?
"This project would not have been possible without the generous support of many community members who lent us their photos. Thank you. We wish we could have printed more images, for this is just a small part of the vibrant past that has helped shape the Sointula of today."

These commemorative albums can be purchased and are available at the LOS office and the Sointula Resource Centre for $25.

Pictures from the 10th Anniversary Masquerade Ball in Sointula

This year Living Oceans Society celebrated 10 years of marine conservation advocacy in BC. On December 5, 2008, we held an Under the Sea Masquerade Ball on Malcolm Island to celebrate LOS' birthday and its Sointula roots. At the event there was a live bluegrass band, door prizes, a live auction, a costume contest, and lots and lots of dancing! The event had an impressive turnout and raised money for a great cause. Check out some of the innovative costumes in the pictures below: