Alert Bay Municipal Wharf
A small timber wharf with a float at the foot of Tamarack Street, owned by the Village of Alert Bay. Smaller ships berth here, right beside the village centre. There is no passenger terminal building.
Alert Bay, Canada
Alert Bay, the village of 'Yalis on small Cormorant Island off northern Vancouver Island, is one of the great centres of Kwakwaka'wakw culture. More about Alert Bay →
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Ship schedule by month
October 2026 · from today · all times local (Pacific Time)
No more ships are scheduled in Alert Bay this month
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Cruise Ships in Alert Bay
Today and the next 7 days · all times local (Pacific Time)
Today · Thu 22 OctNo ships
0 people in port
No cruise ships today
Next 7 days
- Thu22 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Fri23 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Sat24 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Sun25 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Mon26 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Tue27 Oct–No ships0 ships
- Wed28 Oct–No ships0 ships
Thousands of people in port, guests plus crew. Crowd level compared with a typical Alert Bay day.
Planning a day in Alert Bay?
The crowd calendar shows every ship and how busy the port is, hour by hour, plus the quietest and busiest days for the next 90 days.
Where is the Alert Bay cruise port?
Smaller ships berth at the Municipal Wharf, a timber wharf with a float at the foot of Tamarack Street in the heart of the village. The 'Namgis burial grounds are just steps away, the Visitor Centre and the ferry terminal are a few minutes' walk north along Fir Street, and the U'mista Cultural Centre is about 2 km along the waterfront.
Terminal
Getting to the Alert Bay cruise port
Port McNeill ferry terminal (Vancouver Island) → Alert Bay Municipal Wharf
Ferries connect Port McNeill on Vancouver Island with Alert Bay on Cormorant Island. From the Alert Bay ferry terminal it is about a 7-minute walk (500 m) south along Fir Street to the Municipal Wharf.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
TransportTypical priceJourneyGood to know
Ferry from Port McNeill
CAD 12.45per person
Varies
Return fare CAD 12.45 per adult and CAD 6.25 per child.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
Driving to the port
Alert Bay is a small, walkable village, and most sights are along the flat waterfront within about 2 km of the wharf. Ferries connect to Port McNeill on northern Vancouver Island; the return fare is CAD 12.45 per adult and CAD 6.25 per child.
Alert Bay Cruise Terminals
1 terminal
Destination
About Alert Bay
Alert Bay, the village of 'Yalis on small Cormorant Island off northern Vancouver Island, is one of the great centres of Kwakwaka'wakw culture. Its long waterfront is lined with stilt houses, old cannery buildings and carved poles, and the U'mista Cultural Centre tells the story of potlatch treasures that were taken and later returned. Above the town stand the traditional Big House and the world's tallest totem pole, while the island's boardwalk trails lead into a quiet cedar swamp. Whales often pass in nearby Johnstone Strait. Before travelling, check your government's travel advice.
- Climate
- Average daily highs range from 6.0°C in December to 18.4°C in August, and lows from 1.2°C in February to 10.8°C in July and August. Rain or other precipitation of at least 1 mm falls on about 182 days a year, from 7.7 days in July to 20.2 days in December.
- Time zone
- Pacific Time
- Currency
- Canadian dollar (CAD)
Things to Do in Alert Bay
U'mista Cultural Centre
On the waterfront at the north end of the village, U'mista houses the Potlatch Collection: masks, regalia and ceremonial objects seized under the federal potlatch ban and later returned to the Kwakwaka'wakw people. Its name describes the return of something taken. Admission is CAD 15 per adult, CAD 12 for seniors and students, CAD 5 for youth aged 8 to 18 and CAD 30 for a family, plus GST; children under 8 are free.
'Namgis Original Burial Grounds
Rows of memorial poles stand in the 'Namgis burial grounds along the waterfront, one of the most photographed sights in Alert Bay. This is a sacred resting place for the ancestors and loved ones of the 'Namgis First Nation. Please view and photograph the poles only from the street, and never enter the grounds. There is no admission.
'Namgis Big House and the world's tallest totem pole
On the hill above the north end of town, the traditional 'Namgis Big House stands beside the world's tallest totem pole, 52.7 metres high, which carries the crests of several Kwakwaka'wakw tribes.
Alert Bay Ecological Park (Gator Gardens)
Known locally as Gator Gardens, this park in the centre of the island is a cedar swamp created when a dam flooded the forest for an old cannery. Wooden boardwalks wind past standing dead cedars, skunk cabbage and moss, and it is a good place to see birds, including bald eagles. The park is open to the public.