Active Pass

The entry into Active Pass




















Two Ferries entering and exiting





















This most beautiful pass,

of all entryways and exits thru the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island is mythic. A million visitors pass this way every year on their way to Victoria and it is without doubt the best part of the ferry ride and definitely worth leaving the food court and venturing onto the deck to see. Beautiful island homes, multitudes of seals, and boat traffic, beautiful deserted beaches are only a part of it.

A beautiful deserted beach

Seals resting in the sun at western end of Active Pass Galiano Island side...

Click and enlarge

When I was younger (not that much) and coming out of Active Pass into Trincomali Channel looking northward, I sighed and wished with all my heart for a boat. To be able to go in almost any direction, West to Saltspring, Vancouver Island. North to Thetis, Gabriola, Gibsons, Pender Harbour, Desolation Sound, Charlottes, Alaska. South to the San Juans, Seattle, Oregon.

It all seems possible when I exit this magic spot at Mayne and Gabriola Islands.

When John was much younger the fishing in Active Pass was something else. Fast currents, slack and high tides made it tricky let alone dealing with the big boat and ferry activity. Nonetheless, fishermen persevered and were rewarded. Now, not as many fish boats can be seen and the BC Ferries definitely rule the waves in this beautiful passage.

We fished here on Friday, something we have wanted to do for a number of years. We were not rewarded with fish this time, but loved it again nonetheless.

A week ago we played hooky and had lunch at Montague Harbour Galiano Island, and we had the whole marine park to ourselves. We had forgotten our camera and so we knew we would see something spectacular and sure enough coming back thru Active Pass we saw two huge Steller Seals (Galiano side) and then amazingly two Orcas with a new baby between them. It was so young it was still jaundiced, with orange stripes on it's side instead of white. Mother and auntie kept the baby between them like a sandwich.

We reported this wonderful sighting to www.orcanetwork.org/ This is a great website incidentally, that follows and researches the three local whale groups: j,k,and l pods as well as transients and other whales as well. If you want to know where the whales are this is the site that knows, it is just excellent.



Kalena