Tucked away
at the southern end of the Gulf Island chain Saturna Island is easily
the least spoiled of the Gulf Islands. A remote and sparsely populated
rural hideaway, with bountiful wildlife and tremendous natural beauty,
Saturna Island features a variety of outdoor activities, including
hiking, cycling, kayaking, swimming and fishing.
Saturna was explored by
Spanish sailors and named in 1791 after their naval schooner, the
Santa Saturnina, one of the ships in the Spanish expedition that
discovered the Strait of Georgia.
Tourism is important to
the livelihood and economic well-being of most of the Gulf Islands.
Visitors to Saturna should plan ahead, as there are no campsites
on the island and accommodations are limited, so lodging reservations
are recommended. Much of the population of Saturna is centered around
Lyall Harbour and Boot Cove, and a few homes are scattered throughout
the island.
Nearly half of the newly
created Gulf Islands National Park incorporates undeveloped wilderness
land on Saturna Island. This park will be one of only two national
parks in the Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands region - the Pacific
Rim National Park being the other.
Gulf Islands National
Park Reserve
Almost
one half of Saturna’s stunning landscape of bays, valleys and
high rock bluffs are protected within Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.
Officially established in 2003 the park is indeed something special
to experience while you’re on-island. The southern Gulf Islands
are one of the most ecologically important—and most at risk—natural
areas in southern Canada. Many plant species are at their northern
limit or are found nowhere else in Canada—like the magnificently
gnarled Garry oaks and the red-barked arbutus trees. Tidal pools shimmer
with colourful and extraordinary sea creatures, and a myriad of seabirds,
orcas, porpoises, seals and sea lions thrive on the bounty of the
surrounding ocean.
Exploring
the national park reserve is best done at a leisurely pace, and in
ways that leave little trace of your passing through. Although there
are few facilities as yet in the new park, there are still some great
experiences to enjoy. Try a picnic and short hike at Winter Cove.
Enjoy a walk down to Narvaez Bay, or hike along Lyall Creek. Drive
up to the top of Mount Warburton Pike to take in a panoramic horizon
of ocean and islands laid out at your feet as falcons and eagles soar
at eye-level. If you're travelling by boat or kayak, a stop at the
stone house ruins at Taylor Point will stir echoes of an old quarry
operation that once supplied the sandstone that graces some of Victoria's
earliest grand edifices.
To the north of Saturna lie
Tumbo and Cabbage Islands, Pine Islet, and the Belle Chain Islets—also
part of the national park reserve. The entire park totals 35 km2 of
park land scattered over numerous islands, islets and reefs throughout
the southern Gulf Islands, including major portions of North and South
Pender Islands. The waters adjacent to park lands are also managed
by Parks Canada, bringing another 26 km2 under protection.
For more information visit http://www.pc.gc.ca/gulfislands
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