The chilly waters surrounding Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands are rich in colourful and diverse marine life. Scuba divers have long been aware of this submarine cornucopia, and Jacques Cousteau himself recognized the Pacific Northwest as one of the world’s premier temperate diving destinations.  But you don’t have to go deep to see the wonders of the Pacific! Within the top few metres of our local waters you can find spectacular nudibranchs, rainbow-hued anemones, dozens of sea star species and myriad nautical wonders. Join Sara Ellison to find out more about the world beneath our waves.  Illustrated with her own underwater photography, Sara will show some of the fabulous critters that she finds in the intertidal, and for those of you wanting to give it a go yourselves, share tips on appropriate gear and let you in on some of the best places to go.

Sara Ellison received her PhD in astronomy from the University of Cambridge.  After spending three years doing astronomy research at the European Southern Observatory in Chile, she moved to the University of Victoria to take up a Canada Research Chair.  Sara is an international leader in the field of galaxy evolution, with numerous honours and awards to her name, including the Rutherford Memorial Medal in Physics from the Royal Society of Canada.  She is also a keen athlete and world traveller, but having snorkelled all around the world, BC is her favourite place to go for a swim!  In 2023, Sara published “Snorkelling Adventures Around Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands: The Ultimate Guide”, which was a #1 bestseller on the BC booklist.

This presentation will be via Zoom Video Conferencing. On the Monday preceding the event, Nature Vancouver members will receive the Zoom link in the weekly e-News.  The talk will begin at 7:30 pm.  Non-members are welcome and should Email eNews@naturevancouver.ca a few days ahead to register for the link.