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Discovery Islands – Travel the "Inside Passage" between Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast on the mainland and boaters will soon arrive at Quadra and Cortes Island. Centrally located, the islands, offer excellent moorage with some good sheltered bays from the winds and currents.

One thing to watch for when boaters are about to enter the region of the Discovery Islands - a sure sign you are close to Quadra Island - is the high number of kayakers, fishing boats and scuba divers in the area. The islands are not just a boating destination... but are much, much more.

The looming limestone towering bluffs in the region are a sight to behold when exploring the islands located east of the Discovery Passage opposite the community of Campbell River on Vancouver Island.

The coastal region also has a cluster of smaller islands to circumnavigate that are great for boating and finding private coves for off shore moorage include Maurelle Island, West Redonda Island, Rendezvous Islands, Stuart Island, East Thurlow Island, Read Island, Subtle Island and Sonora Island. Together, this group of islands is sometimes referred to as the north-central Gulf Islands.

The bigger islands of Quadra Island and Cortes Island along with the smaller Read Island, work together in developing the tidal currents of the area, forcing the ocean tides into a powerful bottleneck creating small rip tides, upwellings and whirlpools.

Always be prepared in BC waters and have proper tidal and navigation charts when exploring the region. The nearby area of Bute Inlet, just tucked behind Stuart Island also means “violent winds” because the winds funnel up the passage with unpredictable velocity… so prepare adequately. Boating the Discovery Islands has memorable wildlife highlights with many opportunities to view Black Bears and Bald Eagles.

Some of the more popular areas to explore include the Octopus Islands Marine Park, Waiatt Bay and the seals perched at Cyprus Rocks. Boaters should be cautious when entering Johnstone Strait because of the heavy marine traffic and the tide rips which create challenging boating conditions.

Other areas to mark on the charts are the challenging Yuculta Rapids, Dent Rapids, Lower and Upper Rapids, Okis Islands and Surge Narrows. Now, we are serious when we say … Tide tables are a must and a good understanding of tidal currents is essential when boating this area.