As the fog of the rugged north coast lifts, islands appear in the sea, then disappear again. The cry of a bald eagle pierces through the haze. An otter slips out of its burrow between the giant roots of the jungle and glides silently into the sea. Then it curiously sticks its head out of the water.
Location of the nature reserve
The "Land of Otters" was purchased by us in 2019 and is located on Porcher Island, not far from our already existing protected areas "Land of Eagles" and "Land of Wolves". The island is located about 40 kilometers south of the port city of Prince Rupert and not far from the Alaskan border, in the rugged northern Canadian coastal rainforest.
Shells in the forest
Ebb and flow determine the rhythm of the land and its inhabitants. When the water recedes, it releases the rich life of the intertidal zone: Limpets are firmly sucked to the slippery surface of the rocks, the soft tentacles of the giant green anemone glow in a tidal pool, and spiky barnacles, speckle the black cliffs.
The rustling of the crabs, which quickly disappear between the stones, resembles the sound of a wave. Between the algae and kelp, a playful mink chases its favorite food, the abalone. Otters hunt for mussels and snails in the sea. Then they quickly dash across the beach into the protective forest, because on the coast they are easy prey for wolves. In the shelter of the thicket, they can enjoy their seafood in peace and fertilize the forest floor with the minerals from the mussels.
Their otter castle, inhabited by many otters and passed down from generation to generation, is hidden inconspicuously here. The gnarled old trees provide them with cover. They defy the harsh weather of the north coast. Embedded in soft layers of ancient peat moss, rare long-leaved sundew grows, its nectar drops glistening in a rare ray of sunshine. In the stillness of the moor, it lures flies into its trap with its sticky tentacles.
Read the interview with Fabian Mühlberger as another first-hand report. He is a biologist, nature photographer and active in nature conservation. In July 2019, he was part of the small WI-Team expedition team that went to Porcher Island to see what was going on and scout out new protected areas. As part of the trip, he spent eight days alone on the island to observe the local wildlife undisturbed. In this interview, he talks about his encounter with a wild coastal wolf and why it is so important to protect nature on Porcher Island.
