The story behind British Columbia's very own 'desert isle'

Amid the lush landscapes of coastal British Columbia, one small, rocky island stands out as an arid anomaly.

Mitlenatch Island Nature Provincial Park lies on the northern end of the Strait of Georgia -- not where you might expect to find a desert environment, but that's just what Mitlenatch is, lying in the impressive rain shadow of Vancouver Island.

While the west coast of Vancouver Island is famous for its intense rainfall, with more than 3000 mm of rain falling on Tofino each year, the higher terrain of the island's interior does an excellent job of wringing out the atmosphere as air masses move east. By the time you get to Campbell River, the annual rainfall drops by about half -- 1400 to 1500 mm -- and just a short boat ride away, Mitlenatch Island sees only half again; about 700 mm. Still a healthy amount, but not exactly what you'd expect for a rainforest.

These dry conditions make the island an inviting home for seabirds; it's home to the largest seabird colony in the Strait of Georgia, with thousands of Glaucous-winged Gulls making their nesting grounds there, along with numerous other species.

You can also find prickly pear and coastal cactus on Mitlenatch; something to be wary of if you go to investigate in person.

Something else to be aware of? The island is considered a "very sensitive ecosystem" and much of the 30-hectare span is off-limits to visitors.

Sources: BC Parks

THE SURPRISING NUTRITIONAL PLANTS THAT CAN BE FOUND IN VANCOUVER'S STANLEY PARK:

Editor's note: This article was originally published in March 2019.