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Nanaimo

Nanaimo’s deep, sheltered harbour on the east coast of Vancouver Island has made it a natural hub for seaplane operations for over a century. Today, the city is one of the busiest seaplane bases in Canada, with dozens of flights a day zipping across the Strait of Georgia in a constant hum of Beaver and Otter floatplanes. The main operator, Harbour Air, runs a bustling terminal right on the downtown waterfront (just steps from the old bastion and the bustling harbourfront walkway), offering scheduled flights to Vancouver’s Coal Harbour or YVR South Terminal in as little as 20 minutes, plus seasonal routes to Sechelt, Comox, and even Victoria’s Inner Harbour. On a typical day you’ll see bright turquoise Harbour Air Otters, red-and-white Seair Beavers, and the occasional white-and-blue Gulf Island Seaplanes Caravan taxiing up to the docks, unloading commuters, tourists, and locals heading to remote coastal communities.

The seaplane scene in Nanaimo is more than just transportation; it’s part of the city’s identity. On summer weekends the harbour can feel like a watery airport, with planes taking off and landing every few minutes, their props kicking up spray as gulls scatter. Smaller charter companies like Sunshine Coast Air and Tofino Air use Nanaimo as a jumping-off point for flightseeing tours over the Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, or even quick hops to Tofino’s beaches. For many residents on nearby Gabriola, Valdes, or Salt Spring Island, the daily de Havilland Beaver or Turbine Otter is simply the ferry—they park their cars at the terminal, hop on with groceries or kayaks, and are home in 10–15 minutes. On calm evenings, when the sun sets behind Newcastle Island, the silhouette of a floatplane banking over Departure Bay is as iconic to Nanaimo as the old coal mines or the bathtub races.Here is my video of a seaplane trying to take off at Nanaimo.

Download routes to this location and other routes in the Gulf Island, Desolation Sound and The Broughtons. Download so you can use them offline on your phone, tablet, or laptop when you cruising.
https://bc.boatinglocations.com/route-downloads/