SGI OUTSIDE

Wild berries are common on all of the Southern Gulf Islands. Many are edible . . . some aren’t. Knowing which ones to pick—when, where, and how—will make your visit to our beautiful islands an even tastier experience.

Strikingly colourful trees and plants, traditional Japanese artifacts at every turn, an island encircled by a pond and accessed by an arched wooden bridge, secreted spots for moments of reflection, and so much more—Mayne Island’s Japanese Memorial Garden is a Southern Gulf Islands wonder. The garden was created to honour and remember the families who emigrated from a small village in Japan and settled on Mayne Island between 1900 and 1942. Visitors will enjoy it again and aga

Its name is misleading—it seldom eats oysters—preferring intertidal macroinvertebrates like mussels, limpets, and barnacles sourced from the rocky surf zone (read Uncovering SGI intertidal life). So, as a shoreline birder, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, of the nearly two hundred resident and part-time bird species in the Southern Gulf Islands, the Black Oystercatcher is one of my Five Finest Feathered Friends.

There is nothing quite like the sight of a colony of Double-crested Cormorants—hundreds of adults standing guard over their nests perched high above the seashore. This, along with scenes of them drying their outstretched wings, put them on my list of Five Finest Feathered Friends. Of the nearly two hundred resident and part-time bird species in the Southern Gulf Islands, those that spend much of their time along the shorelines, with their eyes on a meal, are the ones I enjoy

Third on my list of Five Finest Feathered Friends. No other bird soars in the warm thermal updrafts quite like a Turkey Vulture—wings stretched and feathered fingers splayed; together as wide as sliding patio doors—wobbly but gracefully drifting to higher elevations or descending to near ground level to catch the scent of or see carrion. Another of the nearly two hundred resident and part-time bird species in the Southern Gulf Islands.

Perhaps the most recognizable and magnificent bird of the islands is “Baldy,” easily making my list of Five Finest Feathered Friends (Great Blue Heron • Bald Eagle • Turkey Vulture • Cormorants • Black Oystercatcher). Of the nearly two hundred resident and part-time bird species in the Southern Gulf Islands, those that spend much of their time along the ocean shorelines, with their eyes on a meal, are the ones I enjoy seeing most.

The angular and stately Great Blue Heron tops my list of Five Finest Feathered Friends. I love to watch them wading in the ocean shallows, stalking their next meal. Of the nearly two hundred resident and part-time bird species in the Southern Gulf Islands, those that spend much of their time along the ocean shorelines, with their eyes on a meal, are the ones I enjoy seeing most.

The 6 km Brown Ridge trail atop Saturna Island’s Mount Warburton Pike is one of the best high-peak viewpoints in the Southern Gulf Islands.

Portland's popularity is largely due to its spectacularly diverse nature—eight kilometres of ocean shoreline, shell beaches piled high with sun-bleached driftwood and bordered by honeycomb-patterned sandstone rock, great picnic spots, oceanfront accommodation, quaint secluded anchorage, wildly fresh edible plants and seafood, an abundance of bird and marine life, pleasing views in all directions . . . and privacy.

Abundant wildflowers and a panoramic vista set Greenburn Lake hike apart from the trek around Roe Lake, the other freshwater lake on the Penders.

The George Hill Park-Port Washington Loop is an undiscovered North Pender Island gem.

Members of the Lily family and hundreds of other stunning wildflowers are easily found in the Southern Gulf Islands.

Since 2017, Mayne Island visitors have had access to this special wedge of Southern Gulf Islands real estate. The energizing hike includes two beaches, spectacular panoramas from shoreline bluffs, the finest stand of Arbutus in the Southern Gulf Islands, inviting intertidal zones, an assortment of wildflowers along the trail’s edge, and marine life swimming below and birdlife soaring overhead. It’s a dynamic yet tranquil SGI environment worthy of exploration.

What’s the most common sight along Brooks Point Regional Park’s stunning shoreline? Orcas? Bald eagles? Wildflowers? Nope. It’s people dozing, slumbering against enormous driftwood logs.

Ruckle Park is like nowhere else; it’s the complete package, making it a “must-do” Southern Gulf Islands’ destination.