The Discovery Islands are a group of islands located at the northern end of the

Salish Sea The Salish Sea ( ) is a List of seas on Earth #Terminology, marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean located in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia and the States of the United States , U.S. state of Washingto ...

and the eastern end of Johnstone Strait, between

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

and the mainland coast of

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Most of these islands have very few residents. Only Quadra Island and Cortes Island have ferry service. The remainder are served by private boat or float plane.

Geography

The area's complex geography can make it difficult to determine when travelling by boat whether a sighted coastline belongs to the mainland, Vancouver Island, or one of the Discovery Islands.

Major islands

The Discovery Islands are all located within the Strathcona Regional District, except for a few of the southernmost, such as Hernando Island and Savary Island, which are in the qathet Regional District. The larger islands within the Discovery Islands are: ; Strathcona Regional District * Cortes Island (west: Subtle Islands) * Hardwicke Island (north: Poyntz, Seymour, Murray; west: Yorke; south: Helmcken) * West Thurlow Island * East Thurlow Island (west: Walkem Islands; south: Tum) * Sonora Island (northwest: Hardinge, Block) * Stuart Island * Quadra Island (north: Okis Islands) * Maurelle Island * Mitlenatch Island * Read Island (east: Hill Island, Penn Islands) * Rendezvous Islands ** Raza Island * West Redonda Island (south: Mink, Kinghorn, and the Martin Islands; north: Elizabeth) * East Redonda Island (south: Melville, Morgan, Eveleigh, Otter, and the William Islands; north: Double, Channel) * Marina Island * Twin Islands ; qathet Regional District * Hernando Island (east: Copeland Islands) * Mink Island * Savary Island

Major waterways

The Discovery Passage starts where the

Strait of Georgia The Strait of Georgia () or the Georgia Strait is an arm of the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the extreme southwestern mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada, and the extreme northwestern mainland coast of Washington, United Stat ...

narrows between Quadra Island and

and continues north to Chatham Point, where it meets the Nodales Channel and Johnstone Strait.

Tourism

The primary attraction for visitors are

salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

, and

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

External links

Discovery Islands
{{Subdivisions of British Columbia, regions=yes South Coast of British Columbia Central Coast of British Columbia Archipelagoes of British Columbia Archipelagoes of the Pacific Ocean

Geography

Major islands

Major waterways

Tourism

See also

External links