This is due to the density of the rainforest's canopy as well as the fact that the swift, cool currents of Georgia Strait have deterred chipmunks and moose from gaining access from the mainland. Black bears did manage to swim the Strait. These are larger than their cousins on the mainland and are dark ebony in color. No hint of brown or red tints their fur as it does the coats of the mainland bears. Though cougar live in the lush, green forest, they are seldom seen.
Cougars are solitary animals and avoid contact with humans if possible.
Along the shoreline, algae and plankton cling to the rocks. At low tide, huge boulders can be seen. Barnacles, mussels and limpets cling fast to the rocks that have been pounded smooth by the ocean's powerful waves. In the large tide pools, hermit crabs claim discarded shells for their sanctuary rather than grow their own. In these waters, twenty different species of starfish can be found.