passage of the eastern North Pacific, off central British Columbia, Canada. Stretching south from Dixon Entrance 160 mi (260 km) to Queen Charlotte Sound, the waterway, which ranges in width from 40 to 80 mi, separates the Queen Charlotte Islands (west) from the mainland. The deep strait is a site of salmon and halibut fishing grounds. It was named after the “Hecate,” a ship used by the British captain George H. Richards in his survey (1861–62) of the mainland coast.