Denny Island: Nature, Water and History

Denny Island lies in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest and offers something for a variety of travel interests: marine activities, trails through wetlands and forests, and a layered local history. If you’re considering Denny Island as a travel destination, you can choose what to focus on based on whether you’re most interested in exploring the waters, experiencing nature, or learning about the island’s history.

On the Water Around Denny Island

Sea kayaking around Denny Island is available on both guided and self-guided trips. This gives you different ways to explore: on a guided tour, you’re accompanied, while a self-guided option offers a different way to plan your outing. Diving is another option, allowing you to explore underwater ecosystems.

Cruising around Denny Island includes boat tours and exploratory trips. Sport fishing for salmon, halibut, and rockfish is also offered in the surrounding waters. Shearwater Resort & Marina offers marine eco-tours. Birdwatching is another activity on the island. If you’re interested in different perspectives on the marine environment, you’ll find a range of topics for your stay, from exploring underwater to watching birds.

Forests, Wetlands, and Wildlife

On Denny Island, trails wind through wetlands and forests. The island is part of the Great Bear Rainforest; the wildlife mentioned includes coastal wolves, black bears, mink, eagles, grouse, cranes, and pigeons. Nature experiences can be a focus of your trip both on the trails and through observing wildlife. The habitats and species described offer specific points of reference if you’re planning a stay with hiking and nature watching.

Heiltsuk Territory and Island History

Denny Island lies within the traditional and unceded territory of the Heiltsuk Nation. Old Bella Bella, on the northwest side of the island, is the original settlement site. This local history can also be considered in the context of later developments on the island.

During the Second World War, the Royal Canadian Air Force selected Denny Island as a reconnaissance base. The station at Shearwater included aircraft hangars, a hospital, administrative buildings, and accommodation for up to 1,000 people. Buildings and ruins remain from the former base, including abandoned aircraft wrecks. The island’s former fish processing industry is also part of its history: in the 1920s and 1930s, Denny Island had two canneries that processed clams, abalone, and salmon.

Getting Here and Getting Around

The Shearwater terminal on Denny Island offers ferry connections to Bella Bella, Ocean Falls, and Bella Coola, as well as connections toward Port Hardy, Klemtu, and Prince Rupert. Shearwater Resort on the island is accessible by plane and by BC Ferries from Port Hardy, Prince Rupert, or Bella Coola.

Shearwater Marina offers 1,270 feet of moorage for short- and long-term stays. For a drink or takeout food, Fishermen’s Bar & Grill on Denny Island offers both. If you’d like to discover other destinations, you can also find Hagensborg, Bella Coola, Bella Bella, and Stuie here.

For the broader travel overview: Central Coast.