Rain was falling as a kayak tour set out from the city center. Joining us was a couple from near Vancouver, John and Susan. Enquiring whether either had flown in a sea plane before, John replied: "All the time, we are foresters." The kayak had a rudder, which I soon retracted; too complicated and much easier to steer using the paddle.
We stayed to the north of the harbour, as directed by the numerous floating buoys. A recent dock installation for mega-yachts required the creation of a special paddle lane that goes under the pier leading to the dock. The guide pointed to the whale watch boats, unexpectedly stopped in the harbour to the south. According the radio chatter, an orca had made its way into the inner habour, a very unusual event. While the guide said he saw a splash and fin, we did not.
We poked into a cove to see the houseboats, which looked like houses. With strong winds today, the kayak tour did not proceed to seal island in the outer harbour, lingering instead near some rocks where seals had hauled out and sea otter were scurrying in the waves. We suddenly heard a claxon at the sewage treatment plant at the harbour entrance, and saw smoke billowing above. Soon sirens could be heard responding to the fire.
Crossing to the south side of the channel for the return to the city center, our guide, Mauricio from Bolivia, told us we would be crossing the seaplane runway. Pointing to the control tower across the channel (1), he said that the air traffic controllers would see us and be sure not to clear any planes to take off. Crossing an active runway was definitely a first for me in a kayak.
The afternoon ferry brought us back to the car at Port Angeles, then on the Seattle by car.
(1) I had assumed this was uncontrolled airspace, but there was a building that looked like any other air traffic control tower on a point on the south shore.
Seal hauled up on the rocks
Low clearance
Victoria Inner Harbour. Boats to the south, kayaks to the north, ferries and planes in the center. All very organized.
Floating houses, west end of Harbour
Dual purpose marker. Flashing white indicates a plane is about to take off or land. Green light indicates channel marker at night.
Leaving Victoria, headed back to Port Angeles
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