The
islands lie south of the park's Long Beach unit
and Ucluelet. To the southeast is the small port
village of Bamfield. To the east of the islands
is Barkley Sound, a long inlet, and the town of
Port Alberni. Boat trips to the Broken Group are
available from all three communities. They are
also accessible by motor and sail boats, from
Bamfield or Ucluelet, although the waters can be
rough enough to make canoeing and kayaking to
the islands very risky. Better to take a larger
commercial boat to the islands and launch your
canoe in the more sheltered waters.
The
quiet nature of the islands wasn't always so.
The Nuu-chah-nulth lived on several islands
before the arrival of Europeans in the region.
Then, exploring mariners arrived on the islands,
followed by miners, traders, and others who came
to escape the stress of civilization. Hermits
could really be hermits in this secluded
archipelago. Habitation has been forbidden since
the creation of the park, except for native
reserves on Nettle, Keith, and Effingham
Islands. These reservations are closed to the
public. Pets are not permitted on any of the
islands.
With
more than 100 islands, some no larger than large
rocks poking out of the sea, the group is a
haven for many species of marine life including
sea lions, seals, whales, and porpoises. The
tide pools are filled with seashell creatures
and other marine life.
The
super-abundant marine life found in the group is
the result of a deep ocean trench lying just off
the continental shelf on which Vancouver Island
lies. Much like Monterey Bay, the Pacific trench
generates huge upwellings of nutrients, creating
plankton which nurtures the marine creatures.
Birds too are a part of island life, nesting in
the many caves and surge channels.
Camping
Camping
is permitted on several islands, but only in
eight designated campsites. The easier places to
reach by boat are Gibralter, Dodd or Willis
islands. Skilled boaters could succeed at
getting ashore on Gilbert, Benson and Clarke
islands. The ship Lady Rose sails daily from
Port Alberni, landing on Gibraltar Island as
well as at the town of Bamfield. Toquart Bay,
accessible via a logging road, is also a gateway
to the islands for private boats. The waters of
Barkley Sound are studded with reefs, and
morning fog often shrouds the islands. The
islands are rugged, with few beaches or tidal
flats, but there are sheltered inlets at Hand,
Gibraltar and Jacques islands.
For
those with larger boats, protected anchorages
are available in Effingham Bay, and in the bay
between Dodd, Willis and Turtle islands.
The
Broken Group has recently become a mecca for
divers. Several shipwrecks lie between the
islands, although these wooden ships have become
unstable over the past century or two. The
marine life alone is reason enough to bring your
diving gear.
Anyone
wishing to explore the waters of the Broken
Group should be sure to obtain Marine Chart
3670, available at marinas and outdoor supply
stores in the nearby towns. The chart may also
be purchased ($8 at last report) from the
Canadian Hydrographic Service, 9860 West Saanich
Road, Box 6000, Sidney, B.C. V8L 4B2. Tide
tables should also be used. Use the tide table
for Tofino, found in Volume 6, Canadian Tide and
Current Tables, usually obtained at the same
places. Another handy reference is the Small
Graft Guide -- Volume One, published by the
Canadian Coast Guard.
Because
of the fragility of the islands' surfaces, some
park etiquette should be observed. Visitors are
asked not to build fires of create new paths
across the islands. Camp stoves are suggested.
For health reasons, the harvesting and eating of
shellfish is not permitted, and visitors are
warned not to eat clams, mussels, and oysters
which may be affected by red tide in Barkley
Sound.
The
growing interest in the islands, with a recent
increase in summer visitors, has caused Parks
Canada to consider the possibility of rationing
visits. We suggest that you write for full
information on the Broken Group to:
Superintendent, Pacific Rim National Park
Reserve, Box 280, Ucluelet, B.C. V0R 3A0, or
call the year-round park information office at
(250) 726-7721. The seasonal information center
at Long Beach is open from mid-March to
mid-October, call (250) 726-4212.
Broken
Group
Islands
