The Observation Deck

A curved timber deck cantilevered over the water at the end of the harborwalk, built for watching what happens below it.

The observation deck is part of the public improvements delivered with the hotel, so it stays open to everyone — guests and townspeople alike. It projects out over the shallows on concrete piles, with a cable-and-timber rail and built-in benches along its length.

The water underneath is protected eelgrass habitat, which is why the wildlife is so reliable here. Sea otters raft in the beds below through most of the year; harbour seals, egrets and pelicans work the same stretch. Early morning and the hour before sunset are the two best windows.

Granite riprap runs along the shoreline beneath the deck, holding tidepools that are worth a look at low water.

Worth knowing

• Open to the public, free to use
• Sea otter rafts in the eelgrass below
• Built-in timber benches
• Tidepools in the riprap at low tide
• Connects directly to the harborwalk