Wild at Heart
Water too frigid? Weather too wet? Vancouver’s marine birds and
mammals couldn’t agree less with the couch-potato attitude of
modern humans who share their coastline. No matter the season
or meteorological challenge, a motley assortment of loons, cor-
morants, scoters and seals bob around in the waves. Screeching
seagulls and bald eagles circle the skies searching for fresh sea-
food. Canada geese and colourful mallards parade the grassy
edges of the shore. Whales and porpoises have made themselves
scarce in the bay, preferring to stay further offshore nowadays.
After a near-fatal turn-of-the-last-century fashion fad for fancy
feathers and thick furs, sea otters once again frolic in False Creek
and blue herons have re-established themselves in a vibrant
Stanley Park seaside colony. Time has shown that cohabiting a
limited stretch of coastline isn’t always easy, but Vancouver’s
marine wildlife manages to accommodate the human urbanites
who, like them, like to be “beside the seaside.”
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Blue Heron, English Bay
PHoto: jamEsvancouvEr / istockPHoto.com