Bella Coola Ferry Terminal

This review is for the Ferry, not the terminal (which is very basic and all outdoor, but with spectacular views).Took this ferry in February to Bella Bella. Absolutely gorgeous trip. We saw multiple packs of dolphins, and recorded videos of them swimming and leaping alongside the boat. Seals and other sea animals could be seen as well. The ride was quiet in the off season with maybe a dozen passengers, most sleeping. You can see many stars from the deck at night.-No Cabins-Limited cell reception

Some more detailed instructions on how to board the ferry during the summer months. Check-in 120 minutes to 90 minutes before boarding in the parking lot to the south of the Bella Coola Coop - form 4 lines where the left 2 lines contain the oversized vehicles and the right 2 lines contain the regular sized vehicles. Enter the parking lot from the south side. We then had to wait about an hour or so before driving down to the ferry as a convoy. There are no washrooms in this parking lot. Once on the ferry, we needed to turn our vehicle around and back into the parking spot. Walk upstairs and greet the purser, and show photo ids of all your party members.The ferry ride to Port Hardy is 10 hours. Gorgeous views of the mountains and water. Breakfast is served immediately when you board, while lunch is served at 12:00 pm. Passengers are not allowed on the car deck except at certain announced times, at which point people can visit their cars to water their animals or grab additional items. Super friendly crew. Lots of wildlife encountered on our trip, including 2 pods of humpback whales, some porpoises, and some eagles feeding on fish. Along the way, the 3rd officer also gave some historical context about some points of interest like Restoration Bay or Namu.

Nice staff!