First stop the Chain Islets

Our first stop after passing Trial Island Lighthouse was the Chain Islets. Right away we sighted one adult and one young Bald Eagle. A young man from Toronto spotted couple of Black Oystercatchers gliding in along the waters edge. The young raptor was sitting on top of the main Cormorant nesting site. The eagles own Great Chain and are looking forward predating on the cormorants young in a few months time. The islets are best described here:
The Chain Islets and Great Chain Island are located in Oak Bay, in the Juan de Fuca Strait, less than 2 km from the suburbs of Victoria, British Columbia. The site includes a cluster of at least 18 small islets and rocks in Mayor Channel. The low round islets are rocky and barren except for Great Chain Island that supports a nearly continuous grass and herbaceous cover and occasional shrub thickets. Shoreline features include a few steep faces, rocky outcroppings, boulders, crevices and small gravel beaches. The islets are surrounded by shallow water from which many rocky reefs emerge. Harbour Seals are regular in summer and the natural Gulf of Georgia meadow habitat, which has been eliminated by disturbance from most sites in British Columbia, supports rare flora such as Golden Indian Paintbrush, California Buttercup and Snakeroot Sanicle.
Birds
Chain Islets and Great Chain Island is a site of global importance, supporting a significant breeding population of Glaucous-winged Gulls, and a migratory population of Brandts Cormorants.
Additionally, 510 pairs of Double-crested Cormorants, which in British Columbia nest only in the Strait of Georgia, were recorded nesting in these islets. This is the second largest colony of this species in the province. Pigeon Guillemots and American Black Oystercatchers also nest on the islets, and Harlequin Ducks occur seasonally among the reefs and islands.

To learn more about this jewel in Victoria's crown check out this web site. http://www.bsc-eoc.org/iba/site.jsp?siteID=BC045

After leaving Oak Bay, we passed 10 Mile point and started our crossing of Haro Strait.