Join us on a voyage of discovery - to the Chain/Chatham and Discovery islands off Oak bay aboard the motor vessel Aquitania. We promise you a memorable trip in a memorable boat: encounters with a wide variety of wildlife and magnificent views of surrounding waters and islands; all set against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains.
Two marine eco-tours are offered with our Giant ocean-going motorized Canoe, the first being an "island-hopping tour of the Gulf Islands and the second including a stopover at Discovery Island. Our departure point is Oak Bay Marina, on the east side of Victoria, just minutes by car or public transit from downtown. This marina is a destination unto itself, a place brimming with boats and marine activity of all kinds, with a fancy restaurant and coffe shop offering grand views of Oak Bay, and where splashing seals and jabbering gulls compete for your attention (and sometimes your food)!
Discovery Island Marine Provincial Park is our key attraction: This wild and uninhabited Island, hosts an historic lighthouse located on a premontory overlooking the vast expanses of Juan de Fuca and San Juan Straits. The view of the ocean and surrounding mountains from this strategically located site, the most southerly of the Gulf Islands, is nothing short of spectacular! The entire south side of this Island features rare plant species unique to this area of Canada, if not the world. The interior of this Island consists mainly of Douglas Fir - Arbutus forests, opening to flower-sprinkled meadows on the coast. Rugged shorelines, cliffs and log-strewn beaches ringing the Island provide interesting beach-combing and climbing. But the overall attraction of this Island and surrounding waters is the feeling of having escaped to a natural world of peace and solitude. There are wonderfull opportunities here not only to hike, but to picnic, camp or just to "be".
And we just happen to have the perfect vessel for wildlife viewing, and the convenient location for accessing this Marine Park and the islands surrounding.
Note that we also offer an overnight camping option - where you can be dropped of at this Island with a tent and all the basic neccessities. We also arrange group camping tours (some including kayaking) to other areas of the Gulf Islands. Enquire for details
Looking forward to having you aboard !
Al Lubkowski
Tour Operator, Blackfish