The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a busy shipping channel. Incoming ships on the U.S. side of the Strait will slow down at Port Angeles long enough to pick up a local pilot and then continue on to Puget Sound. Local pilots are required for ships to navigate through our waterways and transfers are quick and sometimes dangerous in rough seas.
The ship above is the Hanjin Madrid. It is of German registry and was destined to Seattle at just under 24 knots when I snapped this shot. I was able to find lots of interesting shipping details about this and other incoming and outgoing ships at this website that posts virtually real time information about shipping in waterways around the world. Victoria, on Vancouver Island, B.C. is in the background of this shot.
Safety and ships certainly have been in the news lately!
I don’t often see a view of Victoria from this angle – nice! And I use that same website myself for all the tug photos I take.
Our view of Victoria from the south is distant but we do get the lume of Victoria lights at night. Arriving by ferry from Port Angeles is a gorgeous sight of the inner harbor, Parliament, and, of course, the Empress Hotel.