Sunrise in the Westshore: One Lagoon, Three Lakes, Zero Sleep

At Island Drones, we get up early in the Westshore… so you don’t have to.

This Saturday, I set myself a little mission: hit all the best sunrise spots in the Westshore before most people even finished their first coffee. Lagoon, Thetis Lake, Langford Lake, Glen Lake — four flights, one morning. Here’s how it went.

Stop 1: Esquimalt Lagoon — The Ocean Wake-Up Call

The Lagoon is where the Westshore meets the Pacific. Driftwood, salty air, gulls already arguing over breakfast — it’s the kind of scene that slaps you awake before the coffee does.

When the sun cracked the horizon, the water turned into a giant orange mirror. I flew low over the shoreline, catching that reflection across the bay. One of those “yep, this is why we drag ourselves out of bed at stupid o’clock” moments.

Sunrise at the Esquimalt Lagoon

Stop 2: Thetis Lake — Morning Mist & Quiet Trails

Drive a few minutes inland and you’d swear you’re in another world. Thetis at sunrise is pure calm. Mist lifting off the water, forest standing still like it’s holding its breath, and the first trail-runners sneaking by with headlamps.

From above, it’s a mix of moody wilderness and everyday community life. A reminder that nature and neighbourhoods overlap here in a way that feels uniquely Westshore.

Thetis Lake

Stop 3: Langford Lake — Gold Light & Busy Shores

By the time I set up at Langford Lake, the sun was climbing and the colours shifted to bright gold. Here it’s less misty, more lively — docks, paddleboarders, fishermen already out chasing bites.

Flying over Langford shows a different side of Westshore mornings: people starting their day on the water, homes tucked along the shoreline, sunlight spilling across it all.

Langford Lake

Stop 4: Glen Lake — Neighbourhood on the Water

Glen Lake is the most “local” of the four. Kids’ playground, boardwalk, morning walkers clutching takeout coffee cups. It’s not remote wilderness — it’s the neighbourhood lake everyone has a memory of.

From the air, Glen looks like a perfect postcard of daily Westshore life: water, community, and the mountains peeking out in the background.

Glen Lake

Mission Complete

Four flights, one morning. Salt air at the Lagoon, mist at Thetis, golden light at Langford, community buzz at Glen.

This is the Westshore before the rest of the world wakes up. And this is why we fly.

At Island Drones, we’ll get up early, freeze our fingers, dodge seagulls, and burn through batteries… so you don’t have to.