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.

A harmful plankton bloom and poor water conditions caused large mortalities at three Cermaq salmon farms in northern Clayoquot Sound near Tofino, with up to 185,000 fish lost at one site. DFO says disease was ruled out; critics warn the die-off could affect wild salmon and the marine environment.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A photographer captured Brant geese appearing early on Vancouver Island, suggesting a shift in their wintering patterns.

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.

Wildlife officials report that bears in Tofino and Ucluelet have learned to breach bear-resistant garbage bins, leading to concerns about increased bear-human conflict.

A storm on Saturday led to power outages for tens of thousands on Vancouver Island and disrupted ferry travel.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As the group approached, there was a lot of splashing and porpoising. It was determined that the pod of whales was attacking a juvenile humpback whale.

Observations this year from Huu-ay-aht territory see that volume of herring may finally be improving, as the First Nation is reporting a growing number of wild salmon migrating through its rivers.

Decades ago, wall lizards from the Mediterranean got a toehold near Victoria. Now they’re island-hopping.