Stock photo: Shore Pine Trees Sphagnum Moss Pacific Rim National Park Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada

Stock photo of distorted Shore Pine trees, Pinus contorta var. contorta, and Sphagnum moss, Sphagnum cymbifolium, growing in the bog along the Shorepine Bog Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, Long Beach Unit, West Coast, Vancouver Island, British Columbia,

This stock photo includes distorted Shore Pine trees, Pinus contorta var. contorta, and Sphagnum moss, Sphagnum cymbifolium, growing in the bog along the Shorepine Bog Trail, Pacific Rim National Park, Long Beach Unit, Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, West Coast, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

The park features several bogs in poorly drained areas. During fall and winter, the area is continually subjected to moist air masses from the Pacific Ocean. The presence of the mountain ranges causes the air masses to rise and deposit large quantities of precipitation, a phenomenon known as orographic precipitation.

The area averages over 3000mm of precipitation per year, a key factor in producing temperate rainforests. During the drier summer months the area is frequently covered in fog.

Average temperatures range from 14°C (57°F) during the summer and 6°C (43°F) in the winter. The grey whales appear in big numbers, especially in spring, when their return is celebrated in Pacific Rim Whale Festival.

Seals and sea lions are other marine mammals well represented. The park is home to over 330 species of birds, including Bald Eagles, Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Black Oystercatcher. Long Beach is the most visited and most accessible of the three regions, made up of the coastal region from Tofino to Ucluelet.

It is also the most famous historically, as the landing site of James Cook in 1778.