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Southern Gulf Islands
The southern Gulf Islands include hundreds of islands and islets, and form part of an archipelago that also includes the San Juan Islands in the United States.
The major islands in alphabetical order are:
- Gabriola Island
- Galiano Island
- Kuper Island
- Mayne Island
- North and South Pender Islands
- Saltspring Island
- Saturna Island
- Thetis Island
- Valdes Island
Northern Gulf Islands
The major islands in alphabetical order are:
Cortes Island, and Quadra Island are sometimes considered part of the Gulf Islands, but as they are not in the Georgia Strait they are more properly considered part of the Discovery Islands.
Ecology
The islands and surrounding ocean are rich with ecologically diverse plants and sea life including Garry oaks, wild lilies, kelp beds and Orca whales. Gulf Islands National Park Reserve of Canada was established in 2003 by Parks Canada to protect the area’s unique ecosystem.
The Gulf Islands are home to one of the last remaining pockets of Garry oak ecosystems. Only about five percent of Garry oak ecosystems remain in their natural state, landing 91 of the approximately 350 species it supports on the province's list of species at risk. The unique Mediterranean climate of the islands is ideal for Garry oak ecosystems. Garry oak ecosystems are home to more plant species, such as the camas, than any other terrestrial ecosystem in coastal B.C. and are one of Canada's most at-risk natural habitats.
Today, Garry oak meadows exist in the shallow and exposed soil of valleys, rocky foothills and southern slopes — areas that the settlers of the past 150 years have found unsuitable for agriculture or development.
The Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT), a partnership of a number of governmental and non-governmental agencies that comprise 22 individuals, was established in 1999 after the delegates of the First International Garry Oak Ecosystem Symposium met in Victoria and declared the ecosystem endangered. Since then, GOERT has been working to motivate public and private restoration of the rare ecosystem and promote conservation activities. [1]
Provincial Parks and Protected Areas
- Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park, Saltspring Island
- Jedediah Island Marine Provincial Park
See also
External links
- The Gulf Islands Guide
- Gulf Islands National Park Reserve — Parks Canada
- Come to the Islands Canadian Geographic Special Feature on B.C.'s Gulf Islands
- Maps of the Gulf Islands A collection of Interactive Maps and photographs of the Gulf Islands
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