Kayaking in Paradise: Gulf Islands National Park

Winter 2008

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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by Hans Tammemagi

I was Robinson Crusoe with an entire island to myself. I explored trails through the towering Douglas fir forest and sat on rocky points. I listened to birds chirping and waves splashing, took photographs and lazed on a sun-warmed rock by the beacon watching huge ocean freighters plow through Haro Strait. I was on Rum Island in the middle of a three-day solo kayak trip, luxuriating in solitude and immersed in the soft beauty of the southern Gulf Islands.

Earlier that morning I had launched at Otter Bay, Pender Island, as part of my on-going quest to explore the recently created (2003) Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. My first stop, Roesland on North Pender, a former resort site for over 70 years, took only a few minutes to reach. I lingered in the museum, gazed at an eagle’s nest balanced high on a Douglas fir and strolled a path amongst the twisted, colorful arbutus trees on Roe Islet, a strong candidate for the prettiest walk in the islands.

Then I started the long crossing of Swanson Channel with one stroke following another in a gentle hypnotic rhythm. A snort sounded and a seal’s smooth head popped out of the water to monitor my progress. I was happy to be one with the watery domain, enjoying this unique and fragile ecosystem formed by Canada’s only Mediterranean climate.

On the privately owned Moresby Island, “No Trespassing” signs glared down from the shore and I was thankful for the National Park Reserve, which allows kayakers and boaters to enjoy a paradise of 15 islands and over 65 islets in one of the most beautiful and accessible archipelagos in the world. I entered Prevost Passage. Slowly Rum Island (also known as Isle de Lis) grew larger, and soon I was hauling my kayak up on the beach, the solitary human on the island. I pitched my tent on a designated spot in the small camping area, for this terrain is fragile and is one of the most ecologically at risk areas in Canada.

As the day closed, I sat on a knoll and watched the fading light shimmer on the water. Four seals frolicked in the darkening bay. A distant lighthouse started to wink.

I awoke to a light mist hanging over the water and islands adorned with clouds. Wetness gleamed on the smooth orange bark of an arbutus tree, raindrops hung like pearls from pine branches, pools of water caught in rock depressions reflected tall trees and a cloudy sky. I felt an exhilarating connection with nature.

When the tidal currents turned to flood, I set off, careful to pack out everything I had packed in. Paddling toward the northwest, a gentle zephyr caressed my back and the water was silvery and calm. I paddled lazily past several islands, a blue heron flapped its ungainly wings and a lighthouse was mirrored upside down in the water.

Emerging from behind an island, the kayak suddenly veered, and the once smooth water was full of eddies and swirls. It was a lesson. Even on these seemingly quiet, protected waters, tidal currents, especially where channels narrow, have significant power. I tried to picture the immense rivers of water flowing below the surface, connected globally and governed by that celestial body, the moon. I was humbled to think how small we humans are in the face of these large and mysterious cosmic forces.

I paddled on, floating sensually with the waves and the spirit of the ocean. I passed Reay and Imrie Islets where seals were hauled out and mingled with cormorants, gulls, murrelets and other seabirds. My map indicated that these islets are Special Preservation Areas within the park and that boaters and kayakers should remain 100 metres/yards off shore.

I arrived at Portland Island and coasted onto a dazzling white beach formed by broken clam shells, the remains of thousands of years of habitation by Coast Salish First Nations.

Once again I was Crusoe, alone to explore. I followed a path around the island, passing coves with jumbles of bleached driftwood pushed high up on rocky beaches. Little meadows were resplendent with fresh dewy grass, tiny purple and yellow wildflowers and rocks capped by dark green mosses. I passed an old apple orchard, its gnarled, moss-covered trees a reminder that Portland was settled in the 1880s by Kanaka (Hawaiian) immigrants.

In the evening I watched the purple and blue hues above the horizon. To the northwest I could discern Russell Island, also part of the Park Reserve, which contains the remnants of a Hawaiian homestead occupied from 1902 to 1936, and I silently made plans to visit it.
Next morning I loaded up and pushed off the perfect white beach. Three otters, their long tails snaking through the water, swam beside me for a short stretch, bidding me farewell. All too soon I was back at Pender Island.

It was not long before a friend and I pushed off again, this time heading northeast to explore Saturna Island, over 40% of which is National Park Reserve. We were lured by Taylor Point, accessible only from the water, where beauty and history mingle. Near the point the sandstone cliffs have been lovingly sculpted by wind and sea into delicate lacework whorls of beige and yellow. Capping this artwork is a magnificent stand of Garry oaks, which are found only in southwestern BC and are the most threatened ecosystem in Canada. We turned into the bay where George and Anne Taylor established a farm and a sandstone quarry in 1892. The ruins of their stone house remain, the thick walls highlighted by yellow leaves and green hills. Ghosts walked beside us as we explored overgrown rocks in the silent forest and found drill holes in rock faces, rusting iron works and other traces of a once busy quarry.

Another day, my friend and I paddled from Pender Island to Prevost Island. Although we timed our crossing to avoid the big BC ferries that ply the waters between Victoria and Vancouver, a smaller Gulf Islands ferry steaming out of Navy Channel surprised us. We stopped to let it pass and were lifted high in its wake.

Circling the island clockwise, we wandered amongst Prevost’s long, narrow bays, then lunched at James Bay with its camping area and surrounding orchards. At Hawkins Islet, an eagle posed nobly, high on a tall fir, while below on the reefs dozens of seals lolled in the late afternoon sun.

Paddling homeward we planned trips to other places in the Park Reserve. I was intrigued by D’Arcy Island, where from 1891, Chinese lepers lived in isolation with supplies dropped off four times a year. Another unique place, Sidney Spit, with its long, narrow hook spit and inner lagoon, is a cornucopia of shorebirds during spring and fall migrations. Beaumont Park on our own Pender Island beckoned with its nearby hike up Mount Norman. My friend was drawn by Narvaez Bay on Saturna Island and the adjacent Tumbo Island, which has seen fur farming, timbering and coal mining, and is also an important Native spiritual place.

With the horizon behind us turning into fiery oranges and vermilions we drifted into the bay, weary but already looking forward to our next outing.

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve Information

Kayak trips: Specific trips are not listed here because there are too many options. Good departure points for single or multi-day trips are (be sure to consult detailed maps):

1) Swartz Bay ferry terminal. From near the terminal you can paddle to Portland and Russell Islands. Go south of Sidney to launch for Sidney Spit, D’Arcy and Rum Islands.

2) Otter Bay ferry terminal on Pender Island. Roesland is nearby. Drive to different beach accesses to launch for Beaumont or to cross to Prevost or Saturna Islands.

3) Lyall Harbour terminal, Saturna Island. Go from the terminal (or drive to closer beach accesses) to Taylor Point, Tumbo and Cabbage Islands or Georgina Point on Mayne Island. Note: at present there is no camping on Saturna.

Basic camping areas: Beaumont, Pender Island; D’Arcy Island; Portland Island; James Bay, Prevost Island; Rum Island.
Moorage, mooring buoys and/or dinghy dock: Sidney Spit; Beaumont, Pender Island; Cabbage Island; Arbutus Point and Princess Bay, Portland Island.

Protect the Park: No campfires are permitted. Do not disturb or feed wildlife. Camp only in designated spots. Keep 100 metres from islets. Leave no trace of your visit.

Information: Get brochures, maps and information from Parks Canada offices in Sidney, Pender Island, Saturna Island. Call 250-654-4000 or 866-944-1744. www.pc.gc.ca/gulf

Emergencies: Within the park reserve call 877-852-3100.