Race Rocks Ecological Reserve

Race Rocks Ecological Reserve
IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)^[1]
Race Rocks Light
Location in British Columbia Show map of British Columbia Location off Vancouver Island Show map of Vancouver Island Location in Capital Regional District Show map of Capital Regional District
Location	Juan de Fuca Electoral Area, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
Nearest city	Metchosin
Coordinates	48°17′56″N 123°31′52″W / 48.299°N 123.531°W / 48.299; -123.531
Area	227 ha (560 acres)
Designation	Ecological Reserve
Established	1980
Governing body	BC Parks
Website	Race Rocks Ecological Reserve \| BC Parks

Race Rocks Ecological Reserve is a BC Parks ecological reserve 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) off the southern tip of Vancouver Island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca in Juan de Fuca Electoral Area, Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada.^[2]

Description

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Located at a narrow part of the strait, the area covers 2.27 km² (0.88 sq mi) of which only 0.02 km² (0.0077 sq mi) is land covering 11 islets.^[3] It does not include the small envelope of land with the foghorn and the historic Race Rocks Lighthouse on Great Race Rock.^[4] That area is leased by the Canadian Coast Guard.

Because of the location in a high tidal current area, there is an exceptional variety of marine life to be found, including marine mammals, sea birds, fish, marine invertebrates, and marine algae and sea grass. It is a haul-out area for the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) and Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) and a birthing rookery for harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and it is also the most northerly birthing colony on the Pacific coast of North America for the elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris).^[5]^[6]

History

[edit]

The idea of protecting Race Rocks came about following a marine science project by the students of Pearson College UWC under the supervision and guidance of their teachers, Garry Fletcher and Marks McAvity, in 1978. They described an area of great biodiversity and ecological importance. In 1980, the rocks and surrounding areas were protected as an ecological reserve under joint BC Parks–Pearson College UWC management.^[7]

In 2006 and 2007, the Race Rocks Tidal Power Demonstration Project was installed. After a six-year period for experimental research, the tidal energy generator was removed.^[8]

References

[edit]

^ "Race Rocks Ecological Reserve". Protected Planet. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
^ OpenStreetMap. Relation: Juan de Fuca Electoral Area (7848479) (Map). Retrieved September 27, 2025.
^ "Race Rocks Ecological Reserve detailed description" (PDF). BC Parks. Province of British Columbia. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
^ BC Parks Advanced Map. Race Rocks Ecological Reserve (Map). Retrieved September 27, 2025.
^ "Elephant seals ( Mirounga angustirostris) at Race Rocks | Race Rocks Ecological Reserve-".
^ Torben C. Rick, Robert L. DeLong, Jon M. Erlandson, Todd J. Braje, Terry L. Jones, Jeanne E. Arnold, Matthew R. Des Lauriers, William R. Hildebrandt, Douglas J. Kennett, René L. Vellanoweth and Thomas A. Wake (2011). "Where were the northern elephant seals? Holocene archaeology and biogeography of Mirounga angustirostris". The Holocene. 21 (7): 1159–1166.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ "History of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve | Race Rocks Ecological Reserve-".
^ Erika Lee Brown (2013). "The Tidal Current Turbine Energy Project in the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve". Coastal and Ocean Engineering. 1: 8. Retrieved February 28, 2025.

External links

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Protected areas of British Columbia

CRHP: Alberni-Clayoquot RD; BC Coast; Capital RD; Kootenay RD; Columbia-Shuswap RD; Comox Valley RD; Cowichan Valley RD; East Kootenay RD; Fraser Valley RD; Kootenay Boundary RD; Nanaimo RD; New Westminster; North Okanagan RD; North Shore; Northern/Central BC Interior; Okanagan-Similkameen RD; Squamish-Lillooet RD; Strathcona RD; Surrey; Thompson-Nicola RD; Vancouver; Victoria

