Having lived in Vancouver for over a decade, I have never been onboard the famous seaplanes. Back in June it was time to cross this item off the list and take a 50-minute scenic flight around our beautiful city and the surrounding mountains!
Harbour Air Seaplanes is the world's largest 100% seaplane airline with 43 planes in services across 21 destinations.
Most of the planes on their fleet are de Havillands, ranging from small Beavers (DHC-2) and Otters (DHC-3), all the way to 19-seat Twin Otters (DHC-6).
Inside seaplane there is not a lot of extra room and if lucky, one will get to sit next to the pilot.
It's a rather noisy environment but taking off was surprisingly smooth and before we knew it, we were airborne over Burrard Inlet.
The great thing about seaplanes is how close to the ground they fly. Our flight took us first over East Vancouver with Vancouver's only amusement park Playland visible.
Highway 1 rush hour was just starting to pick up by the time we flew over.
Next door to Vancouver is the City of Burnaby, which has several impressive and fast-evolving skylines.
Close up of Brentwood with Metrotown in the background.
Burnaby Mountain has an university campus on top of it and oil terminals behind it. This is terminus for a twin-pipeline from Alberta.
Our flight took us next up the Indian Arm and behind North Shore Mountains where nature is wild and largely untouched by man. Most Vancouverites will never see these valleys, although they are only 20 kilometers from Downtown!
Flying over mountain crests requires ascending above the snow line. The was plenty of snow on the mountains even in June.
After some flying we finally reached Howe Sound. Squamish and Whistler are located north from here.
Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal from above.
Vancouver in the distance through a warped windscreen.
Across the English Bay and at the tip of the peninsula is the main campus for University of British Columbia.
Vancouver's affluent Westside is lush with trees.
Oakridge mega construction site in the distance. BC Children's Hospital is in the foreground. Vancouver General Hospital in the photo above.
Kingsway is the main thoroughfare through East Vancouver. We are now quickly approaching Downtown for the final swoop.
Downtown Vancouver
BC Place is an easily recognizable landmark among a sea of towers.
The Butterfly is a major luxury skyscraper currently under construction.
The Granville Bridge loops area has been densifying quickly and is planned to continue doing so with the loops getting removed.
Our famous washed up barge was still intact in June.
English Bay below.
Lost Lagoon and afternoon traffic in and out of Downtown.
Landing to the Vancouver Harbour Water Aerodrome takes one past the Coal Harbour skyline. You can almost touch the buildings as you land.
And there you have it! What an amazing 50 minutes it was in the air with so many amazing views of the city and the beautiful landscape. I hope you enjoyed this scenic tour of Vancouver.
Yah, love the Saskatoon photos as well, thanks Echoes! Also enjoy seeing the residential shots, to me that’s almost as interesting as the normal downtown/skyline shots. Ok, Laceoflight, I seem to have more time on my hands, which means more photos, lol.
Responding first to Someone123, yes that’s Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria, impressive win size, but definitely not as ornate as Catholic Churches are inside. And.. I’m going to hold off as I just noticed an amazing photo thread from the Great Klazu here - so I want to appreciate that for a few days first, lol! I use Harbour Air from Victoria to Vancouver both for work and personal most times, because it’s just WAY faster and offers great views over Victoria across the Gulf Islands and then over to Vancouver. I’ve literally walked in 20 minutes before my flight and then the flight to Vancouver is about 35 minutes, so basically an hour from downtown to downtown - some bus commutes within cities are that long. . I like to wave at the BC Ferries below as they slowly move towards Tsawasssen
Good news with Habour Air is that their move to electric powered planes is going well - they just had a successful flight from Vancouver airport to Victoria airport (both airports have seaplane terminals on the water as well).
I agree with Zoomer. I was going to post some photos tonight that I've taken of Victoria but I'll wait a couple of days. Those Vancouver shots are amazing. Some of the best skyline photos I've seen.
Amazing photo collection, I saw the ones you posted on the Skyline page, but glad I checked here and saw there were way more. I've always wanted to do a sightseeing tour, I've taken HA to Nanaimo many times, and love the views, but a proper sightseeing tour would be a million times better! Next summer for sure.
I especially love the wilderness so close to the city, it is crazy it is that wild so close
Amazing photo collection, I saw the ones you posted on the Skyline page, but glad I checked here and saw there were way more.
I am glad you did. Thank you for the comments, everyone!
Quote:
Originally Posted by zahav
I've always wanted to do a sightseeing tour, I've taken HA to Nanaimo many times, and love the views, but a proper sightseeing tour would be a million times better! Next summer for sure.
There are so many tour options available and they start at $99, so it is not outrageously expensive to experience. I wanted to see both the iconic Downtown from above, but also North Shore Mountains backcountry which is so cool being almost completely inaccessible and untouched by people, yet so close to the city. This is all part of the Extended Panorama Tour they offer for $220.[/QUOTE]
Quote:
Originally Posted by harls
I get why you watermark everything, Klazu. but at the same time anyone could just crop that bit out if by a bit if they wanted to take it.
It's mostly a branding thing and helps to link photos back to the original source in case someone is interested to see more or inquire about any on of them (which happens). Obviously all photos posted online are a fraction of the quality they are in full resolution, so I am not worried about some cropping the watermark out and printing them, as they simply won't hold up in print size.
I long for these neighborhoods (thinking wistfully of my days in inner city Montreal)
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The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. (Bertrand Russell)
Ok, was going to share some grittier side pics of Victoria, but since I started on a different angle in the Victoria construction thread I’ll continue with that.
These buildings are all next to each other by the eastern edge of downtown by Fort and Cook Street were low rise buildings predominate.
GMC Projects has done also a great job on the Bell apartments after the fire there a few years ago. Some modern touches, nice attention to the detail and great ground floor entries for apartments on Meares Street. The same company is just completing a new apartment building right beside it, also with a mural. The new apartment, the Charlesworth, is named after a past resident of the Bell apartments who died at age 23 in 1917 while piloting a fighter in WW I. The Bell apartments are 108 years old and feature a lady wearing a Bell, representing the suffragette movement in Canada.
Here’s the building to the right (now a law firm office) earlier in the summer with a couple grazing deers - they’re almost as common as seagulls in Victoria, even on the edges of downtown, lol.
Ok, to catch up a bit, here’s a few more scenery ones from Fairfield, which is a neighbourhood next to downtown. Lots of rocky outcrops and lookouts all over this area:
Fantastic photos Zoomer. You have such a great eye for urban photography. It's amazing how many deer are downtown and in pretty much every area of Victoria now. I was working in the Uplands last week and one got hit and killed by a car right across the road from where we were working. On another note I need to go up to Gonzales Hill. I've only been there once and it was probably around 2008. I'm not even sure if I could find that place now. Thanks for sharing all your photos too.
very charming Victoria pix. Lovely city. It has been nearly 20 years since I last visited
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The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. (Bertrand Russell)
Thanks for the feedback MolsonEx (you need to visit again one decade!) and Scaper - I'm definitely learning by trial and error, thanks for the compliment .
Also great TO shots shappy - my favorite is the very first one - the positioning of the pedestrians and the lighting, very cinematic!
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