Skookumchuck Narrows
Each day, tides force large amounts of seawater through the narrows—760,000,000 m (200×10 US gal) of water on a 3 m (9.8 ft) tide. The difference in water levels on either side of the rapids can exceed 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in height. Current speeds can exceed 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph), up to 17.68 kn (32.74 km/h; 20.35 mph). It is sometimes claimed to be the fastest tidal rapids in the world.
The tidal patterns keep the water moving at virtually all times in the narrows area, which attracts a plethora of interesting sea life.
The unrelated B.C. town of Skookumchuck is several hundred kilometres east in the East Kootenay region of the province. Another location bearing this name, Skookumchuck Hot Springs, is on the Lillooet River east of Whistler. All locations take their name from Chinook Jargon for "strong water" and the term is common in maritime jargon for any set of strong rapids, particularly those at the mouth of inlets.
In popular culture
Skookumchuck Narrows features in the book A Whale Named Henry, the posthumously-published second book by M. Wylie Blanchet, author of The Curve of Time. The book is the story of a small whale who gets trapped behind the rapids.
See also
- List of fjords in Canada
- List of Chinook Jargon place names
- Saltstraumen
- Mount Richardson Provincial Park