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#StreamToSea Photo Feed

Our collaborative photo stream celebrating watersheds & oceans.

Whenever I’m in the water, I like to know that my sunscreen is not damaging to the environment. Corals are particularly sensitive to chemicals used in regular sunscreen which can cause huge amounts of damage to them and their lifecycle.
stream2sea is the only sunscreen that is safe not only for corals and coral larvae, but safe for fish & fish larvae too! It’s small changes like this that people can make to help protect our vital blue planet. Their range of sunscreens has something for everyone depending on what factor you need or what activity you’re doing. So, go give them some love & help protect our watery world. 🪸🐠🐟🦈
Shark fossil ring by foundatsea.collective

The Stream to Sea results are in! After participating schools around Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands raised Salmon eggs in their classrooms, 10,381 fry were released into 20 rivers and streams 🐟 a special highlight was being able to release fry into Bowker Creek after almost a century, thanks to the restoration work by the Friends of Bowker Creek Society 🏞

📸*photo from Oak Bay News, taken by Christine van Reeuwyk*

#seaquarialearning #worldfisheriestrust #EnvironmentalEducator #OceanSchool #NatureEducation #Intertidal #NatureAsAClassroom #VictoriaBC #Pacificnorthwest #Salishsea #Worktogether #Collaboration #Communitybuilding #Supportlocal #salmon #streamtosea

Time to restore Snake River! ❌️ Southern Resident orcas need you to tell elected officials to breach the dams on lower Snake River. 🗣 Send an email at the link in the comments!

Who doesn’t love some good reads?! Even though Orca Action Month has just passed, it is never late to share some great orca books that connect with this year’s theme “Stream to Sea”, highlighting the connection between the Southern Resident Orcas and salmon-bearing rivers.

Today’s post is featuring not one but two books because we have a feeling once you’ve picked up the first book, you won’t want to stop! Alexandra Morton (alexmorton4salmon) is a whale and salmon biologist here in British Columbia who has been fighting for over 30 years to save wild salmon. She is also a talented author who will have you captivated by her experiences.

Alex’s first book “Listening to Whales” will have you spellbound as she takes us on a journey throughout her career that began in the 1970s studying orca vocalizations and behaviours at Marineland California. The author’s interest in Orky and Corky, two captive Northern Resident orcas, eventually led her to their native waters off Northern Vancouver Island, where she began research on wild orcas. The book wraps up as change arrives to the Broughton Archipelago in the form of fish farms, leaving the waters with less wild salmon and without the calls of orcas.

Alex’s second book “Not on My Watch” carries on from “Listening to Whales” and dives into the author’s fight against the fish farm industry in BC and groundbreaking research she’s discovered along the way. The Fraser River salmon, a major food source particularly for J-Pod, are heavily impacted by these farms. This book is especially important right now as BC’s factory fish farm licences just got renewed by another two years. Join the fight by reading this book and making a quick call or email to Joyce Murray asking her to act on their commitment to get fish farms out of the water by 2025.

Book Review and text by: Jill Franceschini, GSA's Volunteer #SRKW #SouthernResidentOrcas #orcaactionmonth #orcascantwait #orcaawarennessmonth #Orcas #books #bookclub #StreamToSea

Bad news... Orca Month is officially over. ☹️ ⁠
Good news...who says you only need to celebrate and advocate for Southern Resident orcas one month a year?! 😁⁠
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We have an easy action for you to take right now to help this endangered species! Take one minute to send an email to elected officials telling them to restore Snake River! A free flowing river could help chinook salmon which are the perfect food for Southern Resident orcas! Email at the link in our bio!⁠
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Thanks for making Orca Action Month 2022 a great one! 🖤⁠
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Image: Hysazu Photography

The #columbiariver (pictured) and the #snakeriver "unify a large portion of the Pacific Northwest, with drainage basins spanning portions of seven U.S. states and British Columbia, in Canada."

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Thinking about these rivers and their watersheds in terms of regional unity really puts our role into perspective. It's up to all of us, as a region, to ensure a future for salmon and Southern Resident Killer Whales! #StreamToSea #OrcaActionMonth

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(Image description: An aerial view of the Colombia River. The river is wide and calm, bordered by green hills. Fluffy clouds fill the sky. End description.)

