Active Pass (11054)
Canada, North America
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2008
National site name: Active Pass
Central coordinates: Latitude: 48.8708, Longitude: -123.3010
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 0
Area of KBA (km2): 16.83553
Protected area coverage (%): 1.82
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Active Pass is the water body separating Galiano and Mayne Islands in the southwest portion of the Strait of Georgia. It is about 40 km south of Vancouver and 50 km north of Victoria. It is a tidally active body of water about 4.5 km long. The tidal mixing during the floods and ebbs creates a biologically rich feeding area for fish eating birds, mostly during the spring, fall and winter. In addition to birds, Orcas feed and travel occasionally through the pass, and a rich intertidal and subtidal fauna is present.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: Active Pass is a significant wintering area for at least two species of waterbirds (Pacific Loon and Brandt's Cormorant), and a third during migration (Bonaparte's Gull). Although the overall population of Pacific Loons is poorly known, the 2,000 that regularly occur at the pass during winter compose the largest concentration in the Straits of Georgia, and represent about 2% of the estimated world population. In addition, about 4,000 wintering Brandt's Cormorants have been recorded here. Based on the most recent estimates, this may be as much as 5% of the world's Brandt's Cormorant population. During migration, Bonaparte's Gulls are present in large numbers with about 10,000 (4% of the estimated world's population; possibly as much as 14% of the Pacific flyway population) being present during fall migration, and about 4,000 being present during spring migration. Several pairs of Bald Eagles nest along the shores of the pass, and upwards of 100 eagles occasionally forage in the waters during the winter.
Delineation rationale: 2011-06-06 (BL Secretariat): site area updated from 400 ha to 1700 ha, following GIS analysis of site polygon by Bird Studies Canada (J. Moore & S. Marquez in litt. 2009).
Habitats
Land use: urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 33 | |
| Marine Neritic | 33 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 |