Kayaking the Sooke Basin on Vancouver Island

I love kayaking around the Sooke Basin. In the morning, the air is still, the water is calm and the silence is unbelievable. There are plenty of coves with thick forests down to the coastline and a huge amount of wildlife (eagles, herons & seals).

The Sooke Basin is about 3 km by 4 km wide and is surrounding by the communities of Sooke, Saseenos and East Sooke, BC. We spent a week at a waterfront cottage in East Sooke, on the southwest side of the basin, and leisurely explored Cooper, Roche and Anderson Cove from the convenience of our own private dock. For day trippers, there are three public launch sites located at Anderson Cove (near East Sooke Park), Cooper's Cove (5 km before the town of Sooke) and the Government Dock (located in town).

We started exploring the waters from the southwest side of the basin and went clockwise. In the afternoon, there was a wind from the southwest and we decided to keep it behind us. This meant that on the way back, we would be protected by the hills of East Sooke Park along the southern shore.

From Comfort Cove Cottage, we rounded the small island in front to warm up our shoulders & backs. We were told that the island was sacred to the local T'Sou-ke natives and so we didn't make landing. Besides, another couple was already there enjoying a romantic embrace on a rocky outcropping.

We followed the shoreline to the north and paddled past Head Hill. Not knowing the tide schedule (oops), we didn't enter this narrow channel where the tidal flow would obviously be quite a bit faster. Instead, we slowly drifted past the oceanfront homes and condos along Kaltasin Road. There, tucked into the shore, was a classic longboat that was built in celebration of Sooke's bicentennial landing by Manuel Quimper (June 1790). Its crew was not enjoying the autum afternoon.

Next we went past a small marina that had large yachts parked in its slips. We felt a bit out of place in our narrow, yellow kayaks and so continued to paddle eastward towards Cooper's Cove. The lack of boat traffic on the basin made for a quiet afternoon.

Cooper's cove was a picturesque bay which sheltered some industrial ships and smaller yachts. At the rear of the cove, we could see a large dock with plenty of kayaks. This was where Rush Adventures, a local kayak outfitter, was based. A few days later we would again enjoy the view of Cooper's Cove from the table at the Fuse Waterfront Grill Restaurant.

As we made our way along the shoreline, leaving Cooper's Cove, we had an unexpected chat with a couple walking their dog along the Galloping Goose Trail. They and their dog were enjoying a leisurely stroll along the waterfront trail and asked if we were enjoying the magnificent west coast views. We answered, "How could we not?"

We continued our journey and made our way to the eastern side of the basin to Roche Cove. It greeted us with a small entrance spanned by a wooden trestle bridge. The narrow channel could have been hard to exit if the tide was coming in, but the serene enclave looked too inviting to pass.

Thick forests surrounded Roche Cove and made it seem like this small area was wrapped in a green blanket. The air was still and the water was glassy The secluded cove was about 300m long but still felt cozy. This coastal jewel was truly amazing.

As we exited the cove, an assist from the outgoing tide made the travel easier. We paddled to the nearby Goodrich Islands, a group of three small islands directly in front of the Roche Cove channel. Similar to the other island in the Sooke Basin, we had previously read that these were sacred grounds for the T'Sou-ke people so we didn't venture forth. We could tell that other people had recently landed here to enjoyed a quiet moment together.

We made our way back along the southern shore, skipping Anderson Cove. The afternoon sun began to make us weary and so we leisurely paddled back to the dock at the cottage. Sheltered by the hills of East Sooke Park, the winds didn't slow us.

After we pulled our kayaks onto the large dock, we made our way up to the cottage for some food and rest. We love paddling the Sooke Basin.

We finished a late dinner at a Markus' Wharfside Restaurant in Sooke and headed back to the cottage. The moon was full, the water was glassy-still and the night calls of the owls and geese were too tempting to resist. We had to go for a moonlight paddle to explore Anderson Cove, which we had previously skipped in the afternoon.

The air was warm at 8:30 pm as we slipped our kayaks off the dock. We strapped on our headlamps but the moonlight was so brilliant, the extra light was unnecessary.

We started our silent paddle by rounding the small island in front of the cottage. The resident geese made it known to us to keep our distance. As we started out, keeping as quiet as possible, an owl silently floated in the night air heading towards East Sooke Park. What a magical beginning to this night-time adventure.

We went along the southern shore towards Anderson Cove, viewing the oceanfront homes and cottages amongst the trees. The wind was non-existent. We kept our voices low so as not to disturb the serenity and silence of this place. To our left, across the Sooke Basin, we could see the headlights from the cars on Highway 14 twinkle through the forest.

When we got to the mouth of the Anderson Cove, the narrow entrance greeted us with cool air and fog. The low lying mist was silver in the moonlight but was thin enough for us to make out the outline of yachts moored in the calm water. We slipped into the cove without saying a word to each other. It was one of the rare moments where my wife & I enjoyed a romantic experience together without speaking a word. We tried hard to quiet our paddles as our kayaks glided through the water and the fog. The cove was inviting but we still felt like intruders.

After about 15 minutes amongst the silhouettes of the ships, we decided to head back to the cottage. The memory and feelings of Anderson Cove at moonlight will never be forgotten.

Back at the cottage, we savoured a glass of wine in the dark and looked out at the moonlit path that we just taken. It was an unforgettable end to a perfect paddling day.

From Victoria, take the TransCanada Highway #1 heading north. Turn West at Exit #14 onto Highway #14 (Millstream Road) and head towards Sooke. Turn right at Sooke Road and follow this road (Highway #14) to the town of Sooke, BC.

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