Video shows rare coastal wolf swimming in B.C. waters
A Vancouver Island woman managed to capture something on video last Sunday that experts say is extremely rare. Maxine Gillette calls it a once in a lifetime experience.
"The general location is Union Island," said Gillette.
Gillette was on a water taxi near Union Island near the northwest tip of Vancouver Island after a day of shopping in Campbell River when the coastal wolf swam by.
"I just instantly went to the back of the boat because I wanted to record this beautiful sight of the wolf swimming, and I wanted to get proper photos of it," she said.
Being from the remote community of Kyuquot, near Union Island, it’s not the first time she has seen a wolf.
"I’ve basically just seen them in our village," she said. "There has been one that was hanging out around here."
Gary Allan with SWELL Wolf Education Centre is familiar with wolves and their behaviour.
"They are called the ghost of the forest," he said.
He and his late wolf-dog, Tundra, spent years touring schools and educating students on the rarely observed animals.
Gary Allan and Tundra visit a school in Nanaimo, B.C. (CTV News)He says the wolf population on Vancouver Island is very healthy.
"It’s probably between 300 and 350," said Allan.
The majority of those are not referred to as coastal wolves, instead living north of Campbell River in hills far away from people.
The wolf Gillette captured on camera is a coastal wolf and their numbers are much fewer.
"I’ll venture a guess of maybe about 75," said Allan.
Known to swim between islands up to eight kilometres apart, coastal wolves are crepuscular animals, meaning they are generally most active at dawn and dusk.
"The reason we don’t see them very much is they could be swimming at nighttime and we’re just not out there," said Allan.
Meaning capturing a coastal wolf swimming on camera is something that may never happen again for Gillette.
"It was amazing," said the island woman. "I’m super grateful for where I live and what I get to experience up here."
Correction
This story has been updated to correct the definition of crepuscular. The term describes animals that are most active in twilight hours at dawn and dusk.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.