It's #OrcaAwarenessMonth! We are celebrating Killer Whales this month by releasing mini episodes each week about the ecotypes off the coast of BC. Last but certainly not least: the Southern Resident Killer Whales!🖤🤍🖤
#WhaleTales #WhaleTalesPodcast #podcast #WhalePodcast #OrcasAreAwesome #KillerWhale #orca #storytelling #OrcaLove #OrcaStory #OrcaBlog #OrcaPhotography #OrcaMonth #JuneIsOrcaMonth #ExploreBC #SharingIsCaring #SaveTheOrca #StreamToSea #OrcaAwarenessMonth #OrcaActionMonth #SRKW #WhaleWednesday

#OrcaFacts: Southern Resident Killer Whales are a tremendously picky eaters for such a large predator, surviving primarily on a diet of Chinook salmon.
Photo by Brendonbissonnette
#WhaleTales #OrcaActionMonth #OrcaAwarenessMonth #StreamToSea #KillerWhale #orca #storytelling #WhaleWatching #WhalesAreAwesome #OrcaLove #OrcaStory #OrcaBlog #OrcaPhotography #KillerWhalesOfInstagram #OrcaMonth #JuneIsOrcaMonth #SaveTheOrca #NoFishNoBlackfish

#OrcaAwarenessMonth is almost over! Wherever you live in the world there are many ways that you can help protect the Southern Resident Killer Whales. Choosing sustainable seafood, especially when it comes to salmon is a great place to start. Since plastics are a problem around the world and garbage can travel 1000s of km for 100s of years in the ocean being careful with how you appropriately dispose of your waste is another key action to a safer environment for all marine life.
Photo by kathrynsahara
#WhaleTales #TalesOfSavingWhales #SaveTheSRKW #StreamToSea #OrcaMonth #OrcaActionMonth #orca #SRKW #JPod #storytelling #WhaleWatching #OrcaLove #OrcaStory #OrcaBlog #OrcaPhotography #KillerWhalesOfInstagram #ExploreBC #NoFishNoBlackfish

We have one more amazing episode coming out this month to celebrate #OrcaAwarenessMonth! In the meantime, take a listen to last year's #OrcaMonth mailbag episode 🖤🤍🖤
#WhaleTales #WhaleTalesPodcast #podcast #WhalePodcast #OrcasAreAwesome #KillerWhale #orca #transient #storytelling #OrcaLove #OrcaStory #OrcaBlog #OrcaPhotography #JuneIsOrcaMonth #SRKW #Biggs #NRKW #JPod #ExploreBC #SharingIsCaring #SaveTheOrca #StreamToSea

#OrcaFacts: Southern Resident Killer Whales are the best studied population of marine mammal on Earth yet we still don't have a clear understanding of where these animals spend their winter months. All the more reason for continued research and more story submissions to our library!
Photo by taslishaw
#WhaleTales #OrcaAwarenessMonth #StreamToSea #OrcaMonth #OrcaActionMonth #orca #SRJW #storytelling #WhaleWatching #OrcaLove #OrcaStory #OrcaBlog #OrcaPhotography #KillerWhalesOfInstagram #ExploreBC

Incredible Day with the T124A's. You can read this story by using the search option on our website (link in bio).⁠
Photo by vitalocean
#WhaleTales #2018 #OrcaAwarenessMonth #KillerWhale #orca #biggs #transient #storytelling #whales #WhaleWatching #WhalesAreAwesome #GetOnABoat #OrcaLove #orcastory #OrcaBlog #JuneIsOrcaMonth #OrcaActionMonth #ExploreBC #SalishSea #StreamToSea

Some of our favourite #StreamToSea photos submitted directly through our online form.

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Tomorrow is #worldriversday, a celebration of our world's waterways and a day to get involved in river stewardship events around the world. Here on the British Columbia coast, rivers play a vital role in transferring nutrients from the ocean to the land. Salmon, who spend time in both streams and oceans, will travel upstream to their home river to spawn, feed, grow and die. Their annual migrations are a miracle of nature and every fall hundreds of species including bears, wolves, and eagles gather in estuaries and along rivers to feast on the returning fish and benefit from the marine-rich nutrients they provide. The end of the salmon life cycle brings renewal to the Great Bear Rainforest, delivering an annual pulse of ocean-derived nutrients. The trees and plants that grow along the rivers of forests depend on the deceased salmon distributed by animals and birds along the forest floor. When the salmon decomposes, vital nutrients enter the soil and help ongoing plant growth, creating new life. From ancient forests to salmon to bears, life on the coast relies heavily on healthy rivers and creeks to sustain flourishing ecosystems.⁠
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World Rivers Day was kick-started by Canadian Mark Angelo with the success of BC Rivers Day which he founded in 1980. This year, more than 100 countries will be participating in #WorldRiverDay and events have been organized across Canada, the U.S., New Zealand, Europe and more. Everything from river cleaning, canoe floats, educational seminars and restoration projects will be taking place this Sunday, September 25. Click the link in our bio to find an event near you.⁠

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and MPA networks can provide incredible ecological benefits to the ecosystems they are situated in. MPAs can boost the abundance and diversity of marine life and even the size of fish themselves. This increases the overall productivity and resilience both inside the protected areas and beyond its borders. Well designed MPAs contribute to the protection of the structure, function and integrity of ecosystems by providing refuge for harvested species and protecting habitats critical to life cycle stages (like spawning). Additionally, they complement adjacent terrestrial protected areas for species who use freshwater and marine ecosystems (e.g. salmon.) and contribute to the restoration and recovery of at-risk species, habitats and ecosystems, like glass sponge reefs. MPAs can also provide a safe haven and “stress free” refuge for mobile or migratory species. A 2018 study determined that biomass in highly protected MPAs are, on average, 670% greater than in adjacent unprotected areas; the authors concluded that MPAs “are an essential tool for reversing the global degradation of ocean life” (Sala & Giakoumi, 2018).

