Discovery Island is a BC Park accessible to sea kayakers from Victoria.  Other than timing the Currents to avoid being pushed around, and watching for any change in weather (because the area get a fair amount of strong winds), the distance to Discovery island has made it a great paddling destination, for the day or the weekend.  Once you are there, it’s pretty wild, the campsite faces south and it does look like you have feft civilisation behind, after a incerdible 60 min paddle if you don’t stop!

Gorgeous shoreline and little commercial guiding have kept Chatam and Discovery Islands a very nice area,  but it will be closed to visitors starting Monday the 23rd of July 2012 due to a lone wolf living there.

Quote from the Times Colonist: “Discovery Island, an uninhabited island about two nautical miles off of Oak Bay, is accessible only by boat. Visitors first reported seeing the wolf, which conservation officers say likely swam to the island, in May.

The wolf is not exhibiting any threatening behaviour and doesn’t appear to be a risk to public safety, the government said in a statement on Friday.

However, B.C. Parks hope the closing will help to eliminate the risk of human habituation of the wolf and ensure public safety while it remains on the island.

Anyone visiting the park over the weekend is asked to keep their distance so the wolf doesn’t get accustomed to being around people. B.C. Parks is also asking people to keep dogs off the island and to keep an eye on small children.

Campers should remove all garbage and food waste.

Anyone confronted by a wolf should raise their arms to appear larger, back away slowly, make noise and throw sticks, rocks or sand at it.

Any wolf sightings should be reported to 250-391-2315.

The park will remain closed indefinitely.” End of Quote.

Pic by Robert Berdan, visit  “the Canadian wildlife photographer” for more!

Read more on the Time Colonist