Heriot Bay - Whaletown
Ferry to Cortes Island
Heriot Bay - Whaletown
Ferry to Cortes Island
See ferry fares and operators from all over the world in one spot, and find the sailing that fits your trip. Booking early is usually the surest way to get a good price and plenty of choice.
Discounts are available with Direct Ferries all year round. If a senior discount applies to your crossing, it's applied for you automatically once the right age bracket is selected in the passenger options.
Students and recent graduates can claim a 5% saving. Register with our partner Student Beans to verify eligibility, then apply your discount code at checkout.
Resident discounts also apply to a number of Spanish and Italian routes — pick the "Residents" option during search and the fare adjusts automatically. Be ready to show proof of address, such as an ID card or residency certificate, at check-in.
Requirements for travel documents change from route to route, so check what's needed ahead of time. A valid passport is usually required for Heriot Bay to Whaletown travel, plus any visa or national ID relevant to your nationality. Since the rules depend on your citizenship and destination, our Check-in, Travel Documents & Tickets guide is the place to check for the latest guidance and avoid delays at check-in.
To book, just add your departure port, arrival port and preferred date, and you'll see every fare and sailing on offer. You can also compare alternative routes and times to find your best match.
Look out for early-bird pricing and flexible ticket options, such as upgrades or flexi-fares that let you make changes down the line. Entering accurate details — passenger count, vehicle specs and so on — keeps the process running smoothly.
As soon as your booking is confirmed, a confirmation email will land in your inbox. What happens next with your boarding pass depends on the operator you've booked.
Some operators issue boarding passes right away, while others need you to check in at the port itself. Where it's supported, the Direct Ferries app lets you check in online in advance.
You'll usually find ticket desks close to the ferry terminal. Giving yourself a little extra time before departure means you can collect tickets and check in without any stress.
Bring your confirmation email and valid photo ID, such as a passport or identity card, to check in. Pet owners should have vaccination and insurance documents on hand, and anyone with a resident discount should carry proof of address.
There are a few reasons departures from Heriot Bay to Whaletown might not show for your chosen date — a schedule change, sold-out sailings, or a seasonal lull are the most likely. Try another date or check alternative routes through our Route & Port finder.
Booking your Heriot Bay to Whaletown ferry well ahead of time generally works in your favour — you'll usually find better fares and a wider choice of departures and cabins.
A few weeks ahead is usually enough notice to catch the best offers, though fares can still fluctuate with the season and remaining space.
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Bounded by the lush, evergreen woodland that cloaks the hills of Quadra Island, part of the island mosaic that forms the shattered western coast of Canada, is the picturesque port of Heriot Bay. It’s a tightly-knit community on the island’s south-eastern coast, at a point where the land tapers into a narrow tail and traces the adjacent shoreline of Vancouver Island. The entire town is centred around the century-old Heriot Bay Inn. This historic wooden building sits at the end of a twist of lanes lined by quaint cabins, their eaves shadowed by the leafy boughs of the forest. The main roads all meet at the town’s pristine waterfront. From here one can watch the gentle swell of the Salish Sea and the yachts and dinghies roll smoothly over each and every wave. The port of Heriot Bay is found on the eastern edge of the bay. It is a small facility, much in keeping with the rest of town, that consists of little more than a check-in kiosk and a stubby pier that overlooks the local marina. There are no facilities at the port itself, though travellers can purchase hot food and drink from the nearby Heriot Bay Inn. No system of public transport services Heriot Bay, meaning that it can only be reached on foot or by car. The main road route circles Quadra Island’s southern peninsula and the small settlements that largely exist along the coast. The neighbouring town of Quathiaski Cove, just a 10-minute drive away, is also home to a ferry terminal that acts as a gateway to the town of Campbell River on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island. One ferry route currently operates from Heriot Bay. A BC Ferries service leaves the port multiple times throughout the day, heading east to the quirkily named Whaletown on Cortes Island. It’s a journey of less than an hour that takes passengers by the pointed tip of the Rebecca Spit Marine Provincial Park and across a pocket of the Salish Sea.
