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.

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 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 major diesel spill occurred at a fish farm near Zeballos, spilling up to 8,000 litres of oil into the bay. Cleanup efforts are involving local authorities, the Coast Guard, and First Nations to mitigate environmental impacts.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

A massive ocean wave that was tracked off the west coast of Vancouver Island in 2020 is now considered the most extreme rogue wave ever recorded, according to scientists at the University of Victoria.

On a recent family vacation, stranded Velella velella were observed on beaches near Tofino, British Columbia.

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.

Blooms are often associated with low dissolved oxygen events and warm ocean water temperatures and weather changes – all of which we are, or have been, experiencing," said Kiemele. Farm owner Cermaq says it has deployed fish protection countermeasures that have already caused conditions to improve.

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.