International Recognition

World Heritage Sites	Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs (proposed) Kluane / Wrangell–St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek SGang Gwaay Stein Valley (proposed)
Biosphere Reserves	Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region

National Parks and affiliated areas

National Parks	Glacier Gulf Islands Reserve Gwaii Haanas Reserve Kootenay Mount Revelstoke Pacific Rim Reserve South Okanagan—Similkameen (proposed) Yoho
Marine Conservation Areas	Gwaii Haanas Reserve Southern Strait of Georgia Reserve (proposed)
National Historic Sites	Chilkoot Trail Fisgard Lighthouse Fort Langley Fort Rodd Hill Fort St. James Gitwangak Battle Hill Gulf of Georgia Cannery Kicking Horse Pass Kootanae House Nan Sdins Rogers Pass Stanley Park Twin Falls Tea House more...

National Wildlife Areas

National Wildlife Areas	Alaksen Columbia Qualicum Scott Islands Marine Vaseux-Bighorn Widgeon Valley
Migratory Bird Sanctuaries	Christie Islet Esquimalt Lagoon George C. Reifel Nechako River Shoal Harbour Vaseux Lake Victoria Harbour

Marine Protected Areas

Marine Protected Areas	Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs SGaan Kinghlas-Bowie Seamount
Marine Refuges	Gwaxdlala/Nalaxdlala (Lull/Hoeya) Offshore Pacific Seamounts and Vents Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef

