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The Ragged Islands is a designated
BC Provincial Marine Park with a unique eco-system. The 437-hectare
archipelago is comprised of four islands and fourteen islets
which make for excellent kayaking as there are many sheltered bays, coves
and passages to explore. Some of the islands have vertical cliffs that
plunge 150 feet straight
down into
the water while others have gently sloping rocky beaches creating the
perfect With a 16ft tide swing as the tide changes new areas of the inter-tidal zone become visible providing a constantly changing panorama of marine life to explore. In the water you are likely to see many different types of sea stars, urchins, anemones, oysters, crabs, clams, sea cucumbers, jelly fish and seals as you paddle around the islands. Above the water the park also supports a variety of sea birds including several species of gulls, ducks, loons, pipers, plovers and cormorants. Many of the birds are migratory so different species congregate in the Park throughout the year. In the summer, it is not uncommon to see bald eagles soaring above the islands. Our Kayaking Picture Gallery provides more pictures of some of the things you can expect to see during your kayaking tour.
Savary Island is truly unique and is often referred to as the "Hawaiian Island of BC" due to its white sand beaches and warm water. The island is crescent shaped being about 8km long and just under 1km at it's widest. Surrounded by white sand beaches backed by 20-50m tall sand bluffs the island provides for excellent kayaking. Along the shore you can look for Lewis's moonsnails, sand dollars, a number of different clams and a range of limpets, whelks, dogwinkles and chitons. You can float over beds with thousands of eccentric sand dollars, hunt for dungeness, rock and kelp crabs or look for a variety of shore fish such as small sole, poachers, sculpin or perch.
We can arrange 3 hour, 6 hour and 8 hour guided tours. The guides are excellent and know the area well so can help you get the most out of your trip as they know the local geography and where to find many of the local marine species. For those new to the sport or those looking to enhance their paddling technique we can arrange introductory lessons, skills development lessons and CRCA certification. For those just looking to get out on the water we can arrange single and double kayak rentals for a few hours to a few days.
Though more traditionally a canoeing playground there are dozens of inland lakes which can also be kayaked. Please see the canoeing page for more information on the inland lakes.
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© Sevilla Island Resort, 2008 |
There
are lots of excellent kayaking venues around the Resort. The Ragged
Islands, Savary Island and Okeover Inlet/Desolation Sound Marine Park all
provide some of the best sea kayaking waters in British Columbia.
Thru our
habitat for oyster and clam beds. The waters in and around the archipelago
support a wide variety of marine life which you will be able to explore
and interact with during the day.
Okeover
Inlet is on the other side of the Malaspina Peninsula, a short 10 minute
drive from the Resort. Desolation Sound Marine Park is located at
the top of the inlet and is accessible as a day trip from your
launch site at Penrose Bay. The Inlet and Park offer hundreds of
miles of forest covered shoreline backed by picturesque mountains.
The inlets kelp beds and rocky shores support a broad range of marine life
such as seals, otters and a wide range of sea stars. There is no
shortage of wildlife and you are likely to spot eagles, kingfishers,
gulls or even the occasional black bear along the shoreline. Several
of the bays in the inlet have thriving aquaculture businesses where you
can see oyster and scallop farms
.