Bull Kelp

What it looks like

Bull kelp is found in groups in a "kelp patch". The kelp patch is 6 to 8 meters from shore. Bull kelp is also found washed up on the beach. It has a large, hollow head, shaped like a ball, which makes the kelp float. The head of the kelp has long, flat, leaf-like strands that look like hair. These strands are called the blades of the kelp. The stem (or stipe) of the kelp tapers down from the hollow tubular shape to a fine solid rope where it attaches itself to rocks at the bottom of the ocean. Bull kelp is a dark golden brown with blades that are lighter yellow-brown.

What it was used for

A long time ago the Kwakwaka'wakw used fresh kelp in food. It was added to stews and other meals that were boiled in a pot. The head was used to store eulachon oil. The stipes were used to make ropes, fishing lines, nets and harpoon lines. Sometimes the hollow stipes were buried under the dance floor of the Big House. this was done so that the dancer could make sounds which seemed to come from the middle of the Big House fire.