Malaspina Strait facts for kids

Malaspina Strait is a narrow stretch of water, like a natural channel, located in the northern part of the Strait of Georgia in British Columbia, Canada. It acts as a watery divider, separating Texada Island from the nearby mainland, which is part of the Sunshine Coast and the Malaspina Peninsula.

How Malaspina Strait Got Its Name

The strait and the Malaspina Peninsula were named in 1859 by a British naval officer named Captain George Henry Richards. He was in command of a ship called the Plumper. Captain Richards chose the name to honor Alejandro Malaspina, an Italian nobleman. Malaspina was a very important explorer who led one of the ships during the Spanish exploration of the British Columbia Coast many years earlier.

Captain Richards likely picked this name because of a nearby place called Malaspina Inlet. That inlet had been named even earlier, in 1792, by two Spanish officers, Galiano and Valdés. These two officers had actually served under Malaspina during his own explorations. So, the name "Malaspina" has a long history in this area, connecting back to early Spanish explorers.