Provincial Parks and affiliated areas

Parks

Alberni-Clayoquot RD	Clayoquot Arm Clayoquot Plateau Dawley Passage Epper Passage Flores Island Fossli Gibson Marine Hesquiat Lake Hesquiat Peninsula Hitchie Creek Kennedy Lake Kennedy River Bog Nism̓aakqin (Maquinna) Nitinat River Sproat Lake Stamp River Strathcona Sulphur Passage Sydney Inlet Taylor Arm Tranquil Creek Vargas Island
Bulkley-Nechako RD	Atna River Babine Lake Marine Babine Mountains Babine River Corridor Beaumont Burns Lake Call Lake Dead Man's Island Driftwood Canyon Entiako Ethel F. Wilson Memorial Finger-Tatuk François Lake Little Andrews Bay Marine Morice Lake Mount Blanchet Mount Pope Mudzenchoot Nadina Mountain Nation Lakes Nenikëkh/Nanika-Kidprice Netalzul Meadows Nilkitkwa Lake Old Man Lake Omineca Paarens Beach Rainbow Alley Red Bluff Rubyrock Lake Stuart Lake Stuart Lake Marine Stuart River Sutherland River Takla Lake Marine Tazdli Wyiez Bin/Burnie-Shea Topley Landing Trembleur Lake Tweedsmuir North Tweedsmuir South Tyhee Lake Uncha Mountain Red Hills Wistaria
Capital RD	Beaver Point Bellhouse Bodega Ridge Burgoyne Bay Collinson Point Dionisio Point Discovery Island Marine French Beach Goldstream Gowland Tod ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱/John Dean Juan de Fuca Montague Harbour Mount Erskine Mount Maxwell Ruckle Sooke Mountain Sooke Potholes Wallace Island
Cariboo RD	Beaver Valley Big Creek Bowron Lake Bridge Lake Bull Canyon Canim Beach Cariboo Mountains Cariboo Nature Cariboo River Cedar Point Cottonwood River Donnely Lake Dragon Mountain Flat Lake Horsefly Lake Itcha Ilgachuz Junction Sheep Range Kluskoil Lake Lac La Hache Moose Valley Nazko Lake Nuntsi Pinnacles Puntchesakut Lake Punti Island Rainbow-Qiwentem Ruth Lake Schoolhouse Lake Ten Mile Lake Titetown Tsʼilʔos Wells Gray Wendle White Pelican
Central Coast RD	Codville Lagoon Marine Oliver Cove Marine Penrose Island Marine Sir Alexander Mackenzie Tweedsmuir South
Central Kootenay RD	Arrow Lakes Champion Lakes Cody Caves Drewry Point Erie Creek Gladstone Goat Range Grohman Narrows Kianuko Kokanee Creek Kokanee Glacier Kootenay Lake Lockhart Beach Lockhart Creek McDonald Creek Pilot Bay Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Rosebery Ryan Stagleap Summit Lake Syringa Valhalla West Arm Yahk
Central Okanagan RD	Bear Creek Browne Lake Fintry Graystokes Kalamalka Lake Myra-Bellevue Okanagan Mountain Trepanier Wrinkly Face
Columbia-Shuswap RD	Adams Lake Anstey-Hunakwa Arrow Lakes Blanket Creek Bugaboo Burges James Gadsden Cinnemousun Narrows Cummins Lakes English Lake Hamber Herald Kingfisher Creek Marl Creek Martha Creek Oregana Creek Pukeashun Shuswap Lake Marine Shuswap Lake Shuswap River Islands Silver Beach Skookumchuck Rapids Sunnybrae Tsútswecw Upper Seymour River Victor Lake White Lake Yard Creek
Comox Valley RD	Boyle Point Denman Island Fillongley Helliwell Jáji7em and Kw’ulh (Sandy Island) Marine Kin Beach Kitty Coleman Miracle Beach Mount Geoffrey Escarpment Rosewall Creek Strathcona Tribune Bay
Cowichan Valley RD	Bamberton Carmanah Walbran Chemainus River Cowichan River Eves Gordon Bay Koksilah River Memory Island Nitinat River Spectacle Lake Wakes Cove West Shawnigan Lake Whaleboat Island Marine
East Kootenay RD	Akamina-Kishinena Bugaboo Columbia Lake Crowsnest Dry Gulch Elk Lakes Elk Valley Gilnockie Height of the Rockies Inonoaklin James Chabot Jimsmith Lake Kikomun Creek Morrissey Mount Assiniboine Mount Fernie Moyie Lake Norbury Lake Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Premier Lake Ryan St. Mary's Alpine Thunder Hill Top of the World Wardner Wasa Lake Whiteswan Lake Windermere Lake
