BeachQuest

The Beach Quest Exhibit is a diorama of an intertidal shoreline showing both a rocky and sandy beach and the creatures and plants that make their home along Gabriola shores.

Many of the creatures are labelled in Hul’qumi’num, Latin and English. We are still adding to our knowledge of Hul’qumi’num species names. The Museum’s mission in creating BeachQuest is to connect our enjoyment of our beaches with a sense of stewardship and responsibility for them. As we learn more about marine life, our respect for how genuine it is increases. So does our understanding of the importance of marine life to the sustainability of our island and the worthiness of protecting it.

A schematic display of the intertidal zones and their characteristics allows visitors to visualize the daily tide changes and their impact. A touch table and magnifying glasses give visitors a close-up look at intertidal shells, remnants of live animals and seaweed. An interactive game/exhibit of ocean and forest food webs is available for children and youth to classify and develop an understanding of the connection between living organisms.

Other displays include “What Lurks Below,”a diorama of what we find in the deeper ocean, including specimens and photos of unusual creatures. The Snuneymuxw Salish Sea is our food basket and there is detailed information on our panel of fish, crabs and shrimp: a vital food source.

BeachQuest – Discovering Gabriola’s Marine Life

A colourful, illustrated guidebook to five of Gabriola Island’s beaches.

BeachQuest was published by the Museum in 2014 (see Sounder newspaper article at bottom of page). The book is supported in the museum by an exhibit showcasing a marine life beach diorama.  Kits to help you get started exploring our beaches can be borrowed or bought at the Museum Gift Shop or at our online store.

This page is designed to give you a glimpse of what you can learn from the book.

Life on Gabriola’s Extraordinary Shore

Underwater forests (bull kelp), mini aquariums (tidepools), and “cling-ons” (mussels) are just a few of the extraordinary plants and animals we have access to on Gabriola’s remarkable shoreline. Surrounded by the Salish Sea (Georgia Strait) and its 3,000 species of marine life, this island has a range of beaches, each with its own identity. Brickyard Beach has rich oyster and clam beds, and Drumbeg Park overlooks tidal currents and whirlpools. Descanso Park and Taylor Bay have valuable eelgrass beds that provide nurseries for hundreds of marine animals.

The Gabriola Museum has just published BeachQuest, a guide with maps of five Gabriola beaches and illustrations of the twenty plants and animals most easily found on each of them. BeachQuest is also a new exhibit at the Museum, displays of the marine life that lives at each of the intertidal zones of a beach, and of the animals that live only underwater. BeachQuest is a new initiative at the Museum that is designed to appeal to families and schools, and encourage a sense of stewardship for our marine environment.

Initial funding by the Gabriola Recreation Society and the Small Islands Studies Conference enabled a collaboration between the Museum’s Carroll Hodge and April Vannini; and talented volunteers Edith Krauss, marine biologist/educator; Devon Featherstone, artist/illustrator; and Nancy Boyes, graphic designer. Marine biologist/photographer Ken Cripps donated underwater photographs to the exhibit, Jeffrey James created the book’s cover photographs. BeachQuest guides are available at the Museum, Descanso campground office and the Gym @ Twin Beaches. Copies will also be available soon at the Gabriola Library.