The Skwelwil’em Squamish Estuary is one of British Columbia’s most important wildlife areas. A 673-hectare mosaic of tidal mudflats, salt marshes, eelgrass beds and riparian forest where the Squamish and Stawamus rivers meet the saltwater of Howe Sound, it is designated as both a Wildlife Management Area and an Important Birding Area (IBA), supporting over 200 species of wintering and migrating birds, alongside salmon, black bear, black-tailed deer and several species at risk.
I’m a nature photographer and environmentalist based here in Squamish, and the estuary is somewhere I find myself returning to again and again with a camera. Few places in Canada offer such accessible and genuinely rewarding wildlife encounters. Wintering bald eagles gather here from December through February to feed on spawning salmon, great blue herons stalk the tidal channels year round, and if you time it right you might catch trumpeter swans, migrating songbirds, or a black bear working the marsh edges in the evening light. From time to time we are graced with views of our elusive creatures such as bobcat, deer, owls, and secretive waterbirds.
To share this wonderful place, I’m available for free, informal walks for anyone who’d like to explore the estuary with a focus on wildlife observation and nature photography. We’ll take our time, move slowly and look carefully. I’ll share what I know about birding, and making the most of natural light, the tides and the seasons, and how to get the most out of this remarkable place whether you’re a birder, a photographer, or simply someone who wants to understand what’s living on in this are.
The below photographs are all taken in the Squamish Estuary.
