Stock photo: South Beach Pacific Rim National Park Long Beach Unit Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada

Stock photo of rocky outcrops on South Beach in the Long Beach section of Pacific Rim National Park, Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, West Coast, Pacific Ocean, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

This stock photo shows the rocky outcrops of South Beach in Pacific Rim National Park, Long Beach Unit, Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, West Coast, Pacific Ocean, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The rocks are dry on this bright sunny day with clear sky above and somewhat rippled water surface. The magnificent Pacific Rim National Park is the only national park on Vancouver Island, providing protection for substantial rain forests and an amazing marine environment. The full force of the mighty Pacific Ocean mercilessly pounds the constantly changing shores of this rugged coastline. This territory has a significant history, having been inhabited by the Nuu-chah-nulth people for thousands of years. A rich natural heritage evolved as Vancouver Island became isolated from the mainland, retaining a great diversity of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish species. This unique park encompasses a total area of 49,962 hectares of land and ocean in three separate geographic units - Long Beach, the Broken Group Islands and the West Coast Trail. Features of the park include long sandy beaches, an island archipelago, old-growth coastal temperate rainforest and significant Nuu-chah-nulth archaeological sites.