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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Salmon wait for more rain as river levels remain low
Low river levels on Vancouver Island are delaying pink salmon migration in the Tsolum River and Millard Creek, leading to stranded fish and an estimated 4,000 mortalities. Salmon groups say sustained fall rains are needed; limited Wolf Lake releases are temporarily boosting Tsolum flows.
Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

Comox Lake wildfire grows to 4.5 hectares, still considered out of control
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.
Comox Lake, Comox Valley, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

Early birds: Photographer spots Brant geese down-Island ahead of usual PQB return
A photographer captured Brant geese appearing early on Vancouver Island, suggesting a shift in their wintering patterns.
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Latest winter storm brings winds nearing 140 km/h off northern Vancouver Island
A powerful winter storm hit northern Vancouver Island, with winds reaching up to 140 km/h and up to 15 cm of snow predicted for B.C's north coast.
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Storm knocks out power and impacts travel on Vancouver Island Saturday
A storm on Saturday led to power outages for tens of thousands on Vancouver Island and disrupted ferry travel.
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

90,000 without power, ferries cancelled as storm batters Vancouver Island
A powerful storm has left about 90,000 people without power on Vancouver Island, causing widespread service disruptions including the cancellation of several BC Ferries sailings due to safety concerns.
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Snow falls on Vancouver Island north of Campbell River ahead of bomb cyclone
Snowfall has hit areas north of Campbell River in anticipation of a powerful bomb cyclone expected to bring severe wind and rain to Vancouver Island.
CHEK News

'Swarm of earthquakes' rattle off B.C.'s coast, no tsunami expected
A series of earthquakes struck off the coast of Vancouver Island, with no tsunami threat reported. Andrew Schaeffer, an earthquake seismologist with the Geological Survey of Canada, said last week that despite the uptick in seismic activity, the quakes were "business as usual" for the region.
British Columbia

Massive ocean sunfish spotted off Vancouver Island
Jackie Hildering was astonished by a recent photo depicting an enormous Mola mola submitted to the Marine Education Resource Society citizen science project, which is collecting data on two different species of sunfish along the Pacific Coast.
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Island

Tapioca disease in pink salmon
White cysts in the muscle of salmon could be caused by Henneguya salminicola also called "tapioca disease". It affects the texture of the meat but is not a health concerns for people. White cysts could also however, be from a tape worm. That is a human health concern. Guidance on how to check the cysts to confirm and how to prepare food so it is safe to eat, is provided.
Kelsey Bay
Jayde Ferguson, Dionne Sanderson, Jordan Brubacher, Sarah Yoder, Ted Meyers

Decrease in Prawn Abundance of Desolation Sound
It is apparent that this area of coastline has experienced a sharp decline in its prawn populations. This may be due to increased fishing pressure from commercial prawn fishermen.
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
David Oswald, Cody Thomas, Conlan Magel, Tom Okey

Generation of B.C. salmon likely wiped out by landslide
Homalco First Nation to push for special hatchery permits
Southgate River, British Columbia
Campbell River Mirror
Quinn Bender, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

B.C. First Nations village evacuated after blue-green algae found in water source
About 60 people from the Dzawada̱ʼenux̱w First Nation have been evacuated to Alert Bay after blue-green algae was found in their well water.
Kingcome Village, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

Cyanobacteria in a deep well contaminates community water source
In 2020, contamination of the community water well by cyanobacteria caused the community to evacuate for 26 days. How the well was contaminated is unknown.
Kingcome Inlet

BC Hydro reservoirs see record low rain across Vancouver Island
An exceptionally dry November means that water levels are low in the hydro electric watersheds on Vancouver Island. The four reservoirs on the Island, located in Jordan River, Ash River, Puntledge River and Campbell River provide a third of Vancouver Island’s power supply.
Puntledge River, Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada
Victoria News

