This story was originally published by bioGraphic and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration

The ocean bumps beneath our boat, and a cold mist obscures the way forward. I peer over the driver’s shoulder to consult the GPS screen behind the steering wheel. The map reveals a labyrinth of islands, as well as dozens of inlets and fjords cutting up the western fringe of British Columbia’s Central Coast. Most bear colonial names: Jackson Passage, Laredo Inlet, Princess Royal Channel. But looking closer, I can make out other, older names: Nowish, Khutze, Kynoch.

When the mist lifts, the topography pops up all around me. Sheer granite peaks plunge into a Magic Eye mirage of cedar, fir and spruce trees rooted to rocky shores. Some islands have stories and names that ma

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