Public consultations are currently taking place around British Columbia to review the network action plan and end on October 27. (https://mpanetwork.ca/mpa_events/.) To help protect B.C.’s incredible biodiversity and coastal ecosystems sign our petition and support the #30by30 MPA campaign. All links are in our bio.

#MPAs #MarineConservation #MarineProtection #30x30

This week is #NationalForestWeek. Two of the largest displays of civil disobedience in Canadian history have been in an effort to save B.C.’s ancient rainforests. Thirty years ago, 900 people were arrested in Clayoquot Sound and today more recently - one thousand people were arrested on the frontlines of Ada’itsx (Fairy Creek) on Vancouver Island from 2020 onwards.

The 2016 #GreatBearRainforest(GBR) agreement pledged to protect 85 per cent of the region’s forests, with logging allowed in the remaining 15 per cent using ecosystem-based management. But since it was signed, more than 10 million cubic metres of ancient forest have been clearcut logged in the GBR.

The Great Bear Rainforest here on the British Columbia coast, is one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. These incredible forests are home to a diverse range of unique wildlife and ecosystems. Forests like these hold a large amount of carbon, and when they are cut down release that carbon back into the atmosphere. Currently, only 2.7% productive old-growth forest remains in British Columbia.

Forests are our lifeblood and have great impacts on changing climates and extreme weather shifts. Indigneous lead conservation and management, and an end to unsustainable logging of old-growth forests is needed to protect our forest for future generations.

#oldgrowth #forestmanagement #saveoldgrowth #bcpoli #bcnature

The creation of a new MPA or MPA network can positively affect many people. MPAs with a higher level of community support have better conservation outcomes, the individuals living and working near MPAs are more likely to follow the rules when they see the benefits to the environment and their livelihoods. For this reason, the MPA design process includes consultation with diverse stakeholders. In the waters of the Great Bear Rainforest, seventeen First Nations are working with the Federal and Provincial governments to protect parts of the marine environment in a network of MPAs. The Northern Shelf Bioregion MPA Network planning process incorporates feedback from many sectors, including conservation, tourism, fishing, shipping, and other industries.

To help protect B.C.’s incredible biodiversity and coastal ecosystems sign our petition and support the #30by30 MPA campaign. You can learn more about MPAs and the Northern Shelf Bioregion Marine Protected Area Network by exploring the @cpawsbc interactive Story Map site. Let’s do our part to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030! Links in bio.

The Great Bear Rainforest (GBR) is home to old-growth forests, rich biodiversity and many iconic species. In partnership with the government of Canada, a new co-management agreement has been put in place to officially share authority of stewardship in the GBR to help support more impactful conservation.The Kitasoo/Xai’Xais Nation guardians have spent hours patrolling and enforcing federal and provincial laws ensuring documenting illegal fishing, keeping boaters out of spiritually significant areas and policing illegal trophy hunting.

“It’s a massive deal -It’s the first time any government has shared authority with any First Nation.” says Douglas Neasloss, chief councilor and stewardship director of the Kitasoo/Xai’Xais Nation.

In July, British Columbia banned black bear hunting in roughly 3,000 square miles of the rainforest after DNA gathered by Kitasoo/Xai’Xais guardians revealed that spirit bears were even rarer than originally believed. This came months after both nations signed a landmark agreement which gives the guardians all the authority of a BC park ranger, to patrol provincial parks, issue tickets and to continue to watch over the surrounding mountains and fjords.

Click the link in our bio to read the full article.

#WildlifeProtection #IndigenousStewardship #IndigenousLeadership #BCConservation

In 2014, the World Park Congress recommended protecting at least 30% of the world’s oceans to recover fisheries and maintain and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services, though some studies indicate it may be closer to 50%. Currently, only 14% of Canada’s marine environment is protected - and much less is strongly protected from harmful or extractive activities - even though we have the world’s longest coastline. The three oceans that border Canada’s coasts are home to thousands of species of marine animals and plants. Their habitats include icefields, archipelagos, saltmarshes, and fjords. In particular, the Northern Shelf Bioregion, which includes the waters of British Columbia’s north and central coasts and Haida Gwaii, contains spectacularly biodiverse and productive ocean environments that are worthy of protection.

To help protect B.C.’s incredible biodiversity and coastal ecosystems sign our petition and support the #30by30 MPA campaign. You can learn more about MPAs and the Northern Shelf Bioregion Marine Protected Area Network by exploring the @cpawsbc interactive Story Map site. Let’s do our part to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030! Links in bio.

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