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June 13th 2023 - 1pm Tour - Cowichan Bay After a couple days absent we were lucky to encounter the Bigg's killer whales today on our afternoon t

Updated 11:59pm Tuesday, June 13

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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

COVID-19 Update June 15th 2021

We Are Open For Tours!!

 

Ocean EcoVentures is open for Whale Watching and Wildlife Eco Tours.  We have implemented new daily operational protocols in regards to COVID-19. Due to the Covid19 pandemic, and out of an abundance of caution, Ocean Ecoventures shut down all operations in March 2020. We resumed operations in June 2020 with newly implement Covid-19 protocols in place. We opened April 1st for our 2021 season.

As safety has always been our number one priority, during the closure we have been busy developing additional safety measures for our comprehensive operating protocols, so that Ocean Ecoventures can offer safe and educational whale watching tours while remaining in full compliance with guidance recommendations from the Provincial Health Authority, Workman’s Compensation Board (WCB), and British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC).

We are now excited to resume operations while assuring our guests that their health and safety is our number one concern. Ocean Ecoventures has adopted modified operations protocols and safety measures including enhanced cleaning and sanitizing.

The following are some of the important measures we have implemented to ensure our guests that they can enjoy safe and educational marine tours:

  • Ocean Ecoventures has a zero tolerance policy for illness in the workplace. Our land base team, guides, and customers will be required to complete a health declaration prior to boarding vessels. Any passenger who presents with symptoms of Covid19 such as fever, cough, body ache, loss of smell, etc. will be denied boarding, and any employee who exhibits such symptoms will vacate the workplace premises immediately.

 

  • In compliance with Transport Canada’s recommendations announced on June 03, 2020, non-medical, tight- fitting masks or face coverings MUST be worn at all times when social distancing of two meters is not possible, including the entire duration of your whale watching trip. Face coverings are defined as “non-surgical, non-regulated cloth masks that cover the mouth and nose.” When worn properly, a person wearing a non-medical mask or face covering may reduce the spread of his or her infectious respiratory droplets.

 

  • Ocean Ecoventures will ensure that you have access to hand sanitizer during your check in process at the office, as well as for the duration of your trip on the boat.

 

  • Floatation devices that are worn by passengers for whale watching trips are fallowed for 48 hours following their use. In addition, high contact areas such as buckles, zippers, and collars are sanitized.

View our Health and Safety Plan

 

CHECK IN PROCESS:

1. Check in time is 30 minutes prior to departure.When you and your group arrive at our office in Cowichan Bay you will notice four large blue and green painted squares located outside our shop. Choose a square and remain there with your party until you are called forward for check in procedures. While awaiting the check in process, please ensure that you are observing social distancing of two meters with other passengers at all times.

Please note: Ocean Ecoventures staff will greet you as you arrive, however they will not be available for early check in. If you arrive early and do not see Ocean Ecoventures staff, please be assured that they are either in the office or on the dock and will assist you shortly.Please ensure that you have brought a non medical cloth mask or face covering. If you do not have a face covering, we will provide you with one.

2. Once you are called forward for check in procedures with Ocean EcoVentures staff, you will follow the one way directional  arrows as you exit your coloured square and make your way to the staff member. The passenger group behind your group will follow you and remain in your vacated spot until they are called, etc.

Once you have vacated your coloured waiting spot every member of your party will answer a brief health questionnaire to ensure that all passengers boarding the boat are free of Covid-19 symptoms. Any passenger who does present with such symptoms will be denied boarding and will receive a refund.

3. Following the health questionnaire, hand sanitizer will be offered to each passenger and a staff member will then distribute floatation devices and face coverings for those passengers who did not bring one.  While we strongly encourage you and your group to use washroom facilities prior to arriving for check in, there is a washroom available at the check in office if necessary.
Your passenger group will now be directed back to the blue and green squares to await the check in process for the remaining passengers.

4. When all passengers have completed the check in process, the captain will walk everybody to the dock where you and your group will once again be directed to holding spots where floatation devices and non medical cloth face coverings will be donned, while observing two meters of social distancing from other passengers.

5. When all passengers have donned their floatation devices and face coverings and are safely seated in the boat, the captain will provide a detailed Safety Briefing. Once the Safety Briefing is complete, the adventure begins!

 

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