Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol: Round 2 — Animals

There are a lot of reasons why British Columbians have a deep connection with salmon, from their ubiquity across the province to their circular routine of returning home to spawn.

But as the director of UBC's Marine Mammal Research Unit, Andrew Trites, admits, there's also a more selfish reason.

"Everything comes back to food, doesn't it?" he said, as he broke down the matchup between the chinook salmon and sockeye salmon in the Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol. 

Trites pointed out that the chinook is well known because of its massive size — it's called "king salmon" in the United States — while the sockeye is known for its distinctive red colouring and its dense spawning numbers. 

But there's the element of taste as well. 

"Is there anything better than putting on the BBQ with a nice piece of chinook salmon? And … when we think of sockeye salmon, the image that comes to mind is smoked salmon because it's a very firm flesh. And who doesn't love eating smoked salmon?"

From 8 animals to 4

Beyond the salmon, when you look at the eight animals still in the running in the Search for B.C.'s Best Symbol, a certain theme emerges.

"Everything's interconnected," said Trites.

"The salmon depend on healthy oceans, healthy rivers, and healthy forest systems. Killer whales and otters, they also depend on healthy salmon … and the bears drag some of the dead carcasses into the woods that fertilize the forest."

Interconnected though they may be, we're asking you to vote in four matchups to determine which animals advance to the next round of our friendly competition:

• Orca vs. sea otter.
• Steller's jay vs. marmot.
• Spirit bear vs. grizzly bear.
• Chinook vs. sockeye salmon.

Unlike the first round of the bracket, there are no easy votes at this point. 

But Trites says that speaks to the powerful connection so many British Columbians have with wildlife — and the reason they're such potent symbols. 

"All these species hold on some level to people, a level of cultural and spiritual significance."

"I'm always struck to hear the emotional effects that it has on people to have seen a killer whale or just to look at awe at spawning sockeye salmon in a river … we're just so lucky to be able to live and coexist with probably the most diverse wildlife in all of North America."

Voting is open until 10 p.m. Pacific time. Happy voting!