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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

Another humpback whale found dead in the Salish Sea
A 21-year-old humpback whale, identified as Polyphemus, was found dead near Lasqueti Island, the second confirmed humpback death in B.C.’s coastal waters in just over two weeks. Cause of death is unknown; DFO and MERS urge caution to mariners to reduce vessel-strike risks.
Lasqueti Island, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

New out-of-control wildfire south of Port Alberni grows to 630 hectares
The Mount Underwood wildfire south of Port Alberni grew to 630 hectares on August 11, prompting highway closures, campground evacuations, and a power outage affecting over 500 customers.
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

Wesley Ridge wildfire grows, expected to bring smoke throughout the summer
The Wesley Ridge wildfire near Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island has expanded to nearly 590 hectares, and smoke is expected to linger across the region through the summer.
Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island, 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

Out-of-control wildfire near Port Alberni grows to 15 hectares, believed to be human-caused
A human-caused wildfire on Nahamint Mountain south of Sproat Lake grew overnight from about 10 to 15 hectares, remaining out of control as BC Wildfire Service crews and helicopters respond.
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada

Province issues travel advisory as 'bomb cyclone' hits Vancouver Island causing widespread power outages
A bomb cyclone hitting Vancouver Island has caused widespread power outages, affecting over 140,000 BC Hydro customers and leading to the closure of multiple highways on the island.
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada

Invasive goldfish seen swimming under ice at Okanagan pond
Goldfish have a special ability to live under extreme conditions, making them prolific invaders of natural habitats. They are tolerant to low oxygen conditions and can survive water temperatures well below freezing, said the Invasive Species Council of B.C. on their website.
Port Alberni Valley News

The wall lizard invasion of Vancouver Island
Decades ago, wall lizards from the Mediterranean got a toehold near Victoria. Now they’re island-hopping.
Macleans.ca

Sea cucumber die-off near Vancouver Island
When Kathleen Reed descended for her usual weekly dive off the coast of Nanaimo, B.C., last Saturday she was shocked by how many dead sea cucumbers she saw. Experts and harvesters fear that sea cucumbers are being hit by an illness similar to sea star wasting disease.
Dolphin Beach, British Columbia, Canada
CBC

More than 200 illegal fishing nets seized on Fraser River by fishery officers
Sweeping salmon closures and protection measures were put in place for the 2021 season to protect stocks of concern. Between 200 and 250 illegal fishing nets have been seized on the Fraser River so far this year.
Port Alberni Valley News

Fisherman snags barracuda off Vancouver Island in rare encounter
Ferocious fish, not native to Canada, was netted and released in Alberni Inlet
Alberni Inlet, Vancouver Island, Canada
Port Alberni Valley News

Juvenile grey whale caught on camera in Nanoose Bay
A Parksville photographer has captured some stunning images of a grey whale that has been hanging out in the community of Nanoose Bay over the past several days.
Nanoose Bay, British Columbia, Canada
CTV News

Victoria broke its record for driest November in more than 25 years
November is typically the wettest and stormiest month of the year here on Vancouver Island, but not this year. If it seemed drier than usual, you would be right.
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Island

Hypothermic tropical sea turtle rescued from waters near Port Alberni
A weak and hypothermic sea turtle is recovering after being rescued near Port Alberni.It’s the fourth olive ridley sea turtle on record in B.C. waters
Times Colonist

Declining Snow and Summer Rain in the Alberni Valley
"During my childhood, Mt. Arrowsmith and surrounding peaks tended to have a fair amount of snow cover; it was into the summer months before it totally disappeared."

Trees Broken, Uprooted, Toppled by Wind
the Beaufort Picnic Area appears to consist of stream-origin alluvial cobbles, pebbles, and perhaps sand, and so not well consolidated, thus perhaps making these trees relatively vulnerable to wind. The snapped-off trees, however, indicate the unusually high intensity of this particular windstorm.
Beaufort Picnic Area, Cameron Lake, British Columbia

Windstorm and Widespread Forest Blowdown
Damage assessment underway due to fallen trees, hanging debris
Whisky Creek, British Columbia

Thick smoke in the Alberni Valley, lasting days

Ship Creek Almost Dry
We have visited this creek every summer for 10 years, since 2008, including every August, and we have never seen the water this low.
Phoebe Okey-Dobie, Theo Okolowicz, Tom Okey

European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) invaded our neighborhood and city

Old-growth logging in Nahmint Valley
Questions have been raised after the 10th widest Douglas fir tree in BC BigTree Registry is cut down.
Nahmint Valley, British Columbia, Canada

Shifting species composition of sealions at Hornby Island
Flora Islet, British Columbia, Canada

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

Paper Mill Dam: Swimming Hole Monitoring
Paper Mill Dam, Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada

Atlantic salmon arrive in French Creek -- Not in a good way!
Atlantic salmon, believed to be part of a cohort that escaped from a U.S.-based fish farm on Aug. 19, are being hauled in by anglers fishing out of French Creek on mid-Vancouver Island. Cameron Whe…
French Creek, British Columbia, Canada
Fisherynation.com

Wildfire smoke leads to weather alert on Vancouver Island
Environment Canada says these smoky conditions could remain until Wednesday.
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
Victoria News

Bumper harvest as herring return to Strait of Georgia in great numbers
The commercial roe-herring fishery opened with a flourish over the weekend as the gillnet fleet took its share of what the federal government predicts to be “near-historic” returns to the Strait of Georgia.
French Creek, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

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

Unusual Turbidity in Sarita River
Bamfield, British Columbia, Canada

Ocean acidity wipes out 10 million scallops near Qualicum Beach
Ten million scallops that have died in the waters near Qualicum Beach due to rising ocean acidity are the latest victims in a series of marine die-offs that have plagued the West Coast for 10 years. . .
Island Scallops Ltd., Vancouver Island, Canada
Times Colonist

Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) swallowing sand and pebbles
I observed some of the sea lions scooping up small rocks and sand (mostly shell carbonates) and swallowing them.
Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada

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