| Desolation Sound | |
|---|---|
| French:Baie Desolation | |
 Desolation Sound | |
  Desolation Sound | |
 Extent of Desolation Sound | |
| Location | Discovery Islands,British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 50°07′20″N124°45′30″W / 50.12222°N 124.75833°W /50.12222; -124.75833 (Desolation Sound) |
| Type | Sound |
| Part of | Salish Sea |
| Islands | Kinghorn Island, Martin Islands, Mink Island, Protection Island, Station Island |
| Settlements | Refuge Cove |
Desolation Sound[1] (French:Baie Desolation) is a deep watersound at the northern end of theSalish Sea and of theSunshine Coast inBritish Columbia, Canada.
Desolation Sound has always been inhabited by tribes of theTla'amin and falls within the traditional territories of theKlahoose First Nation,Tla'amin Nation, andHomalco First Nations. In the summer of 1792,two expeditions led by CaptainsGeorge Vancouver,Dionisio Alcalá Galiano andCayetano Valdés y Flores arrived and cooperated in mapping the sound.[2] Vancouver named it Desolation Sound, cryptically claiming that "there was not a single prospect that was pleasing to the eye".[3]
The sound is flanked byCortes Island,East Redonda Island andWest Redonda Island. Adjacent waterways includeLewis Channel (to the northwest),Waddington Channel (to the northeast),Homfray Channel (to the east),Okeover Inlet (to the southeast), and theStrait of Georgia (to the south).
Major provincial parks located within the sound includeDesolation Sound Marine Provincial Park,Malaspina Provincial Park,Okeover Arm Provincial Park, andRoscoe Bay Provincial Park.
Refuge Cove is the only community in Desolation Sound. It is located on West Redonda Island and administered withinStrathcona Regional District. The community serves as a centrally located supply stop for boaters and local fishers travelling in or near Desolation Sound.
The major industries of Desolation Sound includeshellfish farming,forestry, andecotourism.
Visitors travelling by car to Desolation Sound can takeBC Ferries fromVancouver orCourtenay toPowell River, and drive the short distance northward toLund.
By boat or kayak from Lund, one can access the Copeland Islands (Copeland Islands Marine Provincial Park), Desolation Sound (which includesDesolation Sound Marine Provincial Park), andMalaspina Provincial Park.
Major anchorages include Gorge Harbour (onCortes Island),Grace Harbour, Prideaux Haven (a cove onHomfray Channel),Refuge Cove, and Tenedos Bay.
Media related toDesolation Sound at Wikimedia Commons
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