Pacific

The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on Earth and contains more than half the world's water. It is twice as big as the Atlantic Ocean.

Canada's Pacific coast stretches about 804 kilometers, from the Juan de Fuca Strait north to Alaska. If this jagged shoreline were laid straight, it would extend about 26,000 kilometers.

The Pacific is the deepest ocean, with an average of 13,215 feet. The Mariana Trench, off the Philippines, is the deepest part of any ocean and the deepest point on earth. It reaches a depth of 36,200 feet.

The Pacific coast has a narrow continental shelf. It is less than 50 km wide, much smaller than the Atlantic's 300 km wide continental shelf. The Pacific also has more underwater volcanoes (or seamounts) than any other ocean, mostly contained within The Ring of Fire, a belt of volcanic activity that spans the entire ocean.

There is a great richness and diversity of coastal fisheries in the Pacific Ocean.

Canada's Pacific sees extensive coastal/commercial traffic; ferries, fishing and pleasure craft fleets all compete for space on Canada's west coast. The Port of Vancouver is Canada's busiest port, shipping close to thirty billion dollars worth of cargo each year.

It is also an area of expanding ocean industries, including Aquaculture and Tourism.