Saanich Inlet (also Saanich Arm) is a body of

salt water Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish wate ...

that lies between the

Saanich Peninsula Saanich Peninsula () is located north of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is bounded by Saanich Inlet on the west, Satellite Channel on the north, the small Colburne Passage on the northeast, and Haro Strait on the east. The exact southern ...

and the Malahat highlands of

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 ...

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. Located just northwest of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

, the inlet is long, has a surface area of , and its maximum depth is . It extends from

Satellite Channel Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location.ITU Radio Regulations, Section IV. Radio Stations and Systems ...

in the north (separating

Salt Spring Island Salt Spring Island or Saltspring Island is one of the Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia between mainland British Columbia, Canada, and Vancouver Island. The island was initially inhabited by various Salishan peoples before being settled ...

from the

) to Squally Reach and Finlayson Arm in the south. The only major tributary feeding the inlet is the Goldstream River. The inlet has been of importance as a

fishery Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a., fishing grounds). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish far ...

to the Malahat and Saanich

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

for centuries, and many

Indian reserve In Canada, an Indian reserve () or First Nations reserve () is defined by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." ...

s are situated on the shoreline. Since the arrival of Europeans, the inlet has also provided a recreational and commercial fishery. It has also been popular with SCUBA divers. For several years, a port existed on the western shore at Bamberton, servicing a

cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...

works. For most of the year the deep waters are

anoxic Anoxia means a total depletion in the level of oxygen, an extreme form of hypoxia or "low oxygen". The terms anoxia and hypoxia are used in various contexts: * Anoxic waters, sea water, fresh water or groundwater that are depleted of dissolved ox ...

, and

hydrogen sulphide Hydrogen sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless chalcogen-hydride gas, and is toxic, corrosive, and flammable. Trace amounts in ambient atmosphere have a characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs. Swedish chemist Ca ...

(H₂S) is often detected near the bottom. In the late summer and early fall, oxygenated waters from the

Haro Strait The Haro Strait is one of the main channels connecting the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, separating Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada from the San Juan Islands of Washington (state), Washington st ...

and the Satellite Channel spill over into the deep basin of Saanich Inlet.

Bays and inlets

Notable bays and inlets adjacent to Saanich Inlet include: * Brentwood Bay, a calm, sheltered bay on the east side of the Inlet, with a small ferry service to Mill Bay. ** Tod Inlet, a smaller inlet off the southwest corner of Brentwood Bay with water access to the northeast corner of

Gowlland Tod Provincial Park Gowlland Tod Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. The park protects 1,219 hectares (3,012 acres) of mixed forest of Douglas-fir, Arbutus, western redcedar, western hemlock, shore pine, grand fir, red alder, and Ga ...

and the rural community of Willis Point, as well as a private dock at the adjacent world-famous

Butchart Gardens The Butchart Gardens is a floral display garden in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, located near Victoria on Vancouver Island. The gardens receive over a million visitors each year. The gardens have been designated a National Historic S ...

. ** Confusingly,

Brentwood College School Brentwood College School is a Mixed-sex education, co-educational boarding school.Thomson, Ashley and Sylvie Lafortune.'' Handbook of Canadian Boarding Schools''. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1999. Brentwood is located on Vancouver Island in Mill Bay, ...

is not located in Brentwood Bay, but rather across the inlet in Mill Bay. * Coles Bay *Deep Cove *Finlayson Arm, a long narrow arm on the south of the Inlet draining Goldstream River at

Goldstream Provincial Park Goldstream Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is known for the annual fall salmon runs in the Goldstream River, and the large numbers of bald eagles that congregate to feed at that time. The total size of the p ...

. It is named for Roderick Finlayson (1818–1892). The scenic and steep Malahat Drive is on the west side of Finlayson Arm, while Gowlland Tod Provincial Park is on its east. * Mill Bay, a calm bay and community centre on the west side of the Inlet. The ferry to Brentwood Bay allows a way of travelling to

Greater Victoria Greater Victoria (also known as the Greater Victoria Region) is located in British Columbia, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. It is usually defined as the thirteen municipalities of the Capital Regional District (CRD) on V ...

while avoiding the steep Malahat Drive. *

Patricia Bay Patricia Bay ("Pat Bay" to locals) is a body of salt water that extends east from Saanich Inlet and forms part of the shoreline of North Saanich, British Columbia. It lies due west of Victoria International Airport. A municipal park covers most of ...

, a very deep bay and home to the Institute of Ocean Sciences research facility. *Squally Reach, an east–west channel connecting the main Saanich Inlet to the north and Finlayson Arm to the south. **

McKenzie Bight McKenzie Bight is a feature on the southeast side of Saanich Inlet in British Columbia, Canada. This bight is located in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park directly adjacent to the rural community of Willis Point. McKenzie Bight can be accessed by tra ...

, an easy to sail bight on the east side of Saanich Inlet where its meets Squally Reach. Other notable features around the inlet are: * Mount Finlayson * Bamberton

References

Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, including a map of the Inlet

External links

Scientific information about the VENUS project located partly in Saanich Inlet from the University of Victoria
{{British Columbia hydrography Fjords of British Columbia Southern Vancouver Island Bodies of water of Vancouver Island Anoxic waters Inlets of British Columbia

Bays and inlets

See also

References

External links