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When the water retreat, Chesterman Beach magic will show up. Be there to watch the underwater tunnels that turn to damp passageways. This hidden jewel is the Low Tide Sea Cave. While you are walking there, it almost feels like a sandy carpet on the floor. The passage to the cave is encompassed by rock walls moss-covered with trees on top. The scenery is worthy enough to be captured.
The Prince of Wales Range is a subrange of the Vancouver Island Ranges, and the highest summit is Hkusam Mountain. Hiking up to the magnificent mountain peaks within the Prince of Wales Range offers astonishing views of surrounded peaks with a 180-degree view of the Johnstone Strait from south to north and Sayward Valley as your backdrop.
In the wilderness area of Alberni-Clayoquot C, where you may have a plan for camping, there is Virgin Falls, a gift from nature to adventure lovers. An abundant fantastic forest surrounds this magnificent 53 m (173.8 ft) waterfall. The pool under the waterfall has crystal clear water with mesmerizing blue shades, perfect for swimming and photography.
Silence is wiser than speech in nature. To get this atmosphere with a scenic view near Nanaimo and to have an excellent family time, Westwood Lake Park is a smart year-round choice. It is a perfect place with a playground for kids, an off-leash area, and a lifeguard patrolled freshwater swimming site. Hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and boating are other adventures to take.
Eggshell Cave is one of the smallest caves in the Horne Lake Caves system on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Despite its size, it offers a fascinating underground experience, particularly for those interested in geology and karst formations. The cave gets its name from the distinctive hollow-sounding floor, which is due to a thin layer of calcite covering underlying mud.
Mother of nature is so generous when it comes to Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park. With an old-growth Douglas-fir forest, the park features Cameron Lake, Little Qualicum Falls, and the Little Qualicum River. This stunning park offers a chance for excellent camping. The trails are made up of wooden stairs and gravel sections that lead to the falls making beautiful scenery for photography.
Tofino with its incredible sunset is a district on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It is busy in summer due to the various water sports. In winter many people come to Tofino to visit West Coast for storm watching and whale watching. The majority of the tourists are surfers, hikers, bird watchers, campers, whale watchers, anglers, and nature lovers.
It is a grace finding a waterfall along a river. The Puntledge River makes Stotan Falls a beautiful pond waterfall with a wide area. The waterfall sound melodious by the water pouring smoothly on the large rocks on its way that you can enjoy for hours. Swimming in summer would be delightful while you are in hot water where the green forest surrounds you.
Langford is a city on the south coast of Vancouver Island and heaven for golfers. You can stay at lodgings and play at challenging hillside courses and enjoy yourself at luxurious advantages like the Amatista Spa. Beautiful parks surround the city, so go hiking through scenic forests or have peaceful moments beside lakes. Langford offers shops, family activities, sheep farms, and a bike park.
Coal Harbour is an entrance to the old-growth forests of Vancouver Island North's wilderness areas. It has access to scenic coastal waters and is a gateway to ocean adventures and a historical village. Coal Harbour is a perfect launch point for fishing charters, kayakers, and boaters. Dolphins, whales and sea otters have included the wildlife in the beautiful area.
The Karmutzen Range is a subrange of Vancouver Island Ranges. While visiting the Karmutzen Range, you will be fascinated by surrounding mountains winding through a beautiful old-growth forest and enormous trees. The area is a paradise for mountaineers. Up at the peaks, the view includes the trees covering the hills and Nimpkish Lake that lying within Nimpkish Valley walls.
The Bonanza Range is a small mountain range. While approaching the Bonanza Range, you will experience a beautiful wilderness passing through the Tsitika River and Bonanza Lake. The area is a paradise dotted with gorgeous lakes and tarns winding through alpine and subalpine mountain forests having spectacular views of incredible snow-capped mountains.
Nestled within East Sooke Regional Park, Iron Mine Bay is a rugged, lesser-known coastal paradise on southern Vancouver Island. Famous for its pebbly shoreline, dramatic cliffs, and historical copper mining roots, this bay offers a raw, untouched escape for hikers, photographers, and nature lovers. Located just 45 minutes from Victoria, Iron Mine Bay is part of a 1,400-hectare park that blends lush old-growth forests with jaw-dropping ocean vistas of the Juan de Fuca Strait.
Nestled on the breathtaking Vancouver Island, Alice Lake is a beloved family park that beckons outdoor enthusiasts with its pristine natural beauty. Set against a backdrop of towering mountains, lush forests, and expansive grassy meadows, this park features four sparkling freshwater lakes that are perfect for hiking, swimming, picnicking, and a host of other recreational activities. Whether you're planning a family getaway or a solo adventure, Alice Lake offers an unrivalled blend of scenic charm and diverse outdoor pursuits.
