Ferries from Pender Island (Otter Bay)

Pender Island sits between Vancouver Island and the mainland, and Otter Bay is served from both — 21 sailings from Swartz Bay near Victoria and 16 from Tsawwassen near Vancouver. Very few island terminals get two mainland-scale connections.

Where the ferries go

• Swartz Bay — about 40 minutes, 21 sailings.
• Tsawwassen — about 1 hour 20 minutes, 20 sailings.

78 active sailings across the terminal, operated by BC Ferries.

⚠ Only one of these two can be reserved

On the Southern Gulf Islands routes, reservations are available from the Tsawwassen side. The Swartz Bay and inter-island sailings run first-come, first-served.

That asymmetry decides which direction you should book and which you should simply arrive early for. On a summer weekend it is the difference between a sailing and a four-hour wait.

Parking

Limited free parking at the terminal with a 48-hour limit — see the ticket agent for details. It is not a place to leave a car for a week, and there is no paid overflow.

The Gulf Islands pattern

Pender, Mayne, Galiano, Saturna and Salt Spring are all served on interlocking rotations rather than point-to-point shuttles. A sailing from Tsawwassen may call at two islands before yours.

Read the calling sequence, not just the departure time — the same boat can take 80 minutes or well over two hours to reach you.

The island

North and South Pender, joined by a one-lane bridge, with a population that roughly triples in summer. Otter Bay is on North Pender; the shops at Driftwood Centre are a few minutes' drive.