BREAKING NEWS:
PROTECT THIS FOREST FOREVER
Double Bay Sanctuary Foundation has signed a deal to purchase adjoining forest land. Help us protect 54 acres of forest and preserve its biodiversity forever.
DOUBLE BAY SANCTUARY FOUNDATION
Our vision is to create a retirement
home for Northern Resident Orca Corky and to promote ocean health
through restoration, science and education.
Double Bay Sanctuary is located in the unceeded territory of the Kwakwa̱ka̱‘wa̱kw People. We acknowledge the Mama̱liliḵ̓a̱la, ‘Na̱mgis and Ławit̓sis Nations as the stewards of these territories since time immemorial.
G̱ilakas’la
The retirement of Northern Resident Orca Corky to Double Bay Sanctuary would establish an unprecedented living laboratory, offering profound and ethical insights into orca culture, cognition, and conservation within an intact ecosystem.
Double Bay Sanctuary welcomes researchers, conservationists, donors, cultural retreats, and students as a living laboratory and convening center. We offer field-based opportunities to explore and learn within vibrant marine and coastal ecosystems in the Broughton Archipelago.
Double Bay Sanctuary restores Hanson Island and surrounding ecosystems, through cleanup and restoration projects that remove debris, protect habitat, and support long-term conservation.
PROTECT THE FOREST FOREVER
PROTECT THE FOREST FOREVER
HAPPENING AT DOUBLE BAY
JULY 1, 2025
Major Restoration Work:
Main Deck Renovation
The main deck at Double Bay Sanctuary—our central gathering and observation space—has been fully rebuilt. With the support of Audy Contracting and the dedication of our staff and volunteers, the original structure which was rotting and sagging, was carefully dismantled and replaced. The new design features custom-milled yellow cedar beams and posts, freshly poured footings, and pressure-treated planks, chosen for durability in our marine environment. This upgrade ensures the safety and longevity of a space that serves as both a practical working platform and a quiet place to witness the richness of Double Bay and Blackfish Sound.
June 28, 2025
Research Collaboration:
UVIC Returns to Double Bay Sanctuary
We’re honoured to host students from the University of Victoria’s Spectrum Lab for a second consecutive year of research at the Sanctuary, led by Jordanna Bergman, PHD, Department of Geography. Their current study examines the ecological relationship between bryozoans and kelp forests, key components of coastal biodiversity and resilience. As a dedicated field site, the Sanctuary welcomes academic institutions seeking to advance marine research.
WHY DOUBLE BAY IS A BOLD
AND TRANSFORMATIVE
PROJECT
Double Bay Sanctuary is the ideal retirement home for Corky. It is situated in a protected bay with room for a 15 acre netted enclosure with depths up to 80’, good flushing tidal flow for clean water, and is pristine and isolated, yet near to towns for easy access by water. In addition, the former fishing lodge on the bay purchased by Michael Reppy in 2018 is being rebuilt to house a SeaWorld team who will provide the feeding and medical care Corky needs. Double Bay opens to Blackfish Sound, which is a major highway for the northern resident orcas, including Corky’s A5 family.
This will be a model ecological facility, now fully solar powered. A new waste water system has been installed and the prior system discharging into the bay has been decommissioned. We support clean
healthy oceans, restored watersheds, phasing out of all open-net salmon farms, and the return of wild salmon. Two non-profit foundations have been established to administer the facility and for fundraising: the Double Bay Sanctuary Foundation in British Columbia, and Friends of Double Bay Sanctuary in the US.
There are many steps to take to realize this vision. Double Bay lies on traditional First Nation Territories requiring prior informed consent, and consultations are underway with the ‘Namgis First Nation Council. Requests have been made to begin the process of permitting with Canadian government agencies. The most crucial step is SeaWorld agreeing to collaborate with us to retire Corky to the
Sanctuary. Please join us in our quest for the repatriation of Corky to her home waters.