With 27 m (89 ft) height, Elk Falls is as beautiful as a postcard picture placed on the west side of Campbell River among the old-growth Douglas firs and cedar trees. The moss-covered rocks, the deep clear water underneath, and Suspension Bridge stretching across the canyon are deep reflections of a fairyland. Step into the hiking trails and enjoy all other beauties like birds.
Nila Abasian
Alireza Moghimehfar
Late summer, the worst time of the year for black bears having to be put down,\nis approaching.\n\nAn environmental group called the Fur-Bearers tracks statistics of bears killed\nby conservation officers each year, and the association has found that September\nis an especially dangerous time of year for bears that are on the search for\nfood. In 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021, September was\nthe month with the most bears killed by conservation officers in British\nColumbia, and in 2017, 2022 and 2023, it was the second-deadliest month for\nbears.\n\nDuring all of last year, 303 black bears were put down across B.C., with two\nbears killed in Nanaimo.\n\nBlack bears are killed by conservation officers if they becomes listed as\n'Category 1' and an investigation determines they are either a serious threat to\npublic safety, significant property damage has occurred, or the bear is injured\nor suffering from distressed health.\n\nAccording to BCCOS guidelines,\n[https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/natural-resource-policy-legislation/fish-and-wildlife-policy/response_guidelines_black_bear_single.pdf?utm_source=nanaimo%20news%20bulletin&utm_campaign=nanaimo%20news%20bulletin%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral] animals\nlisted in Category 1 include those that have attacked, injured or killed humans,\ndomestic pets or livestock, and may also include bears that have entered\ntemporary or permanent dwellings.\n\n"Generally speaking, Nanaimo compared to other municipalities ranks lower on the\nlists of black bears that are killed by the conservation officer service,"\nsaid Lesley Fox, executive director of the Fur-Bearers. "However, Nanaimo\ncertainly isn't out of the woods, black bears are common on Vancouver Island and\ndo find their way through Nanaimo and even the regional district, it's not\nuncommon to see a black bear in Nanaimo or surrounding areas."\n\nDuring the summer, Fox said residents with fruit trees can plan ahead. Those\nwith fruit trees on the land who don't expect to be able to pick them all in a\ntimely manner can connect with a local gleaning program which involves\nvolunteers collecting unwanted fruit from trees and gardens that would otherwise\ngo to waste. \n\n"It's a great way to promote food security and also helps homeowners manage\ntheir harvest, because it can be a lot of work to manage their fruit…" Fox said.\n"People just need to be proactive and start making arrangements now, that way\nthey're prepared at the end of summer."\n\nIn Nanaimo, since 2003 there has been a gleaning program\n[https://nanaimocommunitygardens.ca/gleaning/] organized in partnership\nby Nanaimo Foodshare Society and Nanaimo Community Gardens, which can be reached\nat 250-816-4769.\n\nReducing attractants is another method people can use reduce the number of\nnegative encounters between people and bears.\n\n"Clean up your attractants, we don't want animals getting into the garbage\nbecause they get injured or get sick."\n\nEarlier this year, RDN staff and directors discussed several incidents involving\nbears utilizing organic carts as food sources. Additionally other animals are\nbecoming habituated to collection carts that have been set out early on\ncollection day or left out late.\n\nFox said a bear becoming accustomed to going through trash is highly\npreventable, and non-compliance issues might be an opportunity for a district to\ntake a zero-tolerance approach.\n\n"Co-existence is a daily intention, and attractant management, being bear-aware,\nthose are daily intentions and sometimes people, businesses and even bylaw can\nget complacent, we can get lazy."\n\n \n\n2024black-bears-killed-in-nanaimo-by-conservation-officers\n[https://www.bpmcdn.com/f/files/nanaimo/2024black-bears-killed-in-nanaimo-by-conservation-officers.jpg;w=960]\n\nFrom 2015 to 2024, the lowest year for bears killed by conservation officers in\nNanaimo was 2020, with zero deaths, while the highest was in 2022 with 10. \n\nIn terms of provincial numbers, 303 in 2024 is a sharp decline from 603 in\n2023. Fox said while the number is lower than the previous year, she still\nperceives hundreds of dead bears as a government, education and enforcement\nfailure.\n\n"It almost should be perceived like you see statistics sometimes for workplace\ninjury, the goal is zero. We should target zero, and that might sound\nunrealistic to some, but that's the ideal and we should be working towards\nthat," she said. "Until we can start seeing a decrease that's measurable\nyear after year after year, I'm not feeling overly optimistic or encouraged."\n\nThe biggest message she said people should take away is black bears are not to\nbe feared, but people should be respectful and give a bear the space it needs. \n\n"There's a lot of misinformation that can paint a picture that black bears are\nsomehow aggressive or problematic. The reality is they're a native species, they\nbelong on the landscape, black bears are extremely intelligent, they're curious,\nthey have tight family bonds – especially a mother and her cubs. They belong\nhere. Demonstrating some tolerance and compassion for these animals can go a\nlong way."
