Oak Bay Marina Webcam – Watch the Docks at Turkey Head

The Oak Bay Marina Webcam is a wide panoramic camera above the docks at Turkey Head Point, on the eastern shore of Oak Bay just outside Victoria, British Columbia. Rows of sailboat masts fill the middle of the frame, powerboats sit along the floats in the foreground, and the calm water of the inner basin runs back toward the treed shoreline of the bay. The marina building and its walkways frame the right edge. Through the day the scene shifts with the light and the traffic, as boats slip in and out of the basin and the water turns glassy on still mornings. The stream plays on the marina’s own weather and tides page, so it opens in a new tab.

About Oak Bay Marina

Boating on this stretch of shore goes back a long way. The Oak Bay Boat House opened here in 1893, and a protective breakwater was built with federal funding in 1959. Bob Wright, founder of the Oak Bay Marine Group, built the present marina in 1962, and it officially opened in April 1964. The Oak Bay Marine Group still runs it today.

The marina takes moorage for vessels up to about 21 meters (70 feet), both annual and monthly, with fresh water and 15 and 30 amp power at the slips. On site are a fuel dock, a gift shop and chandlery, a coffee shop and the Marina Dockside Eatery. The docks also host boat repair services, a sailing school and a Coast Guard rescue station. The site has an unusual past as well: it housed the Pacific Undersea Gardens from 1964 to 1969 and then Sealand of the Pacific, an aquarium that kept orcas, from 1969 until 1992. In 1986 the then Vice President of the United States, George H. W. Bush, came here for a fishing trip. The camera feed is powered by BRNKL, a marine monitoring system.

Weather and Climate in Oak Bay

Oak Bay is one of the driest and sunniest places on the British Columbia coast. The Gonzales weather station, a short distance south of the marina, records around 608 millimeters (24 inches) of precipitation a year and about 2,193 hours of sunshine, thanks to the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. July brings daily highs near 20.6 C (69 F), lows around 11.9 C (53 F) and barely 14 millimeters (0.6 inches) of rain, so the summer view is usually blue sky over a crowded basin with visitors moving along the docks.

Winters are mild and grey rather than cold. January averages highs of 7.8 C (46 F) and lows of 3.8 C (39 F), and more than 60 percent of the year’s rain falls between November and February. December is the wettest month at about 109 millimeters (4.3 inches). On the webcam that means low cloud, wet decks and quieter docks, with most boats covered up and sitting at their slips. Snow is light, averaging roughly 26 centimeters (10 inches) a year across Greater Victoria, so a white dock on camera is a rare sight.

Things to Do Near Oak Bay Marina

The Turkey Head walkway starts at Beach Drive and curls out past the marina parking lot to the cafe, making an easy stroll with water on both sides. Heading north along Beach Drive brings you to Willows Beach, once the Lkwungen seaport of Sitchanalth at the mouth of Bowker Creek, and then to the Uplands, a residential district laid out in 1912 on former Hudson’s Bay Company land. Oak Bay Village, along Oak Bay Avenue, is a few minutes inland.

South along the shore, Beach Drive passes the Victoria Golf Club, founded in 1893 and the oldest golf club in Canada still on its original site. Just beyond it is the Chinese Cemetery at Harling Point, bought by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in 1903 and declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1996. Its twin altar towers look across the water toward the Olympic Mountains.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more harbors and marinas across Canada, try these cameras:

• Nanaimo Harbour Webcam
• Ucluelet Harbour Webcam
• Halifax Waterfront Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Oak Bay Marina located?

Oak Bay Marina sits on Turkey Head Point in Oak Bay, British Columbia, on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island. It is a short drive east of downtown Victoria.

What can you see on the Oak Bay Marina Webcam?

A wide panorama of the marina basin: sailboat masts, powerboats on the floats, the inner water and the treed shoreline of Oak Bay, with the marina building along the right side.

Why does the Oak Bay Marina Webcam open on another page?

The operator does not allow the stream to play on other websites, so it opens on the Oak Bay Marina weather and tides page, where the live picture is embedded.

What is the weather like in Oak Bay?

Mild and relatively dry. Summer highs are around 20 C (68 F) and winter highs around 8 C (46 F), with only about 608 millimeters (24 inches) of rain a year.

How big a boat can moor at Oak Bay Marina?

The marina accepts vessels up to about 21 meters (70 feet) for annual and monthly moorage, with water and 15 and 30 amp power.

Is there a restaurant at Oak Bay Marina?

Yes. The Marina Dockside Eatery and a coffee shop are on site, alongside the fuel dock and a gift shop and chandlery.

When was Oak Bay Marina built?

Bob Wright built it in 1962, and it officially opened in April 1964 on the site of the older Oak Bay Boat House from 1893.

Source: Oak Bay Marine Group