Like the many other exotic terrains that, collectively, make up the western portion of North America, Vancouver Island drifted in on oceanic crust and welded itself to the Continental Plate. Geologists believe that Vancouver Island actually originated in the Southern Hemisphere (having rifted from another land mass) and arrived in the Pacific Northwest millions of years ago. During the Pleistocene Glaciations, when sea level was significantly lower, a land bridge connected the island to the mainland of British Columbia, permitting wolves, black bears, cougers and other fauna to colonize its varied habitats.
Today, Vancouver Island is an exciting destination for naturalists and outdoor sportsmen. A rugged mountain range bisects the Island, wringing copious moisture from storm fronts that push in from all directions. Such weather conditions have fostered the development of a rich, Temperate Rainforest, characterized by huge western red cedars, fir and hemlocks, which rise above an understory of blueberry, huckleberry, ferns, horsetails and other moisture-loving plants. Scenic, rocky shorelines, tidepools and sandy beaches line the undeveloped coasts, attracting a wide variety of sea birds and marine mammals.
Migrating whales (humpback, grey, minke), orcas and dolphins feed in the numerous bays while Steller's sea lions and harbor seals lounge on rocky islets. Sea otters, once extirpated by overhunting, are making a slow comeback and are occasionally spotted in kelp beds along the western coast.
