Photo of the Month – January 2009

Marine life is so rich in the Queen Charlotte Islands/Haida Gwaii. Here, a purple bat star rests on a red leather star. The abundance starts with upwelling of nutrients from the deep Pacific, feeding small organisms that in turn feed progressively larger animals… up to the size of humpback and fin whales. Photo by Chantelle Tucker from a May trip on Maple Leaf (orcagirl.com).