Inside passage

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Inside passage

The Inside Passage [ ɪnˈsaɪd ˈpæsɪʤ ] is a sea ​​route off the coast of Alaska (USA) and British Columbia (Canada) with around 1000 islands.

geography

The northern part of the Alaska Panhandle stretches for 800 km in north-south direction and 160 km in east-west direction, and is a dense network of smaller islands and waterways. Its main waters are Chatham Strait , Frederick Sound and Clarence Strait . The Canadian part is longer. It includes the wide Dixon Entrance as the border between the USA and Canada and the Hecate Strait around the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii) , the more open Queen Charlotte Sound , and the Salish Sea around Vancouver Island , including Puget Sound . Vancouver Island is separated from the mainland by the Queen Charlotte Strait - Johnstone Strait - Discovery Passage - Strait of Georgia - Strait of Juan de Fuca train ; only the latter are part of the Salish Sea.

Alaska Panhandle with the US-owned section of the Inside Passage

  • Killer whales in the Inside Passage

  • The Inside Passage

  • Glaciers on the coast of the Inside Passage

History and traffic

Before the arrival of European colonists, the northern Inside Passage was inhabited by Tlingit , Haida and Tsimshian , the southern by Kwakwaka'wakw and coastal Salish . Because of the abundant food supply on the coast, in contrast to the tribes on the mainland, numerous settlements and migration territories had formed.

At the end of the 18th century, the Inside Passage was visited by explorers from Russia , Great Britain, France and Spain. James Cook (1778–1779) and George Vancouver (1792–1793) were the first British to carry out extensive cartographic work. Colonization by European settlers began in the 19th century.

It can be navigated by all seagoing ships and is heavily frequented by shipping . BC Ferries and the Alaska Marine Highway System operate ferry services . The term Inside Passage is also used for the islands along the ship's route.

The worst shipping accident on this route so far occurred on October 24, 1918, when the Canadian passenger ship Princess Sophia of the Canadian Pacific Railway ran onto a reef in the Lynn Canal and sank. All 343 passengers and crew members were killed. It is the largest shipping accident to date on the North American west coast.

Web links

Commons : Inside Passage  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 54 ° 48 '2 "  N , 131 ° 26' 26"  W.