Victoria's Mary Ann Snowden was born on the West Coast in 1953 and returned to it in 1984 as a kayaking instructor and guide with Ocean River Sports. Her Island Paddling outlined 37 paddling trips around the Gulf Islands and Barkley Sound. It was republished in an updated version asSea Kayak: The Gulf Island. She also wrote Sea Kayak Barkley & Clayoquot Sounds.

Mary Ann Snowden spent every available recreational hour on the water in the early `90s, and to this day continues to explore the waters surrounding the Gulf Islands. She has established a credible reputation within the paddling community and her first book Island Paddling has sold over 10,000 copies in the last 10 years.