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The Inside Passage of the Alaska Panhandle
Alaska Panhandle

The Alaska Panhandle, sometimes referred to as Southeast Alaska, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, which lies just west of the northern half of the Provinces and territories of Canada of British Columbia....
 and coastal British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
 is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a series of passages between the mainland and the coastal islands. Ships using the route can avoid some of the bad weather in the open ocean, and visit the many isolated communities along the route. It is heavily travelled by cruise ships, freighters, tugs with tows, fishing craft and ships of the Alaska Marine Highway
Alaska Marine Highway

The Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System is a ferry service operated by the government of the U.S. state of Alaska....
 and BC Ferries
BC Ferries

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia....
 systems. The name Inside Passage is also used to refer to the ocean and islands around the passage.

While the Alexander Archipelago
Alexander Archipelago

The Alexander Archipelago is a three-hundred-mile-long archipelago, or group of islands, off the southeastern coast of Alaska. It contains about 1,100 islands, which are the tops of the submerged coastal mountains that rise steeply from the Pacific Ocean....
 provides some protection from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
 weather, much of the area experiences strong semi-diurnal
Diurnal

Diurnal may refer to:* Diurnality, the behavior of an animal that is active in the daytime* Diurnal motion, the apparent motion of stars around the Earth...
 tides which can create extreme differences between high and low tide, so careful piloting is necessary in many places in order to not collide with underwater obstructions.

The Inside Passage is also sometimes referred to as the Inland Passage which is in turn a reference to early explorers' quest to locate the Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage

The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 between the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
 and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
.

The Alaskan portion of the Inside Passage, in the north, extends from north to south and from east to west.






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The Inside Passage of the Alaska Panhandle
Alaska Panhandle

The Alaska Panhandle, sometimes referred to as Southeast Alaska, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, which lies just west of the northern half of the Provinces and territories of Canada of British Columbia....
 and coastal British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
 is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a series of passages between the mainland and the coastal islands. Ships using the route can avoid some of the bad weather in the open ocean, and visit the many isolated communities along the route. It is heavily travelled by cruise ships, freighters, tugs with tows, fishing craft and ships of the Alaska Marine Highway
Alaska Marine Highway

The Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System is a ferry service operated by the government of the U.S. state of Alaska....
 and BC Ferries
BC Ferries

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia....
 systems. The name Inside Passage is also used to refer to the ocean and islands around the passage.

While the Alexander Archipelago
Alexander Archipelago

The Alexander Archipelago is a three-hundred-mile-long archipelago, or group of islands, off the southeastern coast of Alaska. It contains about 1,100 islands, which are the tops of the submerged coastal mountains that rise steeply from the Pacific Ocean....
 provides some protection from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
 weather, much of the area experiences strong semi-diurnal
Diurnal

Diurnal may refer to:* Diurnality, the behavior of an animal that is active in the daytime* Diurnal motion, the apparent motion of stars around the Earth...
 tides which can create extreme differences between high and low tide, so careful piloting is necessary in many places in order to not collide with underwater obstructions.

The Inside Passage is also sometimes referred to as the Inland Passage which is in turn a reference to early explorers' quest to locate the Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage

The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 between the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
 and the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
.

The Alaskan portion of the Inside Passage, in the north, extends from north to south and from east to west. The area encompasses 1,000 islands, of shoreline and thousands of coves and bays. British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
's southern portion of the route is of similar extent, with up to of coastline, and includes the narrow, protected Strait of Georgia
Strait of Georgia

The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait , is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia, Canada....
 between Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Ocean coast of North America between 1791 and 1794....
 and the B.C. mainland, the Johnstone
Johnstone Strait

Johnstone Strait is a 110 km strait along the north east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Opposite the Vancouver Island coast, running north to south, are Hanson Island, West Cracroft Island, the mainland British Columbia coast, Hardwicke Island, West Thurlow Island and East Thurlow Island....
 and Queen Charlotte Strait
Queen Charlotte Strait

Queen Charlotte Strait is a strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It connects Queen Charlotte Sound with Johnstone Strait, Discovery Passage and then to the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound....
s between Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Ocean coast of North America between 1791 and 1794....
 and the mainland, as well as a short stretch along the wider and more exposed Hecate Strait
Hecate Strait

Hecate Strait is a wide but shallow strait between the Queen Charlotte Islands and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It merges with Queen Charlotte Sound to the south and Dixon Entrance to the north....
 near the Queen Charlotte Islands
Queen Charlotte Islands

The Queen Charlotte Islands or Haida Gwaii , and originally in Haida language, Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai , are an archipelago on the British Columbia Coast, Canada....
, though from Fitz Hugh Sound northwards the route is sheltered via the various large islands in that area such as Princess Royal Island
Princess Royal Island

Princess Royal Island is an island in British Columbia, Canada. It is located amongst the isolated inlets and islands of Hecate Strait on the British Columbia Coast....
 and Pitt Island.

The Inside Passage is a destination for kayakers and canoeists from all over the world. Each year groups and individuals paddle along the fjords from British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
 to Glacier Bay
Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay is a bay in south-eastern Alaska, United States. It runs north northwest to south south-east for about 105 km between two pinchets of Alaska....
 in Alaska.

Gallery


See also

  • British Columbia Coast
    British Columbia Coast

    The British Columbia Coast is Canada's western continental coastlines.In a sense excluding the urban Lower Mainland area adjacent to the Canada ? United States border, which is considered "The Coast," the British Columbia Coast refers to one of British Columbia's three main regions, the others being the Lower Mainland and British Columbia...
  • Alaska Panhandle
    Alaska Panhandle

    The Alaska Panhandle, sometimes referred to as Southeast Alaska, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, which lies just west of the northern half of the Provinces and territories of Canada of British Columbia....
  • BC Ferries
    BC Ferries

    British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia....
  • Alaska Marine Highway
    Alaska Marine Highway

    The Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System is a ferry service operated by the government of the U.S. state of Alaska....
  • MV Queen of the North
  • Washington State Ferries
    Washington State Ferries

    Washington State Ferries, owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation, serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands....


External links