Sunshine Coast Marine Activities.....Water, water, everywhere...

You're never far from water on the Sunshine Coast. Fishing, diving, boating, paddling, swimming or just dipping your toes into the vast Pacific Ocean. The Sunshine Coast is blessed with many protected harbours, some with commercial marinas where you can dock your boat, get supplies, rent a boat or kayak, sign on for a fishing, sailing, kayaking or sightseeing excursion or enjoy a pub lunch. There are several parks and beaches with ramps from which to launch small boats.

Marine Tour Companies

The Sunshine Coast's combination of majestic mountains, lush islands and beautiful blue ocean makes it a must-do for a fantastic marine tour.  Anyone coming to the Sunshine Coast should take at least one to really appreciate this special part of the world.  Each tour, from Howe Sound in the south to Desolation Sound in the north, offers something special and spectacular.  Don't forget your camera!

Love the beach? Then this is the place for you! Our wonderful ocean coastline provides countless opportunities to spend time at the beach, and our inland freshwater lakes welcome you with sandy beaches and picnic areas. Public access beach signs are everywhere, so keep your eyes open and explore.

Here are some local favourites:
Gibsons: Armours Beach, Ocean Beach Esplanade
Davis Bay: expansive low-tide sandy beach, one of the best on the Coast
Sechelt: Snickett Park, Porpoise Bay Provincial Park
Halfmoon Bay: Coopers Green Park, Welcome Beach
Thormanby Island: sandy beach at the north end or sandy camping area where North and South Thormanby join
Pender Harbour: Ruby Lake, Katherine Lake, Sakinaw Lake
Powell River:  Mahood Beach, Second Beach, Mowat Bay Beach, Powell Lake, Willingdon Beach, Gibsons's Beach, Palm Beach
Savary Island - This beautiful island is surrounded by white sand beaches and warm water.

Diving Companies

In the area of the Skookumchuck Narrows rapids, the Sechelt Inlet offers some of the best cold-water dive sites in the world, highly rated by diving magazines and the Cousteau Society. Topping the list of dive sites is the scuttled WWII Royal Canadian Navy escort destroyer, the 112 m (366 ft) HMCS Chaudiere. Sunk by the Artificial Reef Society of BC in 1992 at the mouth of Salmon Inlet, it's now a colourful marine ecosystem of Orange Plumous Anemones, White Tube Worms and Ling Cod.  The rapids themselves are for experienced divers only! The best way to dive the Skookumchuck Rapids is on a charter; most local operators have hundreds of hours of experience 'diving the Skook'.  Lost anchors, strange rock formations and flourishing sea life makes Pirate Rock one of the area's most dramatic dives. The most popular shore dive is at Mermaid Cove, where Canada's first underwater statue rests serenely; the Emerald Princess is a 2.5 m (8 ft) sunken bronze mermaid.

While visibility in local waters is generally high at 15 to 24 m (50 to 80 ft) due to a lack of agae bloom, underwater diving in the winter offers extraordinary viewing distances up to 46 m (150 feet).  

Top Lower Coast Boat Dives
HMCS Chaudiere Artificial Reef
110 m (366 ft) retired destroyer scuttled in 1992. Ideal year-round, years of marine growth with over 100 species.

Northern Agamemnon Channel
Power lines. Deep walls and ledges, cloud sponges and fans of red gorgonian corals.

Tzoonie Narrows
Drift dive. Sea lemons, lingcod, kelp greenlings, silvery pile perch, wolf eels, decorated warbonnets and octopus.

Fearney Bluffs
Deep wall, cloud sponge, full of marine life.

Sakinaw Rock
Nudibranch, free-swimming octopus.

Top Lower Coast Shore Dives
Tuwanek Beach Dive, Lamb Islets
Wall dive, easy access, wolf eel.

Coopers Green
Excellent shallow diving, easy access, ideal for novice divers, wolf eel and resident octopus.

Francis Peninsula, Martin Cove
Wall dive, chimney sponge, anemones and octopus.

Trail Bay (bottom of Wharf Avenue)
Easy access, treasure dive, antique bottles and china.

Egmont (near marina)
Access off shore near leaning tree. Caution: tides, heavy current, mix of sea life.

Powell River & Area Dives:
Mermaid Cove, Octopus City, Grief Point, Wreck of the Malahat, Gibsons Beach, Edmonds Beach, Okeover Breakwater

Click here for details on the many dive sites around Powell River and the Upper Sunshine Coast

Fishing & Wildlife Charters

Saltwater anglers can expect great peak-season salmon fishing along our magnificent coastline. The Strait of Georgia is a major salmon migration route and is accessible from any of our communities, from Gibsons to Earls Cove. The deep waters of Pender Harbour are famous for giant lingcod, in addition to salmon. Shellfish include prawns, crab, oysters and clams. The Coast's charming little villages make great bases for fishing the many mountain-fed streams and lakes full of steelhead, cutthroat and rainbow trout.

To ensure a rewarding fishing experience, charters and guides are recommended. Charter operators, equipment and boat rentals, and welcoming fishing resorts are plentiful. If you are travelling with your own boat, there are many opportunities for moorage along the Coast.

Fishing licences are mandatory in British Columbia and can be purchased at marinas.
Look for the free British Columbia Freshwater & Saltwater Sport Fishing Guide at Visitor Info Centres or check the web site http://www.bcfishing.com for more information.


The following article is an excerpt from http://www.easyfishing.com:

Fishing in British Columbia

British Columbia sports the Sunshine Coast, which is renowned for excellent fishing and great weather. This region is surrounded by the Coastal Mountains, with a protected coastline spanning 175 kilometers from Howe to Desolation Sound on the Strait of Georgia.

For sport fishing, the Georgia Strait is an ideal location, as Vancouver Island protects the waters from any tumultuousness of the open sea. Additionally, with the number of islands surrounding the areas, the Georgia Strait is sheltered and free from the swells and fogs of the Pacific Ocean. The prevalence of bottom fish fishery makes the Sunshine Coast popular as well. Red snappers, ling cod, rock cod, tommy cod, and flounder are mostly available for fishing year-round. The fishing for bottom fish is plentiful in many areas of the Sunshine Coast, including Halfmoon Bay, Seal Reef, Bucaneer Bay, Secret Cove, Lasqueti Island, Bejji Shoals, Bargain Harbour, and Texada Island.

Chinook salmon can be fished year-round at many resorts along the Sunshine Coast, such as the Secret Cove, Powell River, and Pender Harbour. In the winter, fisherman can catch feeder Chinooks, while springtime presents the migratory Chinooks. The optimal season for Chinook and Coho salmon fishing is between June and September, while Chum salmon is optimal during September and October. Between mid-September and late October, the spring salmon is plentiful for fishing at the Lang Creek Estuary, which is south of the Powell River and approximately 22 kilometers north of Saltery Bay. The salmon caught in this area during the time period can range between 9 to 23 kilograms.

There are also great locations for fly fishing surface-feeding trout. Hotel Lake, Mixal Lake, Trout Lake, and Garden Bay Lake, are all optimal areas for fly fishing, with March being a great month to catch trout.