Words and Photos from Diego D.
Our third journey in World is Your Oyster: Sustainable Oceans cohort was informational and relaxed. We began the day at early in the morning with a long and twisty two-and-a-half-hour car ride to the VIU Deep Bay Marine Field Station, a facility for shellfish research, operated by Vancouver Island University. The weather was showery and cloudy, making the voyage just another car ride in rural BC. Us students, maximized the opportunity to sleep and we did so in a manner that the only noise present was the fuzzy radio audio. Upon arrival, we admired the modern cylindrical design of the station and were greeted by a friendly lady who was beneath a giant skeleton of a grey whale calf that was hanging from the ceiling. The skeleton nearly the length of the entire facility! She guided us to a laboratory-like classroom and briefly outlined our day as we ate our lunches. We first acknowledged the size of grey whale and were informed about the homologous structures that both humans and whales share. We then were guided to the algae growing area, where university students breed and keep track of several algae species native to BC. The scenery was like that of mad scientist laboratory with several kinds of algae solutions ranging from bright yellow, neon green, and burgundy red. Afterwards, we observed the growing centers for the youth oysters. The tour guide, Breanna, then explained that the oyster industry in Canada is focused on making the environment a priority rather than their revenue considering the amount of money needed to care for one seed when the mortality is nearly 95 percent is extremely high. In addition, she explained that the oyster seeds, which appear like gravel, will spend one year inside their “growth barrels” and then be released into their monitored hatcheries in the water. There were dozens of barrels each with exactly 250,000 baby oysters each. In fact, the hatchery compound is the fourth biggest as well as the lead provider for seeds to all other oyster hatcheries in Canada. After seeing all the different rooms and learning about what happens behind the scenes of raising oysters, we went down to touch tanks, which were on the final floor of the three-story building.
The architecture of the entire building was fascinating and at any moment one could look up and observe the humongous grey whale skeleton. We then observed and touched crabs, sea stars, anemones, and sea cucumbers. After a few minutes of respectfully poking at sea life, we were instructed how to safely shuck an oyster. The fun facts told to us were unbelievable. For example, once a year hundreds of contestants travel to BC from all over the world in order to attempt to break the oyster shucking record of 200 oysters in 10 minutes. Furthermore, we learned how to identify different organs within the oyster and their significance. Unfortunately, we did not consume any shellfish, but the wildlife in the touch tanks did. In fact, several hermit crabs would compete to obtain the slightest bite of oyster. At the end, we learned to appreciate marine wildlife even more and the baby steps needed to ensure the success of a business while keeping the environment as the number one priority. We also made sure to thank Mr. French for the long drive to the facility and back. All in all, a very fun and unique experience.