Four minor earthquakes struck off the B.C. coast near Haida Gwaii Thursday afternoon, the latest in a series that have rattled the area since a 7.7 shaker rattled the islands last fall.

The first three quakes with magnitudes 4.5, 4.3 and 4.4 stuck between 5 p.m. PT and 6 p.m. about 150 kilometres south of Masset. A fourth 4.5-magnitude quake struck at 7:28 p.m. about 170 kilometres south of Masset.

A statement on the Earthquakes Canada website said the minor quakes were aftershocks from the larger earthquake last fall, and more can be expected.

"These events are all part of the Oct 28 M 7.7 aftershock sequence. Higher levels of seismicity are expected in the Haida Gwaii region for the next year or so," the website said.

The West Coast-Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre in Palmer, Alaska, said there was no tsunami danger from any of the quakes.

According to the U.S. Geological Service website, a total of six minor earthquakes ranging from magnitude 3.6 to 4.5 have struck the area since March 12. Two other quakes of similar magnitudes occurred in February in the same region.

A 7.7 earthquake rocked Haida Gwaii in October, the strongest recorded in Canada since an 8.1 shaker hit the same area in 1949. No damage was reported, except for the shutdown of a local hot spring.

With files from The Canadian Press