Saanich Inlet
Encyclopedia
Saanich Inlet is a body of salt water that lies between the Saanich Peninsula
and the Malahat highlands of Vancouver Island
, British Columbia
, Canada
. Located just northwest of Victoria
, the inlet is 24 km long (15 mi), has a surface area of 65 km2 (25 sq mi), and its maximum depth is 225 m (738 ft). Great for scuba diving. It extends from Satellite Channel in the north (separating Salt Spring Island from the Saanich Peninsula) to Squally Reach and Finlayson Arm in the south. The only major tributary feeding the inlet is the Goldstream River
.
The inlet has been of importance as a fishery
to the Malahat and Saanich First Nations
for centuries, and many First Nations reserves
are situated on the shoreline. Since the arrival of European
s, the inlet has also provided a recreational and commercial fishery. For several years, a port existed on the western shore at Bamberton
, servicing a cement
works.
For most of the year the deep waters are anoxic
, and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is often detected near the bottom. In the late summer and early fall, oxygenated waters from the Haro Strait
and the Satellite Channel spill over into the deep basin of Saanich Inlet.
Notable bays and inlets adjacent to Saanich Inlet include:
Other notable features around the inlet are:
Saanich Peninsula
The Saanich Peninsula is located north of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is bounded by the Saanich Inlet on the west, and various straits of the Gulf of Georgia on the east, chiefly Haro Strait The exact southern boundary of what is referred to as the "Saanich Peninsula" is somewhat fluid...
and the Malahat highlands of 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...
, 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...
. Located just northwest of Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, the inlet is 24 km long (15 mi), has a surface area of 65 km2 (25 sq mi), and its maximum depth is 225 m (738 ft). Great for scuba diving. It extends from Satellite Channel in the north (separating Salt Spring Island from the Saanich Peninsula) to Squally Reach and Finlayson Arm in the south. The only major tributary feeding the inlet is the Goldstream River
Goldstream River (Vancouver Island)
The Goldstream River is a river on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The river's name derives from a small gold rush in its basin during the 1860s, and was originally Gold Stream.- Course :...
.
The inlet has been of importance as a fishery
Fishery
Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...
to the Malahat and Saanich First Nations
Saanich
The Saanich or W̱SÁNEĆ are indigenous nations from the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, the Gulf and San Juan Islands, southern Vancouver Island and the southern edge of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia.*BOḰEĆEN – Pauquachin...
for centuries, and many First Nations reserves
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
are situated on the shoreline. Since the arrival of European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
s, the inlet has also provided a recreational and commercial fishery. For several years, a port existed on the western shore at Bamberton
Bamberton, British Columbia
Bamberton is located on the Saanich Inlet, just south of Mill Bay, 45 kilometers north of Victoria on Vancouver Island.Bamberton is named for H.K.G...
, servicing a cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
works.
For most of the year the deep waters are anoxic
Hypoxia (environmental)
Hypoxia, or oxygen depletion, is a phenomenon that occurs in aquatic environments as dissolved oxygen becomes reduced in concentration to a point where it becomes detrimental to aquatic organisms living in the system...
, and hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is often detected near the bottom. In the late summer and early fall, oxygenated waters from the Haro Strait
Haro Strait
Haro Strait, often referred to as the Haro Straits because it is really a series of straits, is one of the main channels connecting the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, separating Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada from the San Juan Islands of...
and the Satellite Channel spill over into the deep basin of Saanich Inlet.
Notable bays and inlets adjacent to Saanich Inlet include:
- Brentwood BayBrentwood Bay, British ColumbiaBrentwood Bay, is a small neighbourhood in the municipality of Central Saanich, on the Saanich Peninsula. It lies north of the city of Victoria and south of Sidney on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Situated on the Saanich Inlet, it includes the Butchart Gardens, the Victoria Butterfly...
- Coles Bay
- Deep Cove
- McKenzie BightMcKenzie BightMcKenzie Bight is a feature of the Saanich Inlet in British Columbia, Canada. This bight is located in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park. McKenzie Bight is found a short hike from the southern end of Mark Lane in Willis Point. Nearby is a reef which is popular shore-dive location for scuba...
- Mill BayMill Bay, British ColumbiaMill Bay is a commuter town of about 3,200 people located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada about north of Victoria, the capital.Mill Bay was founded in the 1860s with lumber and milling as its primary industries, done at the mill on the bay...
- Patricia BayPatricia Bay (Greater Victoria)Patricia Bay is a body of salt water which extends east from Saanich Inlet and forms part of the shoreline of North Saanich, British Columbia. It lies due west of Victoria International Airport...
- Tod Inlet
Other notable features around the inlet are:
- Butchart GardensButchart GardensThe Butchart Gardens is a group of floral display gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, located near Victoria on Vancouver Island. The gardens receive more than a million visitors each year...
- Goldstream Provincial ParkGoldstream Provincial ParkGoldstream Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is known for the annual fall salmon runs in the Goldstream River, and the large numbers of bald eagles that congregate to feed at that time. The total size of the park is 3.79 square kilometres. It is located in the...
- Gowlland Tod Provincial ParkGowlland Tod Provincial ParkGowlland Tod Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. Its 1219 ha is located within the District Municipality of Highlands. The park protects a mixed forest of Douglas-fir, Arbutus, Western Redcedar, Shore Pine, and Garry Oak. Rocky outcroppings support Manzanita,...
- Mount FinlaysonMount FinlaysonMount Finlayson is a mountain located on the border of Highlands and Langford, British Columbia, about 14 km northwest of Victoria. It is located within the Gowlland Range...
- BambertonBamberton, British ColumbiaBamberton is located on the Saanich Inlet, just south of Mill Bay, 45 kilometers north of Victoria on Vancouver Island.Bamberton is named for H.K.G...