Stuck at Swartz Bay? Here are 10 ways to kill time at this BC Ferries terminal
Hundreds of thousands of passengers are preparing to travel this long weekend, so you’ll likely be waiting for a while before you get on a BC Ferry.
Labour Day is the last long weekend of the summer, so plenty of British Columbians will likely be trying to make the most of it, which means travelling to and from the Mainland.
According to BC Ferries, it’s the busiest summer on record for ferry travel.
“This Labour Day weekend, we’re expecting to welcome over 530k passengers and 204k vehicles on board,” it added in an X post.
For those taking BC Ferries from Victoria to the Mainland, you might be waiting for a while because of the hectic summer travel season, (and possibly) sold-out reservations, a broken boat, naive assumptions no one else would be travelling on a long weekend, or a crewing issue.
So we thought of some ways you could kill time while you’re stuck waiting at the Swartz Bay terminal.
Pack your Nintendo Switch
Kick off your summer in style with this new line of pastel Joy-Con controllers, available 6/30. Which color is your fave? #Nintendo pic.twitter.com/PFGHvstoN7
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 2, 2023
This feels like a no-brainer, but if you have a Nintendo Switch and are braving BC Ferries this weekend, bring the Zelda game along for the ride or be the envy of all around you by powering up your OG Nintendo for some vintage Tetris. Please let us play too!
Look out the window and try to spot marine wildlife
Pacific Whale Association
Keep your eyes peeled because there’s a good chance you could spot some marine wildlife, but it all depends on the season.
You could maybe spot a humpback whale, a porpoise, or a pod of orcas.
Or if you are travelling typically between February and April, the return of Pacific grey whales to the waters off Vancouver Island on their northern migration route is an annual event.
Beautiful BC is right!
Read Daily Hive articles on your iPad
Autumn Sky Photography/Shutterstock | Russ Heinl/Shutterstock
This is a shameless plug, to be sure, but you might find information that is relevant to your long delays. There’s also all sorts of other useless crap, but it’s fun to read.
The picture above might also be a way to be thankful you are taking a break from Vancouver Island, which has the highest concentration of cougars on the planet. That said, these elusive cats are still less deadly than bees.
Be a movie star
The Swartz Bay ferry terminal in Victoria makes an appearance on Netflix’s Maid. (Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix)
We all know that BC is the stand-in for pretty much everywhere on the planet for TV and movies, as Hollywood North is a favourite filming spot for many obvious reasons. But you might not know that the BC Ferries terminal itself has had its star-studded closeup as well, Maid. It wasn’t the only Vancouver Island location. If you want to check them all out, head here.
Eat
BC Ferries’ Swartz Bay Terminal. (Shutterstock)
While you can’t enjoy the once-famous buffet on board the ferry, there is something new coming, and we are excited for its rollout. However, while you wait for that, there are lots of offerings at the terminal itself, and we can vouch that while you might be grumpy at the prices, you will be less “hangry” than if you don’t. Hate that idea? Pack a cooler with snacks and pop the trunk for a terminal tailgate party.
Plus, eating is better than fuming at long delays and wondering how long it’ll take you to get to Vancouver since you didn’t have breakfast or lunch and don’t want vending machine food.
Read a fricking book
donatas1205/Shutterstock
The digital age has taken over, and the constant doomscrolling and other related factors can seriously impact your mental health.
So instead of anxiously texting and getting angry about the situation at BC Ferries, grab one of the best books ever written and get lost for a while.
Spend some loving time with your partner
engagestock/Shutterstock
If you’re travelling with a partner and both are stuck waiting for hours for the next sailing, immerse yourself in each other because, as the Beatles said, all you need is love.
Or you can do what many couples do and bicker, but that probably wouldn’t be as fun.
Spend some time loving ChatGPT
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is potentially full of fun.
If you’re travelling alone, it can keep you company, tell you jokes, or even tell you a story.
Here’s a ChatGPT joke:
ChatGPT
Figure out what you’ll do once you FINALLY get to the other side
Anatoliy Cherkas/Shutterstock
One thing that could be fun to do while you’re stuck at a ferry terminal is to plot out what you’re going to do once you get to your destination.
Whether it’s restaurants you’ll visit or sights you’ll see, it’s a better way to kill time than panicking about your delay. Want to avoid the usual spots? We rounded up our favourite summertime adventures that aren’t the standard Stanley Park or Gastown Steam Clock visits.
Meditate
Lelechka/Shutterstock
This might seem like a hokey suggestion, but with a busy commute and panicked and anxious people all around you, one of the best things you can do for your mental health is just sit and breathe.
Before you know it, the gates will open, and you’ll be stuck waiting in line to order food instead.
Take a deep breath.
Leave your suggestions in the comments.