Sechelt Inlet
Encyclopedia
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast or BC Coast is Canada's western continental coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The usage is synonymous with the term West Coast of Canada....
and the third of such inlets north from the 49th parallel north
49th parallel north
The 49th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 49 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....
, the first of which is Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet is a relatively shallow-sided coastal fjord in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Formed during the last Ice Age, it separates the City of Vancouver and the rest of the low-lying Burrard Peninsula from the slopes of the North Shore Mountains, home to the communities of West...
, Vancouver's harbour. The inlet is significant in that it almost makes an island of what is instead the Sechelt Peninsula
Sechelt Peninsula
The Sechelt Peninsula is located on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, just northwest of Vancouver. It is bounded to the west by Malaspina Strait , to the north by Agamemnon Channel and Jervis Inlet, to the east by Sechelt Inlet , and to the south by the Strait of...
, whose isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
is at the town of Sechelt
Sechelt, British Columbia
The District Municipality of Sechelt is on the lower Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Approximately 50 km northwest of Vancouver, Sechelt is accessible to the mainland of British Columbia via a 40 minute ferry trip between Horseshoe Bay and Langdale, and a 25 minute drive from Langdale...
at the head of the inlet. The isthmus is less than 1.2 kilometre (0.745647283979768 mi) in distance.
Another significant thing about Sechelt Inlet is the famous saltwater rapid (Sechelt Rapids) as it enters, Skookumchuck Narrows
Skookumchuck Narrows
Skookumchuck Narrows forms the entrance of Sechelt Inlet on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast in Canada. Before broadening into Sechelt Inlet, all of its tidal flow together with that of Salmon Inlet and Narrows Inlet must pass through Sechelt Rapids. At peak flows, whitecaps and whirlpools form at...
, which rages with near waterfall-like fury during tide changes. Other fjords on the British Columbia Coast
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast or BC Coast is Canada's western continental coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The usage is synonymous with the term West Coast of Canada....
have similar rapids, also called skookumchucks (strong waters in the Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
, the old coastal trade language), which like Sechelt Inlet are caused by the typical shallows near the mouth of a fjord as the volume of water inside the fjord's depths tries to pour out to, or in from, the more open waters beyond. In Sechelt Inlet's case, the Skookumchuck Narrows
Skookumchuck Narrows
Skookumchuck Narrows forms the entrance of Sechelt Inlet on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast in Canada. Before broadening into Sechelt Inlet, all of its tidal flow together with that of Salmon Inlet and Narrows Inlet must pass through Sechelt Rapids. At peak flows, whitecaps and whirlpools form at...
are exactly as its name describes - narrow - forcing the water to an even greater torrent than is typical elsewhere.
Sechelt Inlet has two side-inlets, Salmon Inlet
Salmon Inlet
Salmon Inlet is an fjord branching east from Sechelt Inlet in the British Columbia, Canada. Its companion, Narrows Inlet, another side-inlet of Sechelt Inlet, lies roughly north. Misery and Sechelt Creeks flow freely into the inlet, while the Clowhom River flows in from the artificial Clowhom...
, which begins at a small power dam at the mouth of the Clowhom River
Clowhom River
The Clowhom River is a short, river in British Columbia. It flows into the head of the Salmon Inlet about 26.2 km west of Squamish.- Course :...
and is about 23 km in length, and Narrows Inlet, which starts at the mouth of the Tzoonie River
Tzoonie River
The Tzoonie River is a remote, short river that enters the head of the Narrows Inlet about 36.6 km north of Sechelt, British Columbia.- Course :...
and includes the Tzoonie Narrows. The later is about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) in length and emerges on the main inlet just inside the inner mouth of the Skookumchuck Narrows
Skookumchuck Narrows
Skookumchuck Narrows forms the entrance of Sechelt Inlet on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast in Canada. Before broadening into Sechelt Inlet, all of its tidal flow together with that of Salmon Inlet and Narrows Inlet must pass through Sechelt Rapids. At peak flows, whitecaps and whirlpools form at...
.
In 2007 The inlet was a habitat for over 200 Pacific white-sided dolphin
Pacific White-sided Dolphin
The Pacific White-sided Dolphin is a very active dolphin found in the cool to temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean.-Taxonomy:...
. They came in the first week of April and left the first week of September. They are amazing mammals that loved to show people that they are very sociable creatures and many times would put on a show like Sea World in their natural environment.