2026 – I found the Goose!
Some places take a lifetime of preparation to get to. The Goose Group of Islands was on my radar for a number of years and with the help of my crew I touched her shores in 2026.
The Goose Group of Islands rests within the Hakai Lúxvbalis Conservancy (pronounced hack-eye looks-bal-ease), a 1,230-square-kilometre (475-square-mile) marine park and the largest of its kind in British Columbia, Canada.
Situated on the east side of Hecate Strait at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound, the region is rich with reefs, rocky outcrops, and shallow nearshore waters. White-sand beaches soften the rugged landscape, while shorelines of Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and western redcedar give way to boggy interior terrain.
The islands provide critical habitat for many bird species, including the nationally significant Black Oystercatcher, the threatened Marbled Murrelet, Pigeon Guillemots, Sooty Shearwaters, and Red-necked and Red Phalaropes. Geese, ducks, and other seabirds gather along the shores. The land and waters also support river and sea otters, mink, black-tailed deer, sea wolves, and bears.
On November 26, 2017, a barge carrying 3.5 million litres of diesel and 468,000 litres of gasoline broke free from its tugboat in 45-knot winds, drifting just 1.6 kilometres from the Goose Group Islands in Queen Charlotte Sound, within the traditional territory of the Haíɫzaqv Nation. Since that day, I have wanted to swim to the Goose Islands to raise awareness of this fragile and vital ecosystem and the need to protect it. In July 2025, guided by my crew, I had the privilege of doing just that. This video offers a swimmer’s perspective of what was almost lost.
My deepest gratitude to my crew: Don Tite , Kevin Heneghan, Colette Heneghan, Corey Teramura, Claire Skillen, Sandor Csepregi-Thereal, MJ VanBergen and my loving partner Ray Este