Fraser-Fort George RD	Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Arctic Pacific Lakes Bijoux Falls Bobtail Mountain Carp Lake Close-To-The-Edge Crooked River Dahl Lake Erg Mountain Eskers Evanoff Fort George Canyon Fraser River Heather-Dina Lakes Jackman Flats Kakwa Monkman Mount Robson Mount Terry Fox Pine Le Moray Ptarmigan Creek Purden Lake Rearguard Falls Slim Creek Small River Caves Sowchea Bay Sugarbowl-Grizzly Den Three Sisters Lakes Tudyah Lake West Lake West Twin Whiskers Point
Fraser Valley RD	Alexandra Bridge Bridal Veil Falls Chilliwack River Coquihalla Canyon Coquihalla River Cultus Lake Davis Lake E.C. Manning Emory Creek F.H. Barber Ferry Island Garibaldi Golden Ears Kilby Mehatl Creek Nahatlatch Nicolum River Rolley Lake Sasquatch Silver Lake Skagit Valley Sx̱ótsaqel/Chilliwack Lake
Kitimat-Stikine RD	Anderson Flats Bear Glacier Border Lake Boulder Creek Bulkley Junction Tazdli Wyiez Bin/Burnie-Shea Choquette Hot Springs Coste Rocks Dala-Kildala Rivers Estuaries Eagle Bay Exchamsiks River Foch-Gilttoyees Gitnadoiks River Great Glacier Green Inlet Marine Hai Lake–Mount Herman Iskut River Hot Springs Jackson Narrows Marine Kinaskan Lake Kitimat River Kitsumkalum Kitwanga Mountain Kleanza Creek Lakelse Lake Lakelse Lake Wetlands Lava Forks Lowe Inlet Marine Meziadin Lake Mount Edziza Nalbeelah Creek Wetlands Netalzul Meadows Ningunsaw Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Owyacumish River Ross Lake Seeley Lake Seven Sisters Protected Area Sleeping Beauty Mountain Stikine River Sue Channel Swan Lake Kispiox River Todagin South Slope Union Passage Marine
Kootenay Boundary RD	Beaver Creek Boothman's Oxbow Boundary Creek Champion Lakes Christina Lake Conkle Lake Gilpin Grasslands Gladstone Granby Jewel Lake Johnstone Creek King George VI Nancy Greene
Metro Vancouver RD	Apodaca Cypress Golden Ears Mount Seymour Peace Arch Pinecone Burke Say Nuth Khaw Yum (Indian Arm)
Mount Waddington RD	Allison Harbour Marine Broughton Archipelago Cape Scott Claud Elliott Lake Cormorant Channel Marine Echo Bay Marine God's Pocket Marine Lanz and Cox Islands Lawn Point Lower Nimpkish Lower Tsitika Marble River Mquqᵂin/Brooks Peninsula Nimpkish Lake Quatsino Raft Cove Schoen Lake Woss Lake
Nanaimo RD	Arbutus Grove Drumbeg Englishman River Falls Gabriola Sands Gerald Island Hemer Horne Lake Caves Little Qualicum River Falls MacMillan Morden Colliery Historic Petroglyph Pirates Cove Marine Rathtrevor Beach Roberts Memorial Sandwell Saysutshun (Newcastle Island) Spider Lake
North Coast RD	Diana Lake Khutzeymateen Kitson Island Marine Klewnuggit Inlet Marine Lower Skeena River Naikoon Prudhomme Lake Pure Lake
North Okanagan RD	Denison - Bonneau Echo Lake Ellison Tplaqín/Enderby Cliffs Granby Graystokes Kalamalka Lake Kekuli Bay Kingfisher Creek Mabel Lake Mara Mara Meadows Monashee Mount Griffin Shuswap River Islands Silver Star Skookumchuck Rapids Upper Violet Creek Wap Creek
Northern Rockies RM	Andy Bailey Jackpine Remnant Kotcho Lake Village Liard River Corridor Liard River Hot Springs Maxhamish Lake Muncho Lake Northern Rocky Mountains Scatter River Old Growth Sikanni Old Growth Smith River Falls – Fort Halkett Stone Mountain Tetsa River Toad River Hot Springs
Okanagan-Similkameen RD	Allison Lake Bromley Rock Cathedral Darke Lake E.C. Manning Eneas Lakes Inkaneep Keremeos Columns Kickininee Nickel Plate Okanagan Lake Okanagan Mountain Otter Lake Skaha Bluffs Stemwinder Sun-Oka Beach sw̓iw̓s (Haynes Point) sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ (Okanagan Falls) Vaseux Lake
Peace River RD	Bearhole Lake Beatton Beatton River Bocock Peak Buckinghorse River Wayside Butler Ridge Charlie Lake Chase East Pine Ed Bird – Estella Lakes Finlay-Russel Graham-Laurier Gwillim Lake Hole-in-the-Wall Kakwa Kiskatinaw Kwadacha Wilderness Milligan Hills Moberly Lake Monkman Muscovite Lakes Omineca One Island Lake Peace River Corridor Pine Le Moray Pine River Breaks Pink Mountain Prophet River Hotsprings Prophet River Wayside Redfern-Keily Sukunka Falls Swan Lake Tatlatui Taylor Landing Wapiti Lake
