Mossfern Gate 49°N · Pacific Rim, BC

West Coast Vancouver Island

Wildlife etiquette: distance is the whole rule

Nearly every wildlife guideline on this coast reduces to the same principle: more distance and less disturbance than feels necessary from where you're standing.

Whales
Legal minimum distance applies
Black bears
Common on remote beaches
Dogs
Leashed, away from shorebirds
Intertidal life
Look, don't collect

Species-specific, same principle

Whales, bears, and shorebirds each need space

Licensed whale-watching vessels operate under legally mandated minimum distances; shore-based and kayak viewing should hold to the same spirit even without an enforcement boat nearby. Black bears do appear on remote beaches and forest edges here, foraging for intertidal food — give them a wide, unhurried berth and never approach for a photo.

Shorebirds feeding along the wrack line burn real energy when flushed by a dog or a close approach, energy some species can't spare during migration. Intertidal creatures in tide pools are best observed and left in place; removing them, even briefly, can kill them or strand them somewhere they can't survive.

Shorebird flock at a respectful photographic distance
A longer lens, not a closer approach, is the right tool for this photo.

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