As orcas cruised by the Breakwater headed for Oak Bay, killer whales of the floral variety were making waves on dry land near Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
Returning for their 17th summer, a towering mother and calf topiary packed full of more than 10,000 individual plants has once again surfaced at the corner of Government and Humboldt streets.
The four-metre-tall, six-metre-long garden sculpture, named ‘Surfacing’, was designed and constructed by artist Sandra Bilawich in 2010 with funding from the Downtown Victoria Business Association.
Weighing more than 5,100 kilograms, the living sculpture spends the winter tucked away at the Beacon Hill Park Nursery, where City of Victoria staff lovingly maintain it before returning the duo to their downtown spot each spring.
This year, the mom and calf duo emerged from hibernation May 15, carefully lowered into place by a crane truck.
For tourists, the sculpture is a must-see stop.
“It’s fantastic,” said Glen, visiting from Brisbane, Australia, as she admired the sculpture on Wednesday afternoon (May 20).
Fresh off the Rocky Mountaineer the day before, Glen and her group only had the day to explore Victoria before setting sail on a cruise to Alaska.
Still, it was enough time for the first-time visitor to fall for the city’s charm.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “Especially the older style building, it’s gorgeous.”
Another first-timer to stop by the topiary show-stopper for a snap was Laurie Hugill, visiting from California, United States, for a “fabulous four” reunion with her Calgary cousins.
“I love it, it’s just beautiful,” she said about her first impression of the city.
Fascinated by the historic architecture scattered throughout the city, Hugill said the trip has sparked a curiosity about Victoria’s past.
“I don’t know much about how it became the capital, and I’ve been asking my cousins a million questions, torturing them,” she said with a laugh.
In town for a few days, the cousins plan to visit Butchart Gardens, stop by Fisherman’s Wharf and explore James Bay – but not before a stop at the Fairmont Hotel for high tea.
As for the dry-docked orcas, the cousins couldn’t resist stopping for a photo.
“It’s absolutely beautiful, and I love it because of the different foliage they’ve layered onto the structure,” said Melody Eldreth.