Waves of sediment-laden fresh water float above the saline depths of the Georgia Strait in the Salish Sea off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia. This turbid mixing of water and land is known as the Fraser River plume. Considered a unique ecosystem, the outflow of the river estuary meets deep, cold salt water as it circulates close to shore during high tide. The density of phytoplankton in this environment supports a diverse regional marine food chain, sustaining a rich diversity of fish, crustaceans, birds and marine mammals. The proximity of the Fraser River plume to the dense urban growth of the greater Vancouver metro area presents many challenges for the conservation and protection of the marine environment.
Photographed during a flight from the mainland to Vancouver Island, it was quite special to see such well-defined gradations in the mixing water. The range of colours, from deep blue to dark turquoise green, with a swirling layer of shimmering greenish-gold sediment came as a surprise. Choosing to compose this as an abstract scene plays with the viewer’s sense of scale and brings the focus to the subtle textures and layered details throughout.
