Shingle Spit

This area begins at the ferry landing. Walking north from the Thatch Pub is the best route as private waterfront properties limit public access.

The spit is a shifting gravelbar that changes day-to-day, year-to-year. It provides a good example of how ocean current and wave erosion cause the rebuilding and moving of the upper tidal zone.

A large shell midden, also known as a kitchen midden where the debris from eating shellfish and other food has accumulated over many years, is exposed by erosion and visible near the spit’s headland. The area is home to harlequins, eelgrass beds and purple martins. Seals frequent the bays year round and increasingly sea lions are seen in the winter. It is also a favourite winter resting place for oystercatchers, gulls and cormorants. During the spawning season, dozens of eagles often inhabit the Douglas-firs around the spit and you can see them soaring out to fish the herring.

Explore more areas