Emaciated grizzly bears in Canada spark greater concerns over depleted salmon population
With hibernation fast approaching, a grizzly bear family is spotted searching for fish near the shores of Canada's Knight Inlet. They're emaciated, and wildlife observers worry might not make it through winter. The heartbreaking images highlight another victim of the climate crisis and the depleted salmon population.
Knight Inlet, British Columbia, Canada
CNN

Young Beaver (Castor canadensis) a Long Way from Nearest Known Beaver Pond
Nick Page shared the following observation of a young beaver north of Courtenay on Vancouver Island. There are not many beaver observations on Vancouver Island, and most are very recent, especially in this part of Vancouver Island. The closest iNaturalist observation is linked here.
Somewhere North of Courtenay

Dead and dying salal plants ‘everywhere’ along the coast
Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
My Campbell River Now

Salal plant dying across Vancouver Island
Hikers across Vancouver Island say they've been finding entire forests with dying salal. No one knows why it's dying but the ramifications could be serious.
Menzies Mountain, Vancouver Island, Canada

Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) in Lund/Powell River
At 12pm on Sept 13-2018, while kayaking; Ken Wright found a 3rd cycle Black-tailed Gull near Lund. The bird was resting on Major Islet whic...
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada
BC Rare Bird Alert

Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) in Campbell River
Guy Monty and Mark Wynja photographed a Common Ringed Plover at Oyster Bay on Sept 5-2018. They were there to view a reported Buff-breasted...
Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
BC Rare Bird Alert

Northernmost American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) Observation on iNaturalist
The American Bullfrog is native to the Eastern United States and southern maritime provinces of Canada. It has famously spread west and now north in recent decades.
Inland Lake Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada
iNaturalist.org

Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) in the Homathko River
The trout we were gorging on them and the mergansers looked like they had eaten their fill.
Homathko River

Farmed Atlantic Salmon Virus Linked to Disease in Chinook
Research finds farmed salmon virus may cause jaundice/anemia.
Okisollo Channel, British Columbia, Canada
The Tyee

Sperm whale in the Salish Sea
One of the most intense sounds emitted by animals on Earth is the echolocation click of the sperm whale.  When Yukusam the 13-14 m lone male sperm whale swam through the Salish Sea last month, he was recorded on a suite of hydrophones including the Orcasound Lab live hydrophone in Haro Strait and simultaneously the…
Johnston Strait
OrcaSound

Sperm whale spotted in B.C. strait for 1st time in decades
A sperm whale has been confirmed on Vancouver Island's eastern coast for the first time since 1984.
Johnstone Strait
CBC News

Chordgrass (Spartina sp.) eradication at Goose Spit
Goose Spit Regional Park, Comox, British Columbia, Canada
Hilary Blackman, Colin Robinson, Tom Okey, Cory Frank, Laura Loucks

What's That We're Hearing? Sea Otters in the Salish Sea?
Guided Sea Kayak Tours & Eco-Resort Accommodation in Desolation Sound, British Columbia, Canada. Take the tour of a lifetime!
Cortez Island, British Columbia, Canada
BC Seakayak

Thousands of Dead Red Rock Crabs (Cancer productus) on Beach
Denman Island, British Columbia, Canada

Hummingbird Sightings on the Sunshine Coast

‘Receding before our eyes:’ Vancouver Island glaciers likely to be all gone by mid-century
Retired logger Fred Fern has been taking photos of the Comox Glacier every year since 2013, and the receding ice mass is easy to see in the images. Using Google Earth, Fern has calculated the Comox Glacier lost 15 vertical feet after this summer’s heat — and as much as 120 vertical feet since his first photo in 2013.
vancouversun

‘It’s pretty dire’: Vancouver Island salmon under threat from climate change-induced droughts
Since the initial June to July heatwave shocked the Pacific Northwest, Heim says the Tsolum River Restoration Society has observed significantly fewer fish in the river, especially in its lower portions. Many of the remaining coho, which survived the heat wave, are suffering from diseases and fin rot as a result of heat stress.
Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada
The Narwhal

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