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My Top Landscape Photography Tips for Sidney Spit

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Sidney Spit Brief History 

This beautifully small island has a BIG history.  It was one of the first places that people settled around Vancouver Island. From 1906 up until 1915, the Sidney Tile and Brick Company used to make, you guessed it, tile and brick from the clay on the island.  You will find bricks along the shore and in piles throughout the woodland and camping areas, remnants of that era.   

There is also a cool old bomb shelter on the Island, that you used to be able to go into! Unfortunately, its been sealed up for safety reasons. Its located closer to the North end of the Island, down one of the old woodland trails.

Part of the lagoon is what we call Brick Beach, where the shoreline is covered in these old bricks.  Look through the bricks and see if you can find a complete brick that says “Sidney Island”, I bet you can’t 😉 (but I did!) 

How to Get There: Sidney Spit Ferry 

Most people who go to Sidney Spit for either a day trip or overnight camping, head over via the Sidney Spit Ferry. The Sidney Spit ferry is seasonal, running typically from May long weekend until after Labour Day Long weekend. 

The ferry to Sidney Spit costs anywhere from 21$ for kids/seniors to $25 for adults and takes about 25 minutes to reach Sidney Island.  Check out their schedule for updates about the upcoming season. 

Taking a Kayak to Sidney Spit 

This is definitely reserved for souls braver than me!  If you’re looking to rent a kayak or a canoe overnight, head over to the Pacifica Paddle Website.  They are located just off Swartz Bay in North Saanich.  It will take you at least 1-2 hours or even 3 to paddle your way to the Spit, depending on tides and the winds. 

What Camera Gear I Bring to Sidney Spit 

Other than your camping gear, here is a list of photo gear and miscellaneous other things I take with me whenever I visit Sidney Spit.  Weight isn’t really an issue when visiting the spit, if you can walk/easy hike for a few kilometers with your pack now, then you’ll be fine. 

• Tide tables!  Always keep these handy so you know when you can explore certain parts of the Island that are accessible only at low tide 
• Heavy tripod, it gets windy 
• A compact tripod (optional) 
• Camera obviously (or your phone!) 
• Wide angle, fast lens (milky way and aurora shots ARE possible from Sidney Spit see below!) 
• “Regular” zoom lens, I bring an 18-135mm 
• I bring this Tamron 24 – 70mm 2.8 
• Zoom Lens: Your favorite wildlife/bird lens, there are a ton of species for you to capture 
• ND Filters, if you’re into long exposures 
• Remote 
• Many Lens cloths 
• Spare Batteries 
• Rain cover (doubles as a cover to protect from blowing sand) 

My 7 Tips and Tricks for Sidney Spit Landscape Photography 

Sidney Spit Photography

Here are a few quick snaps from about 200-300 feet above the end of the spit looking towards the lighthouse and of the wetlands that are covered at high tide.

Where to Stay: Sidney Spit Campground 

Sidney spit camping is part of the Gulf Island Marine Park camping network.  Golden and Blue Hours are pretty amazing at the Spit, I definitely advise camping there overnight to capture some amazing images.  

Located at the North end of Sidney Island, camping is open May 15^th to September 30^th, and reservations can be made on the Parks Canada Recreation Service Website HERE. 

Reservations are recommended, if not required, if you want to secure your spot as tenting spots are limited to 29, with one group site.  Please note no fires are allowed on the spit, even below the high tide mark. 

Here is a quick link to the Sidney Spit camping map. 

Check out the campgrounds at this link for further details about your planned camping experience. 

Where to Stay at Sidney Spit: Mooring Your Boat on the Buoys or at the Dock 

We’ve travelled to Sidney Spit on both our 32-foot Bayliner and our new 19-foot Bayliner.  You can either tie up to one of the 11 mooring buoys or at the dock.  Fees apply after 3pm for each type of boat mooring/docking and they are $14/night for the buoys and 2.96$ per meter for dock fees. 

Dock space is also limited. At low tide, if your boat draws a bunch of water, you will be restricted to the ends of the dock closest to where the Alpine Ferry docks. If that’s the case, grab yourself a mooring buoy instead.

Mooring at the Spit is amazing, it’s like being in another world!  The wind does tend to pick up around 3pm and even in the summer, the wind can be bitter.  The water is also pretty chilly, swimming can be done, but we’ve stuck to swimming off the many sandy beaches where the water is warmer. 

My 2^nd Favorite Part of Sidney Spit: Crabbing 

Bring a crab trap if you can!   We’ve caught legal Dungeness crab right off the end of the dock before!  

Don’t forget to grab your fishing license here, which is required to crab.  It costs around 20$ but oh so worth it!  When 1 crab at the store costs at least 15$, it’s money well spent! 

Make sure you check if they are legal size before keeping them which is 6.5 inches across.  You can only keep the male crabs which, when you flip them over, look much different than the female crabs.  Gently put female crabs back in the water. 

Final Thoughts 

Hope you find some nuggets of knowledge here to make your trip to Sidney Spit super enjoyable and help you to capture the best images possible.