Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve was established in 1982 as a sanctuary for killer whales. The area, 10 km south east of Telegraph Cove and 40 km from Port McNeill, British Columbia, is restricted. Access by boat or land is prohibited. The total area of the reserve, including upland and foreshore, is 5,460 hectares.[2]
Naming
Robson Bight is named for Lieutenant Commander Charles Rufus Robson of the gunboat HMS Forward who died in Victoria, British Columbia on November 5, 1861 from a fall from a horse after a commendable career.[3]:426
Barge Spill
On August 20, 2007 a barge carrying vehicles and forestry equipment lost 11 pieces of equipment within the boundaries of the protected area. On April 18, 2008, the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment announced that the federal and provincial governments would be sharing the expense of salvaging the equipment.[4] The equipment lies 350 m below the surface and contains 10,000 litres of diesel fuel.[1]