The public are warmly invited to watch the historic landing of the Hawaii Mars water bomber sometime between 6-6:30pm Sunday, August 11, 2024 on the ocean at Pat Bay beside the Victoria International Airport.
Please refer to this traffic map for the best parking and viewing areas.
Another specific water map will be posted soon with the no entry area for boaters. The area on this current map is a rough guide to any 360 degree direction the Mars might land depending on prevailing winds. There will be 11 local water authority boats patrolling this no entry area.
The museum kindly thanks the Municipality of North Saanich for preparing this summary traffic map.
Spectator Fleet
Given the high level of interest in the arrival of the Hawaii Mars, a fleet of craft carrying spectators is anticipated in Patricia Bay for the landing. The area will be closely managed by eleven official craft, (RCMP, Canadian Coast Guard, WCMRC, Parks Canada, Tseycum, Tsartlip and Malaht First Nations, RCMSAR Salt Spring Island/Sidney/Cowichan and Brentwood) and it is imperative that all vessels follow their instructions to ensure the anticipated landing zone is kept clear and safe.
The MARS is scheduled to land between 18:00 and 18:30 hr on 11 Aug. The waterbomber will land and taxi to a temporary mooring buoy located near the Institute of Ocean Sciences docks. The map below specifies the anticipated exclusion zone. Please note that the final approach may differ, based on the prevailing wind conditions, so please check this map on the day to make sure you have the latest available information.
