Beautiful and serene Pirates Cove Marine Provincial Park on De Courcy Island is a popular destination for boaters exploring the southern Gulf Islands. Located off Nanaimo on south Vancouver Island, the park protects a natural environment perfect for a variety of recreational activities, including kayaking, camping, picnicking, swimming, hiking, beach exploration and wildlife viewing. Pirates Cove Marine offers a sheltered anchorage for boaters, as well as two dinghy docks – one on either side of the cove.

This scenic marine park has a colourful natural and cultural history. Its settlement history ranges from extensive First Nations use to a homestead for the Aquarian Foundation, a religious cult led by Brother XII, who convinced 8,000 followers to give up their worldly possessions and follow him to De Courcy Island in the 1920s and early 1930s. Several middens in the park indicate First Nations use of the land dating back more than 3,000 years. The largest of these shell refuse heaps underlies the present campground. Today, this intertidal area is still abundant with a variety of shellfish and marine life.

Pirates Cove Marine offers a variety of excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Common marine mammals include harbour seals (year-round) and Steller’s and California sea lions (common from late August through the mid-May). The fortunate may catch glimpses of harbour porpoises or orcas, as well as Gray and Humpback whales in the summer. River otters also frequent the park and are most easily seen in the early morning. A stroll around the Pylades Trail in the park will likely result in a sighting or two. Watch for areas of flattened grass that otters have used for slides or sun-bathing.

Birdwatchers will find Wilson’s warblers, Pacific-slope flycatchers, Black oystercatchers, White crowned sparrows and other species breeding in the park. Bald eagles, Great blue herons and scores of others use the park for foraging and resting.

Special Features: Unusual sandstone rock formations line the shoreline at Pirates Cove.

Park Size: 31 hectares
Date Established: March 8, 1968