Porpoise Bay Provincial Park
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Porpoise Bay Provincial Park
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 Park entrance sign |
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| location | British Columbia (Canada) | |
| surface | 61 ha | |
| WDPA ID | 65358 | |
| Geographical location | 49 ° 30 ' N , 123 ° 45' W | |
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| Setup date | Jan. 29, 1971 | |
| administration | BC parks | |
The Porpoise Bay Provincial Park is a 61-hectare Provincial Park in the Canadian province of British Columbia . The park is located on the Sechelt Inlet on the Sunshine Coast , about 4 kilometers north of Sechelt . It can be reached from Highway 101 with a short detour inland . The park is located in the Sunshine Coast Regional District .
investment
The small park borders the outskirts of Sechelt. The park itself is characterized by large areas of grass and the sandy beach.
The park is a category II protected area ( national park ).
history
A first sub-area was made into a recreation area by a local family in 1966. As a provincial park, it was established in 1971 and enlarged in the process. In 200 its borders were redefined and the park was enlarged slightly.
Flora and fauna
The park is located in the temperate rainforest area . Within the British Columbia ecosystem, the park area is assigned to the Coastal Douglas Fir Zone . British Columbia's ecosystem is divided into different biogeoclimatic zones using the Biogeoclimatic Ecological Classification (BEC) Zoning System . Biogeoclimatic zones are characterized by a fundamentally identical or very similar climate and the same or very similar biological and geological conditions. This results in a very similar population of plants and animals in the respective zones.
In addition to the Douglas fir , the Nootka false cypress , the West American hemlock ( called “Coastal Western Hemlock” in English ), the alder and the maple grow here . The trees here in the park are no longer part of the original vegetation of the area after they have been used for wood industry, they are so-called secondary forests . They are therefore not covered with epiphytic lichens and mosses , as is otherwise very common in the temperate rainforest . However, here too the forest has an undergrowth of sword ferns and heather plants. The Pacific flowering dogwood , the heraldic plant of British Columbia, which is widespread in large parts of the province , is also found.
The tidal range of the Strait of Georgia continues into the Sechelt Inlet. As a rule, however, it is about 1 meter less than immediately in front of the entrance to the inlet. The reason for this slightly lower tidal range is the Skookumchuck Narrows . At low tide there is a chance to see mussel beds and other marine life on the beach. The fish is also represented here, the Pacific salmon , mainly with the subspecies silver salmon (English Coho Salmon) and Ketalachs (English Chum Salmon). The mussels as well as fish attract ospreys and bald eagles . In the sparsely populated hinterland of the park there are also black bears , bobcats and pumas . Many bird species are native to the park area. Including the heraldic bird of British Columbia, the tiara jay .
activities
The Sechelt Inlet is particularly popular with paddlers. It is the starting point for the tours on Sechelt Inlet. The park also serves as a starting point for hikers to tour Mount Richardson Provincial Park.
The park is also popular with anglers thanks to the abundance of fish in the Sechelt Inlet.
In addition to a picnic area, the park has 84 parking spaces (some of which can be reserved) for campers and tents and has sanitary facilities with showers.
Neighboring parks
If you follow the access road to the park further north, you will reach Mount Richardson Provincial Park, which is also located on the Sechelt Inlet, after about 7 kilometers . Along Highway 101, which runs east-west, the nearest provincial parks are Robert Creek Provincial Park and then Mount Elphinstone Provincial Park . To the west, the closest parks are Sargeant Bay Provincial Park and then, after Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park , Francis Point Provincial Park .
Web links
- Porpoise Bay Provincial Park . In: BC Geographical Names (English)
- Porpoise Bay Provincial Park . In: English language website of the park at BC Parks
Individual evidence
- ↑ World Database on Protected Areas - Porpoise Bay Provincial Park (English)
- ↑ Porpoise Bay Provincial Park - Master Plan. (PDF; 1.1 MB) British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks , February 1981, accessed December 28, 2012 .
- ^ Ecosystems of British Columbia. (PDF, 10.31 MB) British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations , February 1991, accessed December 13, 2012 .
- ↑ Biogeoclimatic Zones of British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, accessed May 19, 2016 .
- ^ Porpoise Bay (# 7852) Tidal Prediction. In: Fisheries and Oceans Canada . Retrieved October 19, 2012 .