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Scattered between Vancouver Island and the mainland lie several hundred tiny islands, most no more than lumps of rock, a few large enough to hold permanent populations and warrant a regular ferry service. Two main clusters are accessible from Victoria: the Southern Gulf Islands and the San Juan Islands, both part of the same archipelago, except that the San Juan group is in the United States. You get a good look at the Southern Gulf Islands on the ferry from Tsawwassen - twisting and threading through their coves and channels, the ride sometimes seems even a bit too close for comfort. The coastline makes for superb sailing , and an armada of small boats crisscross between the islands for most of the year. Hikers and campers are also well served, and fishing , too, is good, with some of the world's biggest salmon having met their doom in the surrounding waters. The climate is mild, though hardly "Mediterranean" as claimed in the tourist blurbs, and the vegetation is particularly lush. There's also an abundance of marine wildlife (sea lions, orcas, seals, bald eagles, herons, cormorants). All this has made the Gulf Islands the dream idyll of many people from Washington State and BC, whether they're artists, writers, pensioners or dropouts from the mainstream. For full details of what they're all up to, grab a copy of the local listings, the Gulf Islander , distributed on the islands and the ferries.
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