East Sooke
Source: T Nelson via Vibrant Victoria

One of my favourite places on Vancouver Island is only about an hour away from downtown Victoria by car….or even a daytrip bike-ride away. Sooke and East Sooke Park are rich with glittering ocean views, hours of hiking trails, pristine beach to lounge or rocks to perch on to watch for whales, otters and other spectacular sea life.

But this week, the normally bright blue westcoast ocean views in the Sooke Basin look quite a different…

The CRD website says:  Tropical Colour in Sooke Harbour All Natural

We are seeing a blue-green algae bloom in the Sooke Harbour and Basin. There is often no single trigger for these blooms and they are far from predictable. The creation of these blooms require the right combination of light/food/temperature for that particular species of algae.   One theory is that recent rain events have moved nutrients into our waters, which have warmed up during the last few sunny days, hence producing the algae bloom and the beautiful tropical colour in our local waters.
Algae blooms are natural and are not necessarily an indicator of water quality concerns.

The view of Roche Cove is drastically different these days due to the algae bloom. An East Sooke resident that I asked about it said, “It’s usually crystal clear so it’s a bit disturbing to see the bay with milky looking water.”

More on phytoplankton blooms from the scientists.

Mel Z – Middays 10am – 3pm on Ocean 98.5 

Filed under: Algae Bloom, Phytoplankton, Roche Cove, Sooke, Sooke Basin, Vancouver Island, Victoria