The Georgia Strait
Strait of Georgia separates the Vancouver Island from the Canadian state of British Columbia. It is a very small part of the great Pacific Ocean, to be precise North Eastern part of the Pacific. The strait is 138 mi long and its width varies from 11 to 34 mi.
The strait is almost blocked by a group of islands in the
north. A narrow passage named as “Discovery Passage” connects it to the
“Johnstone Strait”. It is the northern route to go out from the Georgia Strait.
If you want to enter into the Strait of Georgia from the
south, head straight for the Strait of Juan de Fuca. There are two islands
which separates Juan de Fuca from Georgia strait: San Juan and Lopez. From here
you can take any of the three channels or straits: Haro Strait, San Juan
Channel, and Rosario Strait.
Image Copyrights: All the images used in these article are taken from Public Domain.
Some Facts about the Strait of Georgia
It is believed by the geologists that the Strait was
originated 150 million years ago. After the retreat of the ice (around 14000
years ago), the area has gotten its modern shape.
The average depth of the Strait of Georgia is 512 ft. The
deepest part of the strait can drown a hill of 1400 ft. The total surface area
is 2600 sq mi.
The bay is flooded by the fresh waters of the Fresher river.
It discharges average more than 120000 cu ft/s water. The highest discharge
capacity of the river is about 600000 cu ft/s. That is why the salinity of the strait is
quiet low.
BC Ferries or British Columbia Ferries carries most of the
passengers to and from various islands and the mainland. They are one of the
world’s busiest public transport systems.
The Strait of Georgia, Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de
Fuca are together also known as the Salish Sea. The name came from the Salish
people who live around the area for thousands of years.
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| Strait of Georgia Map Cf: Google Maps |
Islands in the Georgia Strait
Previously, we have known that the Strait of Georgia has
some islands choking its both entrances. Some of these are big like the Quadra, Texada, San Juan, Orcas,
Galioano, Salt Spring, Lopez etc.
The island of SanJuan, Lopez, Orcas and a few smaller ones
like Shaw Island, Decatur Island, and Blakely Island etc are grouped into San
Juan Archipelago. It is situated near the south end of the Strait of Georgia.
The Archipelago belongs to the United States of America.
Quadra Island is of decent size. It comprises an area of 120
sq mi. The island is inhabited by some Indian tribes. There are close to 2500
people living here.
Texada is a 31 mi long island. In its widest part, it is
about 6 mi. It is 116 sq mi in land area. More than 1000 people lives here.
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| Strait of Georgia Islands Map |
Rivers and Lakes
Fresher is the
largest river which joins with the Strait of Georgia or Salish Sea. The source
of the river is the Rocky Mountains,
particularly Mount Robson Provincial
Park. The length of the river is 1651 mi. It forms a delta at its mouth on
the Strait.
Pitt is a
subsidiary of Fresher which joins with later near its mouth. Its source is the Garibaldi ranges of the Coast Mountains. Two other important rivers
of the area are Squamish River
(length 50 mi) and Brem River.
Due to the glacial and volcanic activities, the terrain of
the Georgia Strait area is broken. So, the rivers have formed a number of lakes
near the marine regions.
Harrison Lake is the
largest among all these lakes. It drowns about 95 sq mi of area. Alouette Lake, Stave Lake, Coquitlam,
and Buntzen Lake are among other
notables.
Ecology
A lot of tiny islands, numerous estuaries and small bays,
hundreds of small streams, the existence of big Fresher River has contributed
to make the region as an ecologically rich and biologically diverse area.
About 3000 species of marine flora and fauna lives here.
Most diversity can be found near the estuaries. We know that an estuary is the
meeting place of a river with a sea. The river carries fresh water that gets
mixed with the salt water of the sea. So, here one can find gradual increase of
salinity and water density. These are the most supportive systems for
biological diversity.
The strait is famous for its whales. There are also many
other sea mammals like seals, porpoises, sea lions etc. About 200 species of
fish can be spotted here like sardines, mackerels, wild salmon etc.
Thousands of various invertebrate sea animal species also
live here. There are also more than 700 species of marine plants and sea weeds
here. More than hundred species of sea and shore birds also add to the
diversity of wildlife here.
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| Economy of the Georgia Strait is largely depended on the port of Vancouver |
Economy
The existence of the port of Vancouver near the strait is
the main driving force of the local economy. The port handles 135 million
tonnes of cargo ever year. Thousands of people are depended directly or
indirectly upon the port for their livelihoods.
The Strait is tourist magnet. Thousands of tourists from
Canada and USA come here every year. Bird watching and Whale watching are the
main tourist attractions here. Water based sports like Scuba diving is also
very popular.
Shellfish farming and fishing is an important industry for
local people here. Many such communities live around the Strait.
Environmental Issues
Nature is under threat of being destroyed everywhere by us.
The Strait of Georgia is no exception in this case. The diversity of life and
the purity of its nature are losing fast.
Rapid population increase around the area is the main reason
of this ecological threat. The urbanization and development of the areas are causing
harm to the nature and its inhabitants here.
Growth of many industries around the region is another
threat to the marine life here. These industries release toxic chemicals to the
seas which results in death of thousands of sea animals.
Moreover, global environmental problems like climate change,
increase of global temperature, green house gases etc also affects harmfully to
the local environment.
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| Save the Strait of Georgia |
Many people are working to save the nature and diversity of
the region. People need to make aware about the problem.
The area is rich in natural gas so an LNG industry is
growing rapidly here. Excavation of natural gas and the factories to refine it
may cause havoc to the natural environment of the area.
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External Resources
Wikipedia
Species of Concern List 2013 (PDF)
Georgia Strait Alliance
