Sea Otter Cove is a remote place near the north-western end of Vancouver Island which has been part of Cape Scott Provincial Park since 1973. It is north of Mount St. Patrick and San Josef Bay. On land, it is surrounded by forest, and only accessible by boat or a rough hiking trail. It was named by Captain James Hanna in 1786 after his vessel, the Sea Otter. At the mouth of the cove is a group of small islands called the Helen Islands. As is common on the west coast of Vancouver Island, there is a high annual rainfall. According to Don Douglass, among boaters,