© DFO

The Gully Marine Protected Area

The Gully, Atlantic Canada’s first marine protected area, is home to a vast array of wildlife, including the endangered bottlenose whale.

Coral in the Gully

FACTS & FIGURES

The Gully is 65 kilometres long and 15 kilometres wide.

The Gully MPA protects more than 2,300 square kilometres of marine habitat.

You’ll find 16 species of whales and dolphins here, including blue whales — the biggest animal on Earth.

The Gully is between 150,000 and 450,000 years old, carved out by glacial ice and meltwater.

Northern bottlenose whales weigh six to eight tonnes and grow six to nine metres long. They can stay underwater for up to 70 minutes at a time.

Some of the cold-water corals growing on the Gully slopes are almost a thousand years old.

Teeming with Life

Take a dive into the Gully to discover a habitat for all kinds of amazing wildlife. There are 16 species of whales and dolphins here, including blue whales — the biggest animal on Earth. Located about 200 kilometres off the coast of Nova Scotia, the Gully’s steep sides, lined with fragile and ancient cold-water coral, plunge down more than 2.5 kilometres, making it the largest underwater canyon in eastern North America. The Gully MPA protects more than 2,300 square kilometres of marine habitat.

© DFO

Atlantic Canada’s First Marine Protected Area

Thanks in part to WWF-Canada’s efforts, the Gully became Atlantic Canada’s first marine protected area (MPA) in May 2004. As a result, the area within the Gully’s borders is now protected from oil and gas development, as well as fishing in its most vulnerable zones.

The Gully is home to a unique population of endangered northern bottlenose whales. Today, the biggest threats to their survival include being hit by ships or getting entangled in fishing gear. Because they use sound to navigate and communicate, they’re also affected by noise pollution from shipping, sonar and seismic testing.

The Next Challenge

One MPA alone isn’t enough to sustain the full range of habitats and species in the Northwest Atlantic region. That’s why WWF-Canada is working to protect special areas as representative samples of all habitat types by establishing a network of marine protected areas and developing integrated ocean use plans.

© DFO

What You Can Do

Hawksbill turtle

Adopt a Sea Turtle

ADOPT

Testing Freshwater

Generation Water Technology Challenge

learn more

Shoreline Cleanup Participants

Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup

learn more

Related News & Stories

Oceans

Lessons from Atlantic Canada's oldest marine protected area

WWF
Read more
Oceans

The Gully: An East Coast Natural Wonder Turns 10

WWF
Read more
© WWF-Canada / Zoe Caron Surface of the Arctic Ocean

Learn More about Our Ocean Work

It’s not too late to bring the ocean back to a state of health and resilience. We are working to change the tide, driving protection and sustainable management so the ocean has a vibrant future.

LEARN MORE