After some difficulty (remember to pack your proof of citizenship!--oh, and the first Monday of August is BC day) we boarded the ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island.
It's just a way to get yourself and your car from the mainland to the island, but boy, it sure is pretty enough to be a sightseeing tour of its own!
We didn't see any marine mammals, but did see some birds (common murres, and gulls mostly).