Being a Sea Otter Mom Ain’t East

Being a sea otter mom isn’t easy. Mom has to feed herself and her pup, maintain their thick coats, she carries junior around on her belly and she also keeps a look out for any possible danger.

Sea otter mom with pup riding on belly Sea otter mom & pup sticking head out of water and looking straight at camera

Moving Ahead to Stage 3 of BC’s Restart Plan

We are thrilled to have entered Stage 3 of BC’s Restart Plan!

While this has brought some welcome changes & loosening of restrictions, we will continue to be mindful of everyone’s safety and base our policies on the guidelines as put forward by the BC government and health authorities.

Some of the more important changes are as follows:

Masks

  • Masks are no longer mandated in public indoor settings.
  • We do however request that anyone who is 12 years or older and not fully vaccinated wears a mask when inside the cabin or within close proximity of  guests who are not part of their group. (Fully vaccinated means two weeks after the second shot).
  • We further recommend wearing a mask during the short orientation at the beginning of each tour.
  • Children under 12 do not require masks.

Cleaning and sanitising

  • We are continuing with extra cleaning and sanitizing duties before, during and after each tour.
  • All frequently touched surfaces such as counters, washroom, door handles, drinks serving stations will be frequently sanitised.
  • Hand sanitizer is available at various locations on the boat.

Physical distancing/ space on the boat

  • Physical distancing is no longer required but there is enough room to keep some distance from others if you wish.
  • At lunch time tables will be set up outside and slightly apart to allow you to distance from others if you wish.
  • Please mention any concerns to us when you book, so that we can ensure your safety and comfort.

Most importantly

  • Please be mindful of other guests. Since people are at different levels of vaccinations and everyone is moving ahead at a different pace, please respect other guests’ comfort level. That way we can all enjoy the day aboard our beautiful boat to its fullest!
  • Alan & Toddy (owner operators) are fully vaccinated.

We look forward to welcoming you aboard the “Raincoast Maiden”!

Open Again At Long Last

We are open at long last and glad to be back! We had our first tour today and are taking bookings for the season.  This is your chance to see a variety of wildlife, take a scenic cruise through the sheltered waters of the Broken Group Islands and enjoy a delicious gourmet meal in a peaceful setting while at anchor.

Best Marine Wildlife Tour Operator in BC!

We feel both honoured and excited to have won Lux Life’s 2021 Travel & Tourism Award for “Best Marine Wildlife Tour Operator in BC”. Many thanks to the person who nominated us, as well as the team of judges. It is nice to receive some good news during these uncertain times. Let’s hope we are able to put our skills to good use in 2021!

Best Marine Wildlife Tour Operator, BC - Lux Life 2021 Travel & Tourism Awards

COVID-19 Info

GOOD  NEWS!! (And yes, you did read that correctly)

  • You will NOT be squeezed into a small, confined area with fellow passengers (who are not part of your group) for hours on end!
  • Our boat is spacious, and we will limit the number of guests to ensure that you will feel safe and comfortable throughout the tour.
  • It will be easy to distance from fellow passengers since most of our guests spend most of the day outside in one of three separate outside viewing areas (a large bow area, covered back deck and large upper deck which is partially covered).
  • Limiting passenger numbers will ensure that there lots of room to space out tables when we anchor at lunch time to serve the gourmet meal.

How will the tour differ from the way you have run it other years?

For our guests, hardly at all as most of the changes will be done by us:

  • We will limit the number of guests to ensure physical distancing is easily possible.
  • Everyone will be asked to wear a mask inside the cabin or when within 2m of another person (inside or outside)
  • Most of the changes will be done “behind the scenes” (for example extra cleaning duties before, during & after each tour) so you will hardly notice them.
  • BEST OF ALL: The wildlife sightings and spectacular scenery will be exactly as it always has been!!

What will we ask of you?

