We took time to explore the Inner Harbour, Old Town, Chinatown, James Bay, Fisherman's Wharf and Beacon Hill Park, all within Victoria's downtown core. This can be done either on foot, by double-decker bus, horse-drawn carriage or boat tours. Victoria is also home to several exceptional museums and heritage buildings.
Other attractions include the Undersea Gardens, the Wax Museum, Craigdarroch Castle, Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse, Canada's first west coast lighthouse. There is also the Butterfly Garden which was a huge attraction for the children as the butterflies lit on them.
We also decided to include a whale watching expedition as part of our visit. We enjoyed it but realize that it may not be for everyone. With large waves hitting the bow of the boat, particularly after you have left the inner harbour, many may feel the adventure is not for them if they are prone to seasickness. One goes on these trips hoping to see whales but you take your chances. One of my sons went and didn't see any whales and another went and saw several from a very close vantage point. I felt, therefore, that my chances of seeing one were fifty-fifty and this did not seem like a bad percentage to me.
As we left the inner harbour, float planes lifted off not far from our boat and slowly began their climb into the clear blue sky, and fishing boats plowed through the water as they returned to the harbour. On a large outcropping of rocks near the entrance to the harbour, we saw what looked like hundreds of sea lions stretched on the rocks soaking up the afternoon sunshine. And occasionally the head of a seal popped above the surface of the water to welcome us to their ocean home before sliding quickly beneath the surface again.
As we left the shelter of the harbour, we picked up speed and headed for the open waters. The further out we went, the deeper the trough of waves became and we could hear the slap of the water beneath the hull of the boat, a steady rhythm in our ears. The sun sparkled like diamonds on the waves as they rolled towards us heading into shore. And occasonally from overhead, the sounds of seagulls greeted us.
Periodically the captain of the boat cut his engines and listened for any possible underwater sounds the whales may have been making but there were none. We did, however, eventually see some whales a little distance from us but close enough that we were able to get some iffy pictures of them. It was exciting to watch their tails and backs lift out of the water before disappearing and then repeating their performance again in a short time.
Victoria is an exciting place to visit, whether it's for a day or a week.
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