Baynes Sound facts for kids

Baynes Sound is a cool waterway in British Columbia, Canada. It's like a long, narrow arm of the ocean that stretches between a bigger island called Vancouver Island and a smaller one called Denman Island. This special area is famous for its amazing seafood, especially oysters and clams!

Discover Baynes Sound

Baynes Sound is a narrow channel that connects to the larger Strait of Georgia. The Strait of Georgia is a big body of water that separates Vancouver Island from the mainland of British Columbia. Baynes Sound is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) long. At its widest, it's about 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) across, but usually it's less than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) wide.

The southern end of Baynes Sound is near Chrome Island. This is a small island off Boyle Point, which is the southern tip of Denman Island. The northern end is a bit less clear, but it's generally between Tree Island (at the north end of Denman) and the harbor of Comox.

Communities Along the Sound

Many small towns and communities are located along the shores of Baynes Sound on Vancouver Island. If you travel from north to south, you'll find Royston, Union Bay, Buckley Bay, Mud Bay, Fanny Bay, and Deep Bay.

Oysters and Clams: A Big Business!

Baynes Sound is a very important place for growing seafood. You'll see lots of oyster farms here. In fact, this area produces a huge amount of British Columbia's seafood. It provides 39% of all the oysters and 55% of the manila clams grown in the province! This makes it a key spot for delicious shellfish.

Getting Around: The Ferry

To travel between Vancouver Island and Denman Island across Baynes Sound, you can take a ferry. The British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. operates a ship called the MV Baynes Sound Connector. It sails between Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island and Denman Island.

Who Was Baynes?

Baynes Sound is named after a British naval officer. His name was Rear Admiral Robert L. Baynes. He was in charge of the Pacific Squadron, a group of naval ships, from 1857 to 1860.

Learning About the Ocean

Baynes Sound is also home to an important research center. Vancouver Island University has its Center for Shellfish Research here. It's called the Deep Bay Marine Field Station. Scientists and students learn all about shellfish and the ocean environment at this station.

Safe Passage for Boats

For boats heading into Comox Harbour, Baynes Sound offers the safest route. It helps them avoid a shallow area called the Comox Bar, which is located between Denman Island and the Comox Peninsula.

Panorama

A panorama of Baynes Sound looking north from Buckley Bay. On the left is Vancouver Island. In the middle, you can see the bluffs of Cape Lazo. Far in the distance, across the Strait of Georgia, are mountains near Desolation Sound. To the right is Denman Island. The round island in the middle, past the red nun buoy, is Sandy Island.