Our aim is to have all delegates arrive in Victoria on Monday, July 17. For all delegates not already based on Vancouver Island (international delegates and delegates from other Canadian provinces) there will be four ways to achieve this – the first two options (1 & 2) involve direct travel to Victoria while the last two options (3 & 4) are for delegates who will first need to fly into either Vancouver or Seattle.
Travelling Direct to Victoria
Option 1: You may be able to fly direct to Victoria. For example, there are some direct flights to Victoria International Airport YYJ from some Canadian cities and from Seattle and Hawai’i in the USA.
Option 2: As we are ocean people attending an ocean themed conference, travel by ferry should also be an option well worth considering, especially if you are travelling from either Vancouver or Seattle. From Vancouver BC Ferries run from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay. These two ferry terminals are conveniently linked to downtown Vancouver and Victoria by the BC Ferries Connector bus service. From Seattle the Victoria Clipper offers a daily service to Victoria and on Monday 17th it departs Seattle at 8 am.
Arriving in Vancouver or Seattle First: The next two options are for those delegates who must first fly into either Vancouver or Seattle. Connection to flights or ferries to Victoria may require an overnight stay in Vancouver or Seattle.
Option 3: Delegates flying into Vancouver International Airport YVR can then fly to Victoria International Airport YYJ or travel to Victoria by ferry using the combination of the BC Ferries Connect bus and BC Ferries described above.
Option 4: Delegates flying into Seattle can then fly to Victoria International Airport YYJ or travel to Victoria by ferry using the Victoria Clipper service described above. There is only one ferry service on Monday 17th and that departs Seattle at 8 am so you would need to stay in downtown Seattle on the night of Sunday 16th. Alternatively there are two Victoria Clipper services on Sunday 16th – one departing Seattle at 7.30 am and the other at 3.15 pm – so it may be possible to fly into Seattle on the morning of Sunday 16th and catch the 3.15 pm ferry to Victoria then stay in a downtown Victoria hotel that night.
Note: You may need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation eTA to enter Canada and the USA.
After the conference: The IPMEN 2023 conference will end on Thursday July 20th with delegates travelling home or on to the NMEA 2023 conference in Bellingham WA on Friday July 21st. We can now offer delegates registered for NMEA 2023 and planning to travel from Victoria BC to Bellingham WA a travel package called the “Magical Marine Mystery Tour” (see below).
At this stage we are limited to 24 places on this package and because the final cost will depend on how many delegates take-up this option we ask that you hold your place by paying a deposit of CAD $100 (Shaw Centre entrance fee & lunch not included).
Magical Marine Mystery Tour – Victoria BC to Bellingham WA
- Charter bus from UVic dorms to UVic Marine Technology Centre, Sidney.
- UVic Marine Technology Centre tour.
- Charter bus from UVic Marine Technology Centre to Shaw Centre for Salish Sea.
- Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea tour.
- Charter bus from Shaw Centre to Swartz Bay ferry terminal.
- BC Ferries from Swartz Bay BC to Tsawwassen BC – lunch onboard.
- Charter bus from Tsawwassen BC to Bellingham WA (cross the Canada / USA boarder).
- Drop-off would at Four Points by Sheraton Bellingham Hotel.
Note: The National Marine Educators Association (NMEA has signed on as the sponsor for this tour.
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