Will ask you:

  • To contact us immediately if you experience Covid related symptoms or have come into contact with anyone diagnosed with Covid-19 after you have made a reservation with us.
  • Answer a short health questionnaire at check in
  • Stay at least 2m from fellow passengers or staff when outside (if possible)
  • Wear a mask at certain times (see details below)
  • Wash or sanitize your hands frequently and avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth.
  • To be considerate towards your fellow passengers, our staff member and us, and everyone in our community 😊

Will you have to wear a mask?

Yes, we will ask you to wear a mask (covering both nose and mouth) but only at certain times:

  • During check in, i.e., while we perform a verbal health check and take payment (if you have not already paid in advance)
  • Any time you go inside the cabin (for example during the short orientation, to use the toilet, to get a coffee or tea or if you just want to come inside to warm up)
  • Any time you are in a situation where it is not possible to stay at least 2 m apart from guests that are not part of your group (for example during wildlife sightings, when moving past other tables at lunch time)

We request that you bring your own mask but do have extra ones if needed. Please note that masks are mandatory in the above situations.

Health Checks

  • You will not be permitted aboard within 14 days of showing symptoms of Covid-19 or if you are required to quarantine or isolate for any reason, including the following:
    –   if you have been outside of Canada,
    –   if you have been in contact with anyone who has just returned from abroad
    –   if you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19
    (If you have an advance booking, please contact us immediately if your situation regarding the above changes within 14 days of the tour date.)
  • At check in you will have to confirm that you are not experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19 and have not been instructed to quarantine or self-isolate.
  • Our staff member as well as Alan & I (your hosts) will sign confirmation of not showing any symptoms each day.

Cleaning & Sanitizing

We will add extra cleaning and sanitizing duties into daily routine, i.e., before, during and after each tour (in accordance with public health authorities and WorkSafeBC).  This will include:

  • Frequently cleaning/sanitizing all frequently touched surfaces such as counters, washroom, door handles, drinks serving station
  • All items used by guests will be sanitized between trips and/ or laundered and/ or taken off the boat and not reused for 3 days.
  • Hand sanitizer will be available at various locations on the boat.  Each person will also be asked to sanitize their hands each time before stepping inside the cabin.

 

Please feel free to contact us if you wish to see our full safety plan or if you have any further questions or concerns.

We look forward to welcoming you aboard this season!

Alan & Toddy Landry

Looking Forward

2020 definitely turned out to be very different for all of us! We have missed cruising through the magical scenery of the Broken Group Islands each day, we have missed the daily wildlife sightings and the close interactions with people from all over the world.

We look forward to running tours again, hopefully starting in May 2021.

Closed for the Remainder of the 2020 Season

CLOSED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE 2020 SEASON

Wondering where we are?

Sadly, we have had to make the difficult decision to remain closed for the rest of the 2020 season. After taking everything into careful consideration, we feel this to be the only feasible option and best for everyone.  We are off course disappointed but do look forward to operating again in 2021, well rested and with renewed enthusiasm!  

We sincerely hope that you will consider taking a tour with us in 2021.   

Take care and stay safe in these unusual times!  

Keeping in touch….

We miss being out on the water every day but look forward to taking you out on a cruise once it is safe to do so!

Hopefully we will be able to welcome you soon.

In meantime, please check Tourism Ucluelet’s website for travel updates: https://www.discoverucluelet.com/covid-19

2020 Opening Date Postponed

Our season usually starts on May 1st, however this year, due to COVID-19, we will remain closed until further notice.   We are monitoring the situation closely and will post an update once we have new information regarding a possible opening date.

We look forward showing you the incredible wildlife and scenery of our beautiful area as soon as it if safe to do so.

Until then, please stay home and stay safe!

For more information, or to enquire about tours on any future dates, please contact us via email at info@archipelagocruises.com

Still open ….

We are still open and running our Broken Group Islands Wildlife Cruise. Recent trips have been great as there is still lots of wildlife (& islands!!) around. October 15th will be their last day of the season.