Permit· North & South Pender· Salish Sea — San Juans, Gulf Islands & Desolation Sound
Pender Island Vessel Restricted Zone (Swanson Channel)
48° 45.1′ N · 123° 16.8′ W · approximate
A seasonal no-go zone for boats off the south-west shore of North Pender, set up to give Southern Resident killer whales a quiet feeding area. It covers a strip of Swanson Channel shoreline that orcas often use.
Practical
Position is the approximate centre of the zone; it runs along the North Pender shore from roughly the Thieves Bay area south-east toward the Bedwell Harbour entrance. Exact limits are in Schedule 2 of the 2026 Interim Order and the Coast Guard NAVWARN; check them before you plan a route. In force June 1 to November 30, 2026: no vessel traffic and no fishing inside. Exceptions include boats going directly to or from a home or business, travelling between Pender and Saturna, reaching a mooring buoy inside the zone, and human-powered craft in a 20 m corridor along shore. Penalties run up to C$250,000 (administrative) or C$1 million on conviction. Separately, stay at least 1,000 m from Southern Resident killer whales from June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027 (vessels in transit are exempt); keep 100 m from other whales and 200 m from whales that are resting or with calves. Older DFO guidance also asks for 400 m from all killer whales in southern BC; the simplest rule is to treat every orca as 1,000 m. Report injured or entangled whales to 1-800-465-4336 or VHF 16.
Best for
Route planning along Swanson Channel in summer
Season
Zone in force June 1-November 30, 2026
Nearby
- Port Browning (North Pender)1.5 NM away
- Beaumont Buoys (South Pender)1.6 NM away
- Mount Norman Trail (South Pender)1.6 NM away
- Port Browning Marina (North Pender)1.6 NM away
- Driftwood Centre (North Pender)1.7 NM away
- Poets Cove Marina (Bedwell Harbour)2 NM away
- Bedwell Harbour Customs Dock (South Pender)2.1 NM away
- Hope Bay Public Wharf (North Pender)3.1 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).