Sooke Basin

Sooke Basin is a small (10 km2) body of water on the southern end of Vancouver Island in southwestern British Columbia.

The narrow mouth of Roche Cove, spanned by a small bridge, makes for interesting passage as the tidal currents can be quite strong.

Sooke Basin is named for the T'sou-ke Nation of the Coast Salish peoples, the native inhabitants who had a thriving community and are believed to have been living in the general area for several thousand years before the arrival of the first European explorers.

The first known European entry into Sooke Basin was by the Spanish, during the 1790 expedition of Manuel Quimper in Princesa Real, with Juan Carrasco as pilot.

The Spanish gave Sooke Basin the name Puerta de Revilla Gigedo, in honour of then Viceroy of New Spain, Güemes Padilla Horcasitas, Count of Revillagigedo.