Ferry to Vancouver Island

I woke early and took a cab to the ferry terminal. Steve Votier was there - his intended boat-plane trip to Victoria was cancelled because of bad weather. I don't think he was disappointed to be going on the boat, however.

It was a dull overcast morning with the threat of drizzle hanging over us as we steamed up Puget Sound. This was a fast (30 knots) catamaran-type ferry, so we didn't get much time to look at things. But occasionally we got good looks at things. By the end of the trip, we had seen a considerable selection of seabirds and cetaceans. The highlights were a fork-tailed storm-petrel, 2 pink-footed shearwaters, a northern fulmar (dark one), plenty of tufted puffins, rhinocerous auklets, grey phalaropes, a couple of red-necked grebes and a killer whale. It was worth getting cold for.

I'm staying at the Fairmont Empress - special rates for conference-goers, but plush all the same. After checking in at the hotel and also registering at the conference, I went up to my room. They upgraded me to a suite. Bloody heck, that only ever happens to other people, not me. The room has quite a good view (not of the harbour, sadly). The bed is wider than it is long. There are two TVs in the suite and two bathrooms for some reason. I think I'm going to enjoy retiring to my quarters.

My bedroom and my drawing room

Night view from my room

In the evening, there was a reception held at the Vancouver museum. Lots of food and drink among lots of native American historical items. Good fun.