Fisherman's Wharf Float Homes, Riding the 'Pickle Boat' Water Taxis & James Bay

Just a 12-minute scenic waterfront walk west of the BC Parliament Buildings around the outer harbour (along the paved David Foster Harbour Pathway)—or a fun 10-minute ride across the water on a miniature green-and-yellow Victoria Harbour Ferry ('Pickle Boat')—sits one of the most colorful spots on Vancouver Island: Fisherman's Wharf.

1. Walking the Docks of Fisherman's Wharf (Free 24/7!)

Originally a working commercial fishing basin, Fisherman's Wharf is a living floating neighbourhood where 33 permanently moored, brightly painted one- and two-storey float homes bob on giant flotation pontoons right beside commercial halibut and prawn fishing boats:

• Stroll the Residential Float-Home Piers (Respect Resident Privacy!): walk down the wooden ramp onto the floating docks (completely free to walk!) to admire cottages painted in vibrant turquoise, coral pink, sunflower yellow and lime green, decorated with floating container gardens, nautical sculptures, kayaks tied to the front porch and solar panels!
• What to Eat Right on the Dock: grab a newspaper-wrapped cone of wild BC halibut, cod or sockeye salmon fish-and-chips at famous Barb's Fish & Chips (operating on its floating barge since 1984!), fresh local Fanny Bay oysters and Dungeness crab rolls at The Fish Store, fish tacos at Puerto Vallarta Amigos, or handmade waffle-cone ice cream at Jackson's Ice Cream while watching wild harbour seals, river otters and great blue herons swim right beneath the dock planks!

2. Riding the Victoria Harbour Ferry & Watching the 'Water Ballet'

• Hop a Water Taxi (Hop-On Hop-Off): instead of walking both ways, walk to Fisherman's Wharf along the shoreline path and ride a 12-passenger Victoria Harbour Ferry back to the Empress Dock (or take their 45-minute Harbour Tour / Gorge Waterway Tour under the historic 1924 blue Johnson Street Bridge!).
• Don't Miss the Free 10:45 AM Sunday/Saturday 'Water Ballet'! On weekend mornings from May to September (10:45 AM Saturdays and Sundays in July/August; Sundays in May, June and September), five tiny Pickle Boats gather right in front of the Fairmont Empress in the Inner Harbour to perform a 15-minute synchronized classical music 'Water Ballet'—spinning in pirouettes and figure-eights to Brahms and Strauss!