Active Pass
Encyclopedia
Mayne Island
Mayne Island is a rustic 21-km² island in the southern Gulf Islands chain of British Columbia. It is situated midway between the Lower Mainland of BC and Vancouver Island, and has a population of around eleven hundred.-History:...
and Galiano Island
Galiano Island
Galiano Island is one of the Southern Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Located on the west side of the Strait of Georgia, it is 27.5 km long, 6 km at its widest point, and 1.6 km across at its narrowest point and is separated...
in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Southern Gulf Islands. It is one of three passes leading from the Gulf Islands into the Strait of Georgia
Strait of Georgia
The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada. It is approximately long and varies in width from...
. The pass stretches 5.5 km from northeast to southwest with two roughly right angle bends.
It was named for the USS Active
USS Active
USS Active may refer to:, was a brigantine-rigged packet launched in 1779 and captured by the British man-of-war HMS Proserpine on 23 March 1782., was a schooner purchased in 1837 and sold in 1838., was a harbor tug launched in 1888, sunk in 1926, then raised and sold in 1929., was a motorboat that...
, a United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
survey vessel, the first steamer to navigate the pass in 1855.
BC Ferries
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
' passenger and vehicle ferry runs between B.C.'s Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
, the southern Gulf Islands
Gulf Islands
The Gulf Islands are the islands in the Strait of Georgia , between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada....
and Swartz Bay
Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal
The Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal is a major transportation facility at Swartz Bay in North Saanich, British Columbia. It is located north of Victoria on Vancouver Island...
on southern Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
. Because the Pass is so narrow, the ferries pass very close to the sides. It is also used by pleasure craft
Pleasure craft
A pleasure craft is a boat used for personal, family, and sometimes sportsmanlike recreation. Typically such watercraft are motorized and are used for holidays, for example on a river, lake, canal or waterway. Pleasure craft are normally kept at a marina...
, fishing boats, freighters
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
and freight ferries, making it very 'active' commercially as well. However, strong eddies
Eddy (fluid dynamics)
In fluid dynamics, an eddy is the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle. The moving fluid creates a space devoid of downstream-flowing fluid on the downstream side of the object...
and rip current
Rip current
A rip current, commonly referred to by the misnomer rip tide, is a strong channel of water flowing seaward from near the shore, typically through the surf line. Typical flow is at 0.5 metres per second , and can be as fast as 2.5 metres per second...
s are always present in the pass, making it a hazardous corridor for smaller vessels to transit. A variety of wildlife may be seen in the pass, including harbour seals, sea lions, and bald eagles.
Accidents in Active Pass
- On August 2, 1970, three people aboard the BC FerryBC FerriesBritish Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
Queen of Victoria perished and the ship itself suffered close to $1 million damage when a Russian freighter, the Sergey Yesenin, struck it in Active Pass. - On August 9, 1979, the BC Ferry Queen of AlberniQueen of AlberniM/V Queen of Alberni is a ferry that operates between Tsawwassen and Duke Point in British Columbia. It is part of the BC Ferry fleet.-History:...
ran aground at Collinson Reef in Active Pass, causing the vessel to tip dramatically to one side. Extensive vehicle and ship damage occurred, as well as the casualty of a racehorse.