There is a boat harbour and a BC Ferries terminal with service to Sointula and Port McNeill.

Alert Bay Ecological Park, formerly known as Gator Gardens, consists of boardwalks over a marsh and some forest trails.

[10] The settlement was named c.1860 after the Royal Navy ship HMS Alert, which conducted survey operations in the area.

[11] Alert Bay has an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) with a strong drying tendency in summer.

Winter is the wettest season, but snowfall is rare due to the average lows above freezing.