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Protecting The Home of the Orcas in the Southern Strait of Georgia

Ocean Conservation

Critical habitat for the endangered Southern Resident killer whales in the Southern Strait of Georgia around the Gulf Islands needs to be protected.

At the beginning of 2025, there were only 73 Southern Resident killer whales left. A part of their critical habitat — areas where they feed and raise their young — is located in the Southern Strait of Georgia around the Gulf Islands. The region is also home to over 3000 species of wildlife, from humpback whales, to herring, to glass sponge reefs and more! But decades of historical overfishing and habitat destruction, and now the increase of shipping, threaten this biodiversity hotspot. While there are small protections to safeguard certain species, more comprehensive conservation is needed.

A map of the area where a proposed National Marine Conservation Area Reserve could be designated in the Southern Strait of Georgia

Goal

Create a strong, Indigenous-led protected area in the Southern Strait of Georgia

Quick Facts

Biodiversity Hotspot

Over 3,000 species of wildlife call this region home

Location

The Salish Sea waters around the Gulf Islands between Victoria and Nanaimo

Critical Habitat

Critical habitat for the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales is located here.

Annual Herring Spawn

Every spring, Pacific herring return to nearshore waters in massive schools to lay eggs and release milt, transforming the sea into a signature milky turquoise blue.

Keystone Salmon

All 5 species of Pacific salmon, vitally important to both marine and freshwater ecosystems, use estuaries here to adapt to ocean life and travel through the these waters to return to spawn in their native rivers.

Coastal Habitats

Kelp forests and eelgrass meadows provide a habitat for many ocean animals that use it for food and shelter.

L79, a male Southern Resident killer whale, swims on the ocean surface by the shore

Photo by: Erik Stockdale (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons

Photo by: Sara Elison (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Bull kelp fronds float on the surface of the ocean

Photo by: Kate Turner (CC BY-NC 4.0), iNaturalist

Why Action is Needed

What's at stake

The critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales are imminently threatened by reduced availability of their favoured prey — chinook salmon, physical and noise disturbance from ships and boats, and ocean pollution and contaminants. These dangers will only increase as industry increases in the Salish Sea. In fact, Parks Canada called the region “the most at-risk natural environment in Canada.” Strong protections are urgently needed for the survival of these orcas and the more than 3000 other species that call the Southern Strait of Georgia home.

Only 73 Southern Resident killer whales left at the beginning of 2025
Severely decreased populations of herring and salmon
Loss of habitat such as kelp forests and seagrass meadows
Home to glass sponge reefs — habitats found almost exclusively in BC

Solutions

CPAWS-BC advocates for a strong marine protected area co-governed by 11 local First Nations

11 local First Nations are currently in discussion with Parks Canada on the feasibility of a National Marine Conservation Area Reserve. Indigenous communities have stewarded these waters for thousands of years. Their knowledge and insight is key to effectively protecting the region. Any marine protected area here must be co-governed by these First Nations and the Government of Canada to restore the region to abundance.

A marine protected area co-governed with 11 local First Nations
Strong, comprehensive protections for wildlife, especially for the critically endangered Southern whales

An orca and its calf poke their heads above the ocean surface with forested land in the background

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