Pacific Herring Spawn
Millions of herring coat the eelgrass beds in milky white. Every heron, eagle, and seal on the bay has come to the spawning.
About the spawn
Each late winter, millions of Pacific herring migrate into shallow coastal waters to spawn on eelgrass and kelp beds along eastern Vancouver Island. Males release milt that turns the ocean a luminous milky turquoise. Females deposit sticky eggs on any available surface — eelgrass blades, rocks, kelp fronds, dock pilings.
The spawn is an ecological cascade event. It draws massive concentrations of bald eagles, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, river otters, mink, gulls, and diving ducks. In years with large spawns, humpback whales, grey whales, and orca follow the herring schools into the bays.
Herring are a keystone species in the Pacific Northwest marine food web. This event represents one of the most dramatic wildlife spectacles on the BC coast — and unlike most other events on this list, there is no organized festival. Just the thing itself.
What to expect
The spawn is wild, chaotic, and awe-inspiring. The turquoise-tinted ocean is visible from shore and striking in photographs. Beaches fill with bald eagles — sometimes hundreds on a single stretch of shoreline. Sea lions haul out on rocks and jostle noisily for position. Commercial gill netters and seine boats work the offshore waters during the DFO-managed roe fishery.
Because the exact timing is unpredictable, locals follow real-time reports on community Facebook groups (Comox Valley Wildlife Sightings, Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism). Dress for cold, wet March weather; rubber boots and rain gear are essential.
Where to go
- French Creek Marina — Between Parksville and Qualicum Beach. One of the most consistently productive shore viewing spots.
- Goose Spit, Comox — Long spit with wide views of Comox Bay. Good for eagles and sea lions.
- Baynes Sound — The channel between Denman Island and Vancouver Island. Often the most intense concentration of wildlife. Reach Denman by ferry from Buckley Bay.
- Kye Bay & Seal Bay, Comox Valley — Good shore-based viewing with parking.
- Hornby Island — Smaller, quieter, and consistently excellent. Photography workshops often run from here.