National Geographic puts spotlight on B.C.'s enigmatic sea wolves (video and photos)
National Geographic puts spotlight on B.C.s enigmatic sea wolves
National Geographic is throwing the spotlight on B.C.s largely unknown sea wolf population and a local conservation group is hoping the attention will help protect this elusive animal.
Unlike their inland counterpartsthathunt deer and caribou, the sea wolvescomb the beaches along B.C.s iconic Great Bear Rainforest and, by and large, feed off the ocean.
Theycanswim for miles between coastal islands and eat whatever the sea serves up.
They are known to prey onsalmon for several months out of the year, with fish making up 25 per cent of their diet during the spawning season.
They hunt seals and sea lions, chew on barnacles, turn up atthe herring spawning grounds and feast onwhale carcasses. Someeven specialize in digging up clams and turning over rocks to lookfor crabs.
Theycan spend their whole lives on theislands and some may never even see a deer or anyother inland prey.
These wolves are now the subjects of a feature in the upcoming edition of National Geographic .
Ian McAllister with Pacific Wild has been studying these wolves for almost two decades and says theyare unique on a number of levels.
We know from exhaustive DNA studies that these wolves are genetically distinct from their continental kin, says McAllister. They are behaviourally distinct, swimming from island to island and preying on sea animals. They are also morphologically distinct they are smaller in size and physically different from their mainland counterparts.
These three attributesare driving McAllister and others to encourage theB.C. government todesignate these sea wolves as evolutionarily significant, hoping their new conservation status would lead tospecial protection measures.
Currently, they are not only unrecognized, but completely unprotected. They can be hunted and trapped even within protected areas. There is nowhere within their range on the central and north coast of British Columbia, where they are free of human [persecution.]
The seawolves that reside in B.C. are believed to have once lived all along the Pacific Coast from northern California to Alaska , only to be driven out by humans. They still live in southeast Alaska, but the remote and scarcely populated Great Bear Rainforest in B.C. provides them with a much better chance of survival.
However, projects such as the controversial Northern Gateway Pipeline and LNG development in the region are threatening the sea wolvessurvival, making habitat protection apriority for environmentalistslike McAllister.
Oil and LNG tankers would certainly place many of these wolves at risk in an event of a catastrophic spill, he says.
McAllister has been lobbying the government to recognize the global uniqueness of these wolves, but he says awareness is abysmally low.
The government still considers wolves as vermin, he says. We have learned a lot and the society has changed in how it views wolves, but there is still a lot of work to be done to really recognize how fortunate British Columbia is to have these unique wolf populations.
So we are going to ramp up our public education, advocacy and research and hopefully see a day when these wolves have the kind of protection that they need.
B.C.s sea wolves in photos. Courtesy: Pacific Wild.
These beachcombing sea wolves, profiled by National Geographic, are still largely unknown to British Columbians.
Courtesy: Pacific Wild
You can watch the sea wolves in their natural habitat via Pacific Wilds livefield cams .
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Amazing creatures that need to be protected by the Canadian and U.S. government.
I never knew about these wolves. How interesting.
But also how worrisome that they are not identified as different or protected. It could be open season on them, if that pipeline crosses their path.
BTW the pics are amazing.
I'll be sure to watch the documentary. Love Nat Geo, especially those about animals!
WOW!!! This is great!!! Wolves are very resourceful... beautiful creatures... I gotta see the NG special.
Superb.
Thank you, K!
A sea wolf ? Fantastic article, Kavika. I didn't know about these wolves before. Thank you. I'm loving this. I got to see the NG documentary on these guys and gals. Thanks again.
They are gorgeous! How very interesting! I never knew they existed!
How could they be considered vermin? They don't appear to harm anyone-- people I mean. They appear to be death on whatever it is they can find to eat...
They do need protection, and I hope it happens! Thanks for this article, I love the pictures and find them fascinating!
I'm looking forward to the special Mal...Should be great.
Superb Kavika and thank ya brother!
Maybe the best article I've seen in a long time.
:~)
I agree, wholeheartedly!
Articles like this is what NT can be. I hope to see more of these in the immediate future!
Your welcome Bob. I find this type of thing, fascinating.
I'm so looking forward to the NG documentary on it Grump, it should be great.
A very unique animal, that has adapted to their environment.
They do need to be protected, because in humans usual manner they will kill them off, instead of enjoying a unique and superb part of nature, Perrie.
Happy that you enjoyed it Dowser. They are totally unique in the wolf world.
Thanks Larry,
They truly something to behold. Beyond unique.
Fascinating! I have never heard of these before. I hope that they can be adequately protected.
Elegant is a good word!!!
I love to watch them walk and move-- they are definitely a predator, but so very exciting!
The wolf is a unique creature, and one that we should protect, not destroy RW.
Dear Friend Kavika: I join you and others in a shared concern about the longevity of wolves.
They play an important role I nature in this part of the world.
We need to do a better job of letting them co-=exist with us.
E.
I do as well Cerenkov, they should be protected, as they are very unique.
Elegant is a very good description of them Feronia.
They won't rip you face off. Only the Ghost Wolves do that, and only to bad guys.
Indeed niijii, they play a very important role in the world.