Storms Ground Boats in Cadboro Bay, Part of Orcas' Critical Habitat, Plus a Migratory Bird Sanctuary

Four sailboats have come ashore in this beautiful bay on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada in recent weeks, during a series of recent southeasterly gales. One other vessel was taken off the beach, and the masts of two others that sank are still visible. In fact, if you look closely enough you can see those masts sticking out of the water in this video.

Cadboro Bay lies within the federally-protected Victoria Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary, which is currently celebrating it's centenary. It is also within the critical habitat of federally-protected, endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. A marine oil spill- even one coming from one of these relatively small sailboats, could adversely impact Salish Sea marine birds, whose numbers have plummeted in recent decades, plus these beloved orcas- icons of the Pacific Northwest.

Each of these incidents have been reported to Canadian Coast Guard Environmental Response by concerned local residents- yours truly included. Whereas in the recent past Coast Guard has not only thanked me for my reports ( and even called asking for updates, photos and details )- on Saturday, December 27, 2024 I received a phone call from a Duty Officer telling me, and I quote, to "Stop tying up the lines!" So, from hero to zero in a matter of days. This from a man who had wasted twenty minutes of his precious time and mine on the phone, and who didn't even know where Cadboro Bay was on a map!

Meanwhile, as a Coast Guard-trained On Scene Commander for marine oil spill response, I will continue to be on the lookout for The Big One, should a fully-laden tanker go down in Haro Strait, for instance. For if, God forbids, that ever happens, I am qualified to lead the response operation.