The Discovery Islands are a group of islands located at the northern end of the Salish Sea and the eastern end of Johnstone Strait, between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada. Most of these islands have very few residents. Only Quadra Island and Cortes Island have ferry service. The remainder are served by private boat or float plane.

Geography

The area's complex geography can make it difficult to determine when travelling by boat whether a sighted coastline belongs to the mainland, Vancouver Island, or one of the Discovery Islands.

Major islands

The Discovery Islands are all located within the Strathcona Regional District, except for a few of the southernmost, such as Hernando Island and Savary Island, which are in the qathet Regional District. The larger islands within the Discovery Islands are:

Major waterways

The Discovery Passage starts where the Strait of Georgia narrows between Quadra Island and Vancouver Island and continues north to Chatham Point, where it meets the Nodales Channel and Johnstone Strait.

Tourism

The primary attraction for visitors are salmon fishing, sailing, kayaking, and hiking.