One of the places that can be visited while staying in Nanaimo is Snake Island; this is an uninhabited island that is home to a bird sanctuary and a colony of harbour seals. For visitors to the island, there are guided tours that allow people to see the wildlife in their natural habitat.
This Island is also popular for divers off of its rocky shores because of its location near the artificial reef that was created by sinking the HMCS Cape Breton, a World War II Victory ship.
The island can be reached by boat when taking a guided tour, or it can be reached by canoe or kayak, as it is within a 6 km distance from the coast of Nanaimo, where upon reaching the island it is not unusual to see the seals that inhabit the island waiting on the rocky shore awaiting the guest’s arrival. Since Snake Island is in the big water many people that want to experience the seal colony and the bird sanctuary take the guided tours rather than canoes or kayaks, unless they are experienced in these crafts or are going there to dive near the man made reef. One of the reasons for this is not only traveling across the large expanse of water, but also because of the three BC Ferries routes and the freighters that are traveling in these waters. For the person with experience with kayaks or canoes, this is an exciting trip with the bonus of the island wildlife and sandstone formations waiting at the end of the water trip.
This is the perfect way to spend a day with nature for the person in Nanaimo on business or the family that is on vacation, the island has grassy meadows that hold birds’ nests and large sandstone formations, along with the pebble beaches. There is a small lighthouse
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