Province British Columbia | Phone +1 250-655-5850 | |
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Address CAPITAL, SUBD. B, BC, Canada Hours Open today ยท Open 24 hoursWednesdayOpen 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursTuesdayOpen 24 hoursSuggest an edit Similar Victoria Harbour (Camel P, Lester B Pearson College, Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Li, Eagle Wing Tours, Pedder Bay RV Resort | ||
Race Rocks is an Ecological Reserve designated by the British Columbia Parks Ministry in the eastern entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the Salish Sea, Canada. The reserve is also a designated Marine Protected Area and has been such since the first bid in 2000 was derailed by DFO in Ottawa. Started in 1978 as a marine science project by the students of Pearson College UWC under the supervision and guidance of their teachers, Garry Fletcher and Marks McAvity, in 1980 it became ecological reserve #97 under Provincial B.C. Parks protection. In 1998 it became a Canadian Marine Protected Area designate. It is managed by the staff and students at the college, and is available as a resource for research and education.
Located at a narrow part of the Strait, the area covers 3 km2 (1.2 sq mi) of ocean, rocks, and reefs, but does not include the small envelope of land with the foghorn and the historic Race Rocks Lighthouse itself. That area is leased by the Canadian Coast Guard. An extensive website racerocks.ca has been created to provide access to the educational resources of the protected area.
Because of the location in a high tidal current area, there is an exceptional variety of marine life to be found, including marine mammals, sea birds, fish, marine invertebrates, and marine algae and sea grass. It is a haulout area for California and Northern sealions and a birthing rookery for Harbour seals and it is also the most northerly birthing colony on the Pacific Coast of North America for the elephant seal,Mirounga-angustirostris. A detailed taxonomy and species database is maintained on the site.
There are also live video feeds from Race Rock, with remotely operated cameras, a underwater camera, and a videocam archive available from the website.
In 2006 and 2007, the Integrated Energy system was installed at Race Rocks. After a six-year period for experimental research, the tidal energy generator was removed and since then more solar energy panels have been installed to provide most of the power for the island.