View source for Race Rocks Ecological Reserve

{{Short description|Nature reserve in British Columbia, Canada}}

{{Infobox protected area
| name           = Race Rocks Ecological Reserve
| iucn_category  = Ia
| iucn_ref       = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Race Rocks Ecological Reserve|url=https://www.protectedplanet.net/18398|access-date=2020-09-15|website=Protected Planet}}</ref>
| photo          = SeaLionsRaceRocks.jpg
| photo_width    = 
| photo_caption  = [[Race Rocks Light]]
| map            = British Columbia##Vancouver Island##CAN BC Capital
| map_width      = 275px
| map_caption    = Location in [[British Columbia]]##Location off Vancouver Island##Location in [[Capital Regional District]]
| relief         = 
| label          =
| label_position =
| mark           =
| marker_size    =
| location       = [[Juan de Fuca Electoral Area]], [[Capital Regional District]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]]
| nearest_city   = [[Metchosin]]
| coordinates    = {{coord|48.299|-123.531|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| area_ha        = 227
| designation    = [[BC Parks#Ecological Reserves|Ecological Reserve]]
| established    = 1980
| governing_body = [[BC Parks]]
| website        = {{url|https://bcparks.ca/race-rocks-ecological-reserve/|Race Rocks Ecological Reserve &#124; BC Parks}}
}}
'''Race Rocks Ecological Reserve''' is a [[BC Parks#Ecological Reserves|BC Parks ecological reserve]] {{convert|1.5|km|mi}} off the southern tip of [[Vancouver Island]] in the [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]] in [[Juan de Fuca Electoral Area]], [[Capital Regional District]], [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]].<ref>{{cite map |author=OpenStreetMap |title=Relation: Juan de Fuca Electoral Area (7848479) |url=https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/7848479 |accessdate=September 27, 2025 }}</ref>

==Description==
Located at a narrow part of the strait, the area covers {{convert|2.27|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} of which only {{convert|0.02|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} is land covering 11 islets.<ref>{{cite web |title=Race Rocks Ecological Reserve detailed description |url=https://nrs.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/kuwyyf/race_rocks_detailed_description_7d0bc2fa4b.pdf |website=BC Parks |publisher=Province of British Columbia |access-date=27 September 2025 |ref=bcparks_detailed_pdf |format=PDF}}</ref> It does not include the small envelope of land with the [[foghorn]] and the historic [[Race Rocks Lighthouse]] on Great Race Rock.<ref>{{cite map |author=BC Parks Advanced Map |title=Race Rocks Ecological Reserve |url=https://arcg.is/HmrTS0 |accessdate=September 27, 2025 }}</ref> That area is leased by the [[Canadian Coast Guard]].

Because of the location in a high tidal current area, there is an exceptional variety of marine life to be found, including marine mammals, sea birds, fish, marine invertebrates, and marine algae and sea grass. It is a haul-out area for the [[California sea lion]] (''Zalophus californianus'') and [[Steller sea lion]] (''Eumetopias jubatus'') and a birthing rookery for [[harbour seal]]s (''Phoca vitulina'') and it is also the most northerly birthing colony on the Pacific coast of North America for the [[elephant seal]] (''Mirounga angustirostris'').<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.racerocks.ca/race-rocks-animals-plants/elephant-seals-mirounga-angustirostris-at-race-rocks/|title = Elephant seals ( Mirounga angustirostris) at Race Rocks &#124; Race Rocks Ecological Reserve-}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Where were the northern elephant seals? Holocene archaeology and biogeography of Mirounga angustirostris |author=Torben C. Rick, Robert L. DeLong, Jon M. Erlandson, Todd J. Braje, Terry L. Jones, Jeanne E. Arnold, Matthew R. Des Lauriers, William R. Hildebrandt, Douglas J. Kennett, René L. Vellanoweth and Thomas A. Wake |journal=The Holocene |year=2011 |volume=21 |issue=7 |pages=1159–1166 }}</ref>

==History==
The idea of protecting Race Rocks came about following a marine science project by the students of [[Pearson College UWC]] under the supervision and guidance of their teachers, Garry Fletcher and Marks McAvity, in 1978. They described an area of great biodiversity and ecological importance. In 1980, the rocks and surrounding areas were protected as an [[BC Parks#Designations|ecological reserve]] under joint [[BC Parks]]–[[Pearson College UWC]] management.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.racerocks.ca/history-of-race-rocks-ecological-reserve/|title = History of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve &#124; Race Rocks Ecological Reserve-}}</ref>

In 2006 and 2007, the [[Race Rocks Tidal Power Demonstration Project]] was installed. After a six-year period for experimental research, the tidal energy generator was removed.<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Tidal Current Turbine Energy Project in the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve |author=Erika Lee Brown |year=2013 |journal=Coastal and Ocean Engineering |volume=1 |pages=8 |url=https://journals.library.mun.ca/index.php/prototype/article/view/397/496 |accessdate=February 28, 2025 }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Race Rocks Light]]
*[[Pearson College UWC]]
*[[Race Rocks Tidal Power Demonstration Project]]
*[[Trial Islands Ecological Reserve]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.racerocks.ca/home/   Home page of racerocks.com and racerocks.ca website]
*[http://www.pearsoncollege.ca/   Pearson College UWC]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20141219052551/http://www.panoramio.com/map#lt=48.298551&ln=-123.531534&z=1&k=2&a=1&tab=2 Images of Race Rocks on Google Earth]
*[http://ecoreserves.bc.ca/portfolio_item/race-rocks-97/ Race Rocks on the Friends of Ecological Reserves website]

{{British Columbia parks}}

[[Category:Protected areas of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Strait of Juan de Fuca]]

{{BritishColumbia-protected-area-stub}}