Anywhere you wish to go by boat on or around Vancouver Island, ocean or lake we can get you there. Whether private charter tranportation, domestic supply delivery or Marine Eco-tours, Birds of a Feather Zodiac Medline III can do the job quickly and safely.

Vancouver Island is the largest island off the west coast of North America. From Victoria in the south-east to Cape Scott in the north-west, it is approximately 450 km long. At its widest, it is no more than 130km across. Vancouver Island has been described as British Columbia in miniature, with most of the major terrain features and climate zones found on the mainland being represented here. Tremendous variation is found accross the island. From the wet coastal rainforest, to the mountainous interior, to the dry rain shadow of the eastern coastal plain, Vancouver Island is an ecological wonder.

The Island offers a cornucopia of sights, scents, and scenery that are unsurpassed.  Victoria, where Birds of a Feather is located, is at the south end of Vancouver Island, and you can charter our Zodiac to some relatively nearby places, or far away places that are not accessible by car.

First to mind, and right around the corner (almost) from Birds of a Feather, is Race Rocks.  For over 130 years Race Rocks Lighthouse has stood as a beacon in the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Only 11 nautical miles from Victoria, Race Rocks is a place of convergence. Deep currents sweep the rocks and clash as they meet the inland waters of Georgia Strait. In 1860 the British Admiralty established the lighthouse in recognition of the dangerous currents that claimed many ships and dozens of lives.  (more … )

Also nearby, the historic Fisgard Lighthouse, which has been operating continuosly for almost 150 years, is just a short ride from Birds of a Feather dock.

If you’re into ocean swimming and find the waters around Victoria a little chilly for your liking, a boat trip up the Saanich Inlet to the west of the Saanich Peninsula will solve that problem.  This fjiord-like body of water, between the peninsula and the Malahat highway, has some of the nicest swimming in the lower island.  24 Km long, with almost verticla steep cliffs along mujch of the shore, the inlet makes for perfect swimming in the summer time as its natural geological formation restricts the tidal inflow and outflow, letting the waters warm up to as much as 65 or 70 degrees.

Another good spot for ocean swimming is the Chemainus Inlet, a few miles up the island, where the deep bay traps the ocean and lets it warm up during the summer for the enjoyment of swimmers.

Lake swimming  – If you like fresh water swimming, then an ideal way to spend the day would be to charter Birds of a Feather Zodiac and drive up to Shawnigan Lake, about 40 minutes north of Victoria.  This popular lake, surrounded by Beachfront homes and sandy beaches, is perfect for swimming, water skiing, or just lazing on the beach.

For a unique view of the City of Victoria, charter Birds of a Feather and take a boat ride into the heart of the City of Victoria –  the Inner Harbour.  Only from the water can you get a true sense of this historic west coast city, build around the inner harbour in the decades before rail and road connected the west coast of Canada with the Eastern Seaboard.  The harbour features hundreds of old buildings, dating back to 1900 and earlier, with warm brick, colorful arches and docks filled with every kind of boat and watercraft.  Putter up through the Upper Harbour to the Selkirk Waters, where you can enjoy the best afternoon tea in Victoria at the historic Point Ellice House, then meander up the Gorge and – tide permitting, even make your way under the bridge and into Portage Inlet.

And, since you’re already in the area, motor on outside the Inner Harbour and take a boat tour along Victoria’s coastline, which meanders east past the Ogden Point Breakwater, around Beacon Hill Park, past Clover point and the Ross Bay Cemetery, then along Gonzales and McNeil Bays and around the southern tip of greater Victoria, past the famous waterfront Victoria Golf Club and into Oak Bay itself.   Hundreds of magnificent homes line this waterfront tour, many of them genuine mansions, and most of them just not viewable from land.  A great way to see another face of Victoria!

Another interesting water trip is to visit world famous Butchart Gardens from the water, via Saanich Inlet and the meandering Todd Inlet.

If you’re looking for a longer trip, consider visitng Saltspring Island for their Saturday farmers market, or perhaps Miners Bay on Mayne Island, situated in picturesque Active Pass, or any of the other Gulf Island and San Juan islands nearby.