More Sea Kayaking in British Columbia
Barkley Sound
Clayoquot Sound
Desolation Sound
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Johnstone Strait
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British Columbia
Sea
Kayaking
Desolation Sound
List with GoNorthwest!
Sea kayakers head into fjord-like Toba Inlet,
north west of Desolation Sound on the BC, Canada coastline.
Go Northwest!
photo by Dave Dean.
Desolation Sound, is a fantastic area
for sea kayakers! In spite of its name, Desolation Sound is not desolate
(Captain Vancouver would have disagreed). Actually, the Sound is the largest
protected marine park in Canada -- jutting into the Pacific mainland coast
of British Columbia. Sea kayakers to this area have 37 miles of (mostly
protected) coastline to explore and near zero development (click
for Google map).
Sea kayakers are frequently drawn to
Desolation Sound due to it's reputation for warm protected waters and
majestic scenery. Imagine swimming in ocean waters that warm to 79-degrees
Fahrenheit - hard to believe but it's doable in summer months, in Desolation
Sound.
Marine life abounds in Desolation Sound --
many inlets are brimming with oysters, cod, shrimp and jellyfish.
Sea kayakers should note than an abundance of oysters also leads to an abundance of barnacle-encrusted
shoreline
- kayakers must be careful when landing. Scraping a kayak hull against a
shoreline full of oysters can result in a fair amount of hull damage. Also,
sea
kayakers must do their navigational preparation ahead of time and be
forewarned - some of the more
remote inlets in this area, such as Toba Inlet, have very little
kayak-approachable shoreline due to a more fjord-like geography (the
shoreline is vertical).
Desolation Sound and its inlets really are an
ideal location for sea kayakers to experience. Many sea kayakers undertake
their first multi-day trip on these mostly protected and sunny waters.
Venturing out with a guide or outfitter is still recommended due to the
level of boat traffic and the remoteness of the area (click
for BC Parks info. on Desolation Sound). |
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