qathet RD	Anderson Bay Copeland Islands Marine Desolation Sound Marine Inland Lake Malaspina Okeover Arm Jedediah Island Marine Sabine Channel Marine Saltery Bay South Texada Island Squitty Bay
Squamish-Lillooet RD	Alice Lake Birkenhead Lake Blackcomb Glacier Brackendale Eagles Brandywine Falls Bridge River Delta Callaghan Lake Clendinning Duffey Lake Edge Hills Fred Antoine Garibaldi Gwyneth Lake Joffre Lakes Marble Canyon Murrin Nairn Falls Porteau Cove Seton Portage Historic Shannon Falls South Chilcotin Mountains Stawamus Chief Tantalus Upper Lillooet Yalakom
Stikine Region	Atlin/Áa Tlein Téix'i Dall River Old Growth Denetiah Dune Za Keyih Horneline Creek Hyland River Omineca Spatsizi Headwaters Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Stikine River Sustut Tā Ch’ilā (Boya Lake) Tarahne Tatshenshini-Alsek Tuya Mountains
Strathcona RD	Artlish Caves Big Bunsby Marine Bishop River Bligh Island Catala Island Marine Dixie Cove Marine Elk Falls Gold Muchalat Háthayim (Von Donop) Marine Homathko Estuary Loveland Bay Main Lake Mansons Landing Mitlenatch Island Nature Morton Lake Mquqᵂin/Brooks Peninsula Nuchatlitz Octopus Islands Marine Read Island Rebecca Spit Marine Rendezvous Island South Rock Bay Marine Roscoe Bay Rugged Point Marine Santa Gertrudis - Boca del Infierno Marine Small Inlet Marine Smelt Bay Strathcona Strathcona-Westmin Surge Narrows Tahsish-Kwois Teakerne Arm Thurston Bay Marine Walsh Cove Weymer Creek White Ridge White River
Sunshine Coast RD	Buccaneer Bay Francis Point Garden Bay Marine Halkett Bay Marine Hardy Island Marine Harmony Islands Marine Mount Elphinstone Mount Richardson Musket Island Marine Plumper Cove Marine Porpoise Bay Princess Louisa Marine Roberts Creek Sargeant Bay Sechelt Inlets Marine Simson Marine Skookumchuck Narrows Smuggler Cove Marine Spipiyus Tetrahedron
Thompson-Nicola RD	Arrowstone Banana Island Bedard Aspen Big Bar Lake Blue Earth Lake Blue River Black Spruce Blue River Pine Bonaparte Buse Lake Caligata Lake Castle Rock Hoodoos Chasm Chu Chua Cottonwood Churn Creek Coldwater River Copper Johnny Cornwall Hills Downing Dunn Peak Eakin Creek Canyon Eakin Creek Floodplain Edge Hills Elephant Hill Emar Lakes Epsom Finn Creek Flat Lake French Bar Creek Goldpan Green Lake Greenstone Mountain Harbour Dudgeon Lakes Harry Lake Aspen High Lakes Basin Juniper Beach Kentucky Alleyne Loon Lake Marble Canyon Marble Range McConnell Lake Momich Lakes Monck Monte Creek Monte Lake Mount Savona Mud Lake Delta Niskonlith Lake North Thompson Islands North Thompson Oxbows East North Thompson Oxbows Jensen Island North Thompson River Oregon Jack Painted Bluffs Paul Lake Pennask Creek Pennask Lake Pillar Porcupine Meadows Pritchard Pyramid Creek Falls Roche Lake Skihist Steelhead Stein Valley Nlaka'pamux Taweel Tsintsunko Lakes Tunkwa Upper Adams River Walhachin Oxbows Walloper Lake Wells Gray Wire Cache

Conservancies

Ecological reserves

Protected areas

Recreation areas

Wildlife Management Areas

Regional Parks
Burnaby Lake Campbell Valley Capilano River Cascade Falls Derby Reach Elk/Beaver Lake Island View Beach Kanaka Creek Minnekhada Mount Arrowsmith Mount Douglas Pacific Spirit Sooke Potholes Surrey Bend təmtəmíxʷtən/Belcarra

Other
Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area Hidden Grove/Sechelt Heritage Forest Maplewood Flats Conservation Area Muskwa-Kechika Management Area Sacred Headwaters (proposed) Sea to Sea Green Blue Belt Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary

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Description

History

See also

References

External links