Earthquake measuring 4.9 strikes off Vancouver Island

A minor earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 struck about 168 kilometres west of Port Hardy on the northwest tip of Vancouver island around 12:35 a.m. PT Wednesday, but no damage was reported.

The Earthquakes Canada website said damage is unlikely from a quake of that magnitude.

• Read about the megathrust earthquake forecast for B.C.

Earthquakes are common off the west coast of British Columbia and sometime come in groups or so called swarms, but experts say the smaller quakes are not signs that a bigger quake is more likely to occur.

CBC seismologist Johanna Wagstaffe said the recent quake was about 15 kilometres deep.

"This seems to be a crustal earthquake within the Juan de Fuca plate of the Cascadia subduction zone. Several hundred of these types of quakes happen per year as the Juan de Fuca plate attempts to slide under the North America plate," Wagstaffe said.

Other recent tremblors in the region include a 3.4 magnitude quake just inland of Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast that was felt in Vancouver, and a4.5 magnitude quake near the southern end of Haida Gwaii on Jan 25, which was felt by some residents on the islands.