Book excerpt: British Columbia’s rugged Southern Gulf Islands enticed many pioneers, explorers, colonists, miners, and adventurers in the mid 19th century. Fog, wind, strong currents and the lack of aids to navigation made navigating these striking and treacherous islands a hazardous business. Many vessels and seafarers did not survive their intended voyages, and their forgotten remains now litter the sea floor, visited only by intrepid divers searching for clues to the past. As one reads this book, stories will unfold which remind us that not so long ago, travelling by ship along the British Columbia coast would have challenged even the most seasoned mariner, and that danger lurked below the water’s surface. Historic Shipwrecks of the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia is a compilation of 14 stories about Shipwrecks throughout those islands. This book not only follows the history of each vessel and their loss, but also describes for the lay person what divers will see when they dive on the sites today. This book is a must have for those with an interest in British Columbia’s maritime history. It is one of a series of shipwreck publications produced by the Underwater Archaeological Society of British Columbia to make the province’s submerged cultural history accessible to everyone.