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travel / adventure zone
| The Adventure Zone |
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Each fall, Pacific salmon journey thousands of kilometres to
spawn in natal fresh water located within British Columbia's
Goldstream Provincial Park, situated at the southern tip of
Vancouver Island. Once the eggs have been laid and fertilized
in shallow gravel riverbed nests, the adult fish weaken and
die in the final act of an ancient drama.
The Goldstream River estuary — the rich interface between
the Goldstream River and the ocean —also hosts the annual
return of bald eagles, arriving from as far off as Alaska to
the north and Mexico to the south, that feast on the high-protein
banquet of fish carcasses.
While the estuary proper is off limits from November through
February, wildlife watchers can still get a bird's eye view
of the action from the park's visitor's centre during the park's "Eagle
Extravaganza." Naturalists are on hand to answer questions and
to run a slew of interactive educational programs for school
groups and other visitors. Using binoculars or a telescope from
the viewing platform over the estuary, it's possible to get
a close-up look at the low-tide spectacle, while a remote-control
cam set up in the Goldstream Nature House puts a wildlife twist
on surveillance.
By February, the feeding frenzy is winding down, but the occasional
hold-out eagle is still on hand, picking at what remains of
the roughly 22,300 salmon carcasses that once littered the estuary.
You'll also have a chance to spy on the nesting pairs that have
taken up permanent residence in the park. For a more intimate
understanding of these majestic animal aviators, visit the birds
of prey display or drop in on what is widely known as the best
natural-history bookstore on the island.
Home to temperate old-growth rain forest and drier-zone vegetation
(featuring the flowering dogwood, lodgepole pine and the arbutus),
beautiful forested trails and its meandering namesake river,
Goldstream P.P. is a popular destination for birdwatchers, nature
lovers and hikers alike. And even as it celebrates the end of
one of nature's compelling stages, it welcomes the next. By
March, huge numbers of rufous hummingbirds will return to the
park to feed. And come spring, the chum eggs laid last fall
will emerge as baby fry and take part in a mass exodus downstream
toward the Pacific Ocean. At which time, the cycle begins anew.
For more information, visit www.goldstreampark.com/bald_eagles.htm and www.vancouverisland.com/ParksAndTrails/Parks/details/?ID=432
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