Graveyard of the Pacific
A Mariner's Mystery
| "The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore." -Vincent van Gogh |
It's a mystery that demands explanation. Can it be solved?
Seafarers beware — Graveyard's deadly toll
The power and fury of a stormy ocean inspires great stories, some of them true. The treachery of the outer edge of Vancouver Island is one such true story. When past generations spoke of the Graveyard of the Pacific, it wasn't an exaggeration. From old-fashioned wooden sailing ships to large steel freighters, more than 60 ships have sunk to the ocean floor between 1803 and 1972 and hundreds of people lost their lives. Today only brass drift bolts, iron hull plates and pieces of crockery mark the location of these vessels on the bottom of the sunken graveyard.
| Graveyard of the Pacific |
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Mariners may never know the exact reason for every wreck on this dark, stormy coastline, but they know the dangers. Wicked winds and waves, coupled with hidden underwater obstacles, could send any sailor to the ocean floor for not heeding the challenges.
"The Pacific sweeps unchecked for thousands of kilometres to crash against the coast of British Columbia," says Dr. James P. Delgado, president of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology. "Combined with storms, fog, human error, and occasional incompetence, the sea has claimed hundreds of ships and thousands of lives for centuries. From capsized First Nations canoes, stranded Japanese fishermen swept across the ocean and wrecked off this shore; to more modern vessels wrecked in a variety of circumstances, the power of the sea has left this area with the dreaded reputation of Graveyard of the Pacific."
Valencia goes down
The greatest single loss of life in the Graveyard of the Pacific was the wreck of the steamer Valencia in January, 1906. On its trip north from San Francisco to Victoria, the Valencia overshot the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and smashed into the Vancouver Island shoreline south of Pachena Point.
| Wreck of the Valencia |
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The crash tore a hole in the Valencia's hull and she filled with water. In the chaos that followed, six half-loaded lifeboats fell into the sea or were overturned by huge waves killing up to 60 people. The last of the passengers died when a large wave knocked down the mast to which many were clinging. Only 37 people lived – another 117 perished. Not one woman or child on the Valencia survived the wreck.
An inquiry blamed the disaster on the captain's confusion on the Valencia's course and speed, compounded by the dangers of the coastline and the fierce winter storms.
The West Coast Trail
The shock and horror of the Valencia's demise led to the establishment of the famous West Coast Trail, in today's Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. This trail and its cabins, connecting the existing telegraph line, were meant to be used by shipwreck survivors and rescuers.
As a result of the Valencia tragedy, the Dominion Government also commissioned the construction of a road from Bamfield to Port Renfew to assist shipwrecked mariners. In reality a road was built from Bamfield to Shelter Bight (which is just past Pachena Point) and it became a trail to Port Renfrew beyond.
Mystery lingers
B.C.'s entire coast is rugged and stormy. So why did this one stretch of it, this Graveyard of the Pacific, claim so many ships?
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