A Ride on B.C.Ferries

This week I went for a quick trip to Victoria, B.C.'s capital city. It is on Vancouver Island. Just a 95 minute ferry ride away. I love this journey. The ferry winds through the narrow passages of the Gulf islands. I left as the evening waned and was privy to a spectacular sunset. One not to be rivaled even by those in Maui.

I enjoyed the sunset, but unfortunately most of the remainder of the ride was made in darkness.

From the ferry terminal, Roberts Bank (where Keith sometimes does survey work) can be seen across the water.

This is where the freight ships load up with coal and cargo. Generally a bit of an eyesore, but made splendid by this sunset. It amazes me to look off one side of the ship and see a flaming sunset, yet look the opposite direction to see calm and tranquil blue seas.

Don't be deceived by these still waters. They may appear smooth on the surface, but the currents beneath run very fast. On a windy day passengers are reminded that this is actually ocean water when the ferry gets tossed about like a toy in the tub. Sometimes the seas are so high that ferry sailings are cancelled altogether.

The photos shown of lighter skies were taken on the way back, the following day. I departed a couple of hours earlier than I had sailed the night before. So it was still very afternoonish when we set sail. Ending in another fabulous sunset.

If you ever come to B.C. this is a must do to have on your list. Even when the sky is cloudy, the ride is worth the time. These are beautiful, enormous ferries. And the scenery is never disappointing. There was a flurry of excitement at one point, when some people spotted a whale in the water. Unfortunately I didn't get to see it. We used to see whales out on this water a lot. It has been years since I made this journey. Its nice to here people calling out "A whale, look, over there".

These "bubbles" up on the rollers are inflatable life boat capsules. The ferry corporation seems to be prepared in the event of an accident. Last winter, one of the fleet sank and out of a ship load of people, two were never found. The investigation is still underway. But it served as a big reminder that things can go wrong. There is advertising by Tourism BC all over the ship, touting local sights and draws. I thought it was a bit daunting to see a huge poster of the sinking Titanic advertising the exhibition at the museum. It was the first thing my eyes fell upon when I came up from the car deck! Perhaps not the most thoughtful place to advertise such a catastrophic event. Especially in the light of the recent sinking of the Queen of the North.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.