Park overview
Buccaneer Bay Park is a small marine park located on the sand spit on the southern tip of North Thormanby Island. The large sheltered bay provides safe anchorage in most summer conditions. The shoreline is accessible by dingy.
This park is accessible only by boat and provides opportunities for fishing, swimming, camping and picnicking. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful broad sandy beaches and warm waters.
Advisories
Safety info
Bring your own drinking water as potable water is not available in the park.
Watch out for extensive shoal patches from North Thormanby to the north of Derby Point on South Thormanby Island.
Special notes
- Please respect the private property surrounding the park.
- This park does not have a boat launch. There are nearby power boat rentals in Secret Cove.
- Day-use area consists of all beach areas and all upland areas south of the gap.
- Liquor consumption is prohibited anywhere in the park with the exception of your registered campsite. Consumption of alcohol in day use and beach areas is subject to fines and eviction from the park.
- Campfires permitted only in designated campfire rings.
- Stay out of Restoration Areas and do not move logs defining these areas.
- Please help to keep this area clean by keeping garbage, metal and glass out of campfire rings, packing out what you pack in and by using the toilet facilities.
Camping
Camping is only permitted in the designated camping area, which is only accessible by boat. The sites are available on a first come, first served basis.
A backcountry self-registration system is now in place at this park for camping. There are five backcountry sites available with one party allowed per site.
Facilities
While campfires are allowed and campfire rings are provided at each campsite, we encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using campstoves instead. Please, plan to bring your own wood for campfires.
To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please don’t gather firewood from the area around your campsite or elsewhere in the park (this is a ticketable offence under the Park Act). Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil.
Campfire bans may be in place. Before lighting a fire, check for bans or restrictions on BC Wildfire Service and on local or Indigenous government websites.
This park has two pit toilets, no flush toilets.
Activities
This park offers warm water with a broad sandy beach. There is no roped-off swimming area.
There are no lifeguards on duty in BC Parks.
Kayak and canoe camping is available. There are kayak rentals available outside the park at Halfmoon Bay.
Care is needed paddling through Welcome Passage due to the high numbers of large vessels moving through this small channel, as it creates extremely large wakes. The large wakes combined with windy weather conditions makes this section of water treacherous.
When ocean kayaking, consult marine charts for tide currents.
Charts Required:
- Chart # 3512 Strait of Georgia Central Portion
- Chart # 3535 Plans Malaspina Strait (includes Welcome Passage, Secret Cove and Smugglers Cove as well as Pender Harbour)
1:50,000 Maps Required:
- Sechelt 92G5
- Sechelt Inlet 92G12
Kayak and canoe camping is available. There are kayak rentals available outside the park at Halfmoon Bay.
Care is needed paddling through Welcome Passage due to the high numbers of large vessels moving through this small channel, as it creates extremely large wakes. The large wakes combined with windy weather conditions makes this section of water treacherous.
When ocean kayaking, consult marine charts for tide currents.
Charts Required:
- Chart # 3512 Strait of Georgia Central Portion
- Chart # 3535 Plans Malaspina Strait (includes Welcome Passage, Secret Cove and Smugglers Cove as well as Pender Harbour)
1:50,000 Maps Required:
- Sechelt 92G5
- Sechelt Inlet 92G12
There are opportunities for ocean fishing. Licences can be purchased in Secret Cove.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement. Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.
This park is located in Georgia Strait off the Sunshine Coast at the south end of North Thormanby Island, near Secret Cove.
Park and activity maps
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: August 10, 1989
- Size: 45 hectares (0.5 ha upland and 44.5 ha foreshore)
Nature and culture
Conservation
A recent expansion to this park added 44.5 hectares of foreshore. This protects sea grass meadows and sand shoals, which provide habitat for a rich variety of marine life, including shorebirds, salmon, rockfish, sandlance and Dungeness crab.
Wildlife
Colonies of seals, sea lions and birds may be found on the beaches and in the water. Please respect their space.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.