Otter Bay terminal berth closure and alternate service overview

The required five-day berth closure for the Otter Bay terminal life extension project will take place from Friday, November 20 to Tuesday, November 24, 2026. Regular service will resume on Wednesday, November 25, 2026.

Emergency and essential services will not be impacted during the closure. The dangerous goods (DG) sailing schedule has been revised to accommodate the closure and can be found online here. BC Ferries is working with commercial users to minimize disruptions.

Water-taxi service

During the closure, BC Ferries will provide a foot-passenger water-taxi service between Pender Island (Otter Bay) and Swartz Bay (Vancouver Island).

Pender Island landing area: Otter Bay Marina
- The marina’s Café will be open during the berth closure, and will have an assortment of baked goods, coffee, and sandwiches available for purchase while you wait for the water-taxi.
Swartz Bay landing area: BC Ferries’ Terminal Maintenance Float adjacent to Berth 1 (in front of the ticketing booth area)
Landing area waiting rooms: heated with access to washrooms
Capacity: 12 to 50 people (dependent on the water-taxi), first-come, first-served
- Up to three water-taxis will be used for each sailing with larger ones used for busier sailing times. The number allocated to each sailing was determined through the study of historical passenger travel to and from both Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen terminals.
Additional space: to transport items such as bicycles, strollers, and mobility aids
Cost: walk-on fare is paid at the Swartz Bay terminal and includes the return trip. No fares will be collected at Otter Bay. Walk-on fare details can be found in the Victoria (Swartz Bay) – Southern Gulf Islands section of the BC Ferries Fares PDF.
BC Ferries staff will be onsite to assist customers
Carts will be available to transport goods to/from the water-taxi

The water-taxi schedule can be found here on our Service Notices page.

***The gangway to the water-taxi at Swartz Bay will be steep at low tides, which may pose a challenge for individuals with mobility issues. We will have terminal staff available to assist with a motorized wheelchair up the ramp if required.

If you have any questions about water-taxi accessibility, please contact Customer Care at 1-888-BC FERRY (1-888-223-3779) or email the Customer Relations team at customer.relations@bcferries.com for assistance.

Water-taxi pet policy

Pets will be welcome under the following conditions:

They fit on the owner’s lap or between their feet/legs on the floor
Walkways remain clear and unobstructed for safety
Pets are non-aggressive and under the owner’s control

Passenger safety is top priority. The water-taxi operator reserves the right to refuse service if safety requirements are not met.

Shuttle service

BC Ferries will provide a complimentary shuttle from the Otter Bay terminal to the Otter Bay Marina (approx. 300 metres). It will be timed as closely as possible to water-taxi arrivals/departures, and is first-come, first-served, and will make round-trips as needed for customers.

Capacity: 19 passengers
Schedule: Timed as closely as possible to water-taxi arrivals/departures, first-come, first-served (shuttle will make multiple round-trips as required)

Shuttle pet policy

Pets are permitted when contained in secure, pet carriers. If there are no extra unoccupied seats, the carrier should be small enough to fit on the passenger's lap and must not block the aisle.
Pursuant to the Guide Dog and Service Dog Act, guide and service animal and handler teams are permitted on board when: the guide or service dog wears its leash or harness, the guide or service dog is clean, and the guide or service dog is well-behaved.

Passenger safety is top priority. The shuttle driver reserves the right to refuse service.

Pet-friendly taxi and pet policy

One complimentary taxi will also be provided to accommodate customers with larger dogs travel between Otter Bay Marina and the Otter Bay terminal.

Capacity: 4 passengers / separate compartment in back for pet
Schedule: Timed as closely as possible to water-taxi arrivals/departures, first-come, first-served basis.
Policy: to ensure that distractions to the driver cannot be caused by a pet, all pets must be carried and remain in a separate compartment from the driver. This separate compartment may consist of an enclosed pet carrier or the pet area of a pet-friendly taxi (equipped with a barrier between the pet area and the passenger compartment). Drivers shall not make exceptions to this rule.

Passenger safety is top priority. The taxi driver reserves the right to refuse service.

Parking at Otter Bay terminal

BC Ferries aims to mitigate travel disruption by providing the complimentary shuttle bus service for customers between Otter Bay terminal and Otter Bay Marina.

Free parking will be available in the staging lanes at the terminal. Customers will be provided with a dash pass by terminal staff and must ensure it is visible.

BC Ferries is not responsible for vehicles or items of value left in them.

No parking will be available at Otter Bay Marina.

Parking at Swartz Bay terminal

Free parking will be available at the terminal. Customers will be provided with a dash pass by terminal staff and must ensure it is visible.

Next steps

We will continue to share project and alternate service updates leading up to the November 20-24 closure dates. We encourage you to subscribe for project updates in the right upper corner of this page if you’ve not already done so.

An Alternate Service Guide containing a comprehensive overview of the alternate service information will be available for download from this page the week of October 19th.

Customer support

For any questions regarding the alternate service information, please contact Customer Care at 1-888-BC-FERRY (1-888-223-3779) or email the Customer Relations team at customer.relations@bcferries.com.

We recognize the impact the berth closure will have on the community and want to thank you once again for your patience and understanding as we work to provide safe and reliable ferry service to Pender Island for years to come.