Latest news with #OceanNetworksCanada
CTV News
6 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CTV News
Low tide unearths ocean life islanders don't always get to see, attracting beachcombers
An anemone is seen at Island View Beach in Central Saanich during low tide. People on Vancouver Island are getting an excuse to hit the beach as oceanfront properties see some of the lowest tides of the year, exposing low intertidal creatures. 'I've never seen it like this before. It's so beautiful. There's so much more beach,' says Russ Dockstaeder while combing the shores of Island View Beach in Central Saanich. He's among islanders who heard about the low tide and sought out a view Thursday morning. 'We thought we'd check it out before we head to Butchart Gardens,' says U.S. tourist Claire Gabriel. 'We're having fun exploring the little tide pools that are left behind.' According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, a spring tide is here. The perigee and new moon along with the moon being the farthest north of the equator on its orbit around Earth are factors adding to the pull on the ocean surface around Victoria – creating the especially low tides. 'I just hope people have fun at the beach. And you know, we like to remind people: Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints,' says Monica Pelts, Ocean Networks Canada education co-ordinator. The not-for-profit helped middle schoolers take science outside class, facilitating a guided tour of the low intertidal zone at Victoria's Gonzales Beach. 'Is it male or female,' asks Pelts of a student viewing the pattern on a red rock crab's belly. 'Is that a lighthouse?' asks the student. 'I'd say that's a lighthouse,' confirms Pelts. 'So it's male,' replies the student. The students also find sea anemone, vermillion sea star, and clingfish among other creatures. '(Clingfish) tend to hide in the tide pools of rocky intertidal areas,' says Ocean Networks Canada educator Yuko Lin. 'They actually have a sticky organ on their bottom to let them cling on to rocks so they don't get washed away.' DFO cautions that while there may be good tide pools to explore, there could also be slightly stronger currents. It's also reminding the public not to harvest shellfish during low tides in B.C., especially in warm weather. OCN encourages people to check their local tide times and charts to customize the best viewing plan for them. 'And of course, you always want to keep an eye on the tide coming in. It's really easy to get stuck looking at a really cool tide pool or a really cool creature and then realize that your nice dry path is a really wet one,' says Pelts.
CTV News
7 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Ocean Week Victoria kicks off Sunday
An annual, week-long event highlights the importance of our oceans and the work being done locally to protect them. Life on earth depends on our oceans, from the oxygen we breathe to the food we consume. An annual event in Victoria seeks to raise awareness about the work being done locally to protect 'our big blue backyard.' Nick Hammar is the Youth Programs Coordinator with Ocean Networks Canada. He says our oceans are slowing global warming which makes sense when you consider that oceans have absorbed roughly 95 per cent of the heat created by man-made greenhouse gases on earth. 'The current state is definitely not ideal,' said Hammas. He adds roughly half of the oxygen on earth is produced by life within the oceans. 'So, you can think about it as every second breath you take is thanks to life in the ocean,' said Hammas. Tina Kelly is with the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea and says in order to move towards conservation and sustainability, you have to start with awareness. Sunday marks the beginning of Ocean Week Victoria. It's seven days of varied events meant to create that awareness. 'This is a really good week to get out there and not only learn more about the ocean but also learn about some of the organizations that are doing good for the ocean locally,' said Kelly. There will be planned beach clean-ups, paddle boarding, pub trivia, festivals and more – designed to engage and inform all age groups. 'We estimate that approximately five per cent of the ocean has been explored by humans,' said Hammas. There is still so much we don't know about earth's largest bodies of water especially as global warming becomes more of a threat. 'We need to know what's going to happen, for example, as ice melts and the temperature of the water changes,' said Hammas. He says scientists are predicting a significant increase in the amount of water is expected over the century and that, as of now, we don't really understand what the impact will be. Another area of concern is how life in our oceans will adapt to those changing temperatures – from the smallest of organisms to the ocean's largest dwellers. 'The message of Ocean Week Victoria is that we want to have fun, but we also want to be learning how to conserve and protect our oceans,' said Hammas. Because at the end of the day, life on earth depends on it.
