The Kwakwaka'wakw people of northern Vancouver Island believed that the ocean was an immense river that flowed northward. This river flowed through the mouth of the earth at the north end of the world and descended to the country of the Ghosts. When the ocean tide ebbs, the   water flows into the underworld filling it. When the tide in the ocean rises it empties the underworld. This "Undersea World" should be thought of as a world that exists below the ocean with the water as a barrier between them. Over this other world peopled by monsters and marine animals reigns a powerful divinity, Komoquwa, the master of all riches. He lives in a palace made entirely of copper and has Loons for guards and Seals as servants. All the creatures of the sea are subservient to him. He is sometimes called "Wealth Giver" or "Copper Maker" referring to his vast riches. In mythic times many heroes tried to visit Komoquwa. Those that succeeded, returned with great wealth and supernatural powers.