any tour boats that go around the islands around Vancouver?

[compozer]

We have three days to tour Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle post cruise. We are boaters so we'd rather tour by water than by land. Are there any small tour boats that go around the islands? thanks

[trophy_23]

You can rent boats at a few places locally (Granville Island & Sewells Marina), and there are harbour dinner cruise boats that do Vancouver harbor. If you haven't got enough whale watching on the cruise, try Vancouver whale watch as they usually head over towards the gulf islands. Sewells also has an ecotour boat that will take people out.

 

http://www.vancouverwhalewatch.com

 

http://www.sewellsmarina.com/safari.html

[Putterdude]

There is a one hour harbour cruise but I don't think that is what you are looking for and to my knowledge there is not a service that takes you out and around the Gulf and San Juan Islands. You can organize your own but a day on the water runs about $100 per hour as a minimum... so unless you have a group it is a bit pricey. But here are a couple of links for your consideration:

 

http://www.boatcruises.com/

 

http://www.goldeneaglecharters.ca/

 

http://www.vancouverboattours.com/

[PennyAgain]

If you go out whale watching, you will get a pretty good tour.

[iamaqt2]

What you want to see is called the Sunshine Coast. Here is just one example of a tour website: http://www.sunshinecoasttours.bc.ca/

 

This encompasses many of the islands in and around Vancouver and Victoria.

 

Seattle also has many great little islands you can visit by boat. One of my favorites is to Blake Island which is a State Marine park. There is a native longhouse restaurant and dinner show serving real smoked salmon. Then you can walk the trails around the island. http://www.tillicumvillage.com/

 

Also if you wanted to rent a car, BC ferries visits all the islands throughout the sunshine coast and there are many, many great B&B's to stay at.

 

I wish you had more than just 3 days, as there are so many more recommendations I could give you.

 

You're going to love the Pacific Northwest!

[compozer]

trophy and Putterdude, thanks for the links. It's too bad we can't find some other people and charter a boat.

 

Pennyagain, I didn't realize there were whales in that area. I need to do a little more research.

 

iamaqt2, Thanks for the info. Sunshine Coast - it's nice to have people think I know what I am talking about. But now I'm totally confused - how long to stay where? Where to stay? What tour to go on? The older I get the longer it takes me to decide.

 

thanks for al the help.

[trophy_23]

trophy and Putterdude, thanks for the links. It's too bad we can't find some other people and charter a boat.

 

Pennyagain, I didn't realize there were whales in that area. I need to do a little more research.

 

iamaqt2, Thanks for the info. Sunshine Coast - it's nice to have people think I know what I am talking about. But now I'm totally confused - how long to stay where? Where to stay? What tour to go on? The older I get the longer it takes me to decide.

 

thanks for al the help.

 

 

Many whales in our area between May and Sept. Success rate for the local whale watch tours is upwards of 90% for Orcas.

[Putterdude]

Although I am currently at my home in AZ, my permanent home is in Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast (returning next week) ...the Sunshine Coast excursion is a lovely trip, it does require a 20 min drive from downtown Vancouver, a 40 min ferry trip and then about a one and a half hour drive up to Garden Bay then you would have the reverse commute back into the city.

 

There are 3 resident pods of orca whales comprising about 90 whales in the southern waters of British Columbia and northern Washington. Vancouver while offering some whale watching excursions, it is not a hot whale watching area and such an excursion will likely turn into more of a sightseeing jaunt.

 

[Glaciers]

This Orca Network site has daily postings of whale sightings in the area.

 

http://www.orcanetwork.org/

[trophy_23]

The thing with the whale watch guys here, they go to where the whales are. The advantage to leaving from Richmond with someone like Vancouver Whale watch is they are much closer to the San Juans and Gulf Islands where they usually have to run to see the whales. I talk to them quite often and they have pretty good success. Nothing is ever a guarantee though.