If seeing orcas is a priority, please keep these dates in mind when you book your tour with us. During your trip to vancouver island, it is well worth taking in one of the many tours available along the coast of vancouver island and keeping your full attention on the water. Campbell river takes up to 6 hours because the whales dont just stay in one place. British columbia is home to dozens of whale species, 23 to be exact, according to the vancouver aquarium. Hop aboard and experience orcas, killer whales, gray, humpback, and minke whales up close and personal. On vancouver island, youll find reputable whale watching providers to bring you close to the action while respecting the boundaries of these magnificent animals. Killer whales orcas, gray whales, humpback whales and minke whales ply the waves and perform their watery rituals. Vancouver island is worldrenowned for its whale watching, and at the heart of the action is the city of victoria. Sorry to ask another whale watching questioni cant seem to find a tour company that runs out of nanaimo or parksville.
Go sea kayaking, salmon fish for dinner, amazing wildlife. After about a minute i saw a large black and white whale about 30 ft long jump so that it was completely out of the water. Southern vancouver island is the best place to see whales in the wild. The killer whale or orca, is the largest of the dolphins, a predator, feeding on fish, seals, and sometimes whales. Hi karl all the whale watching companies on vancouver island are competitive. Whale watching at the san juan islands from victoria bc on vancouver island canada. Resident whales along vancouver island are split into two separate communities. The marine life in the waters of bc is abundant and diverse, but there is no greater creature than the mighty whale. Well take you through the salish sea ecosystem to see whales and other marine life in their natural habitat. Chances are youve travelled a long way or youre about to and you want nothing more than to fulfill your dream of seeing whales.
You can do grizzly bear tours out of campbell river. Then i realized it was a whale and could see it blowing steam in the air. Humpback whales the world over are known for their epic migrations, complex songs, and the acrobatic jumps that earn them their name. This ensures the highest sightings of killer whales on vancouver island every year. Whale watching vancouver island news, events, travel. Prince of whales whale watching vancouver all you need. There is a chance of seeing a number of different species of whales including resident and transient orcas, humpback whales, minke whales, and gray whales in addition to other wildlife including but not limited to seals, sea lions, bald eagles, cormorants, and the race rocks. They are a mammal, a carnivore and can live up to 80 years of age. Victoria is good for orcas but heading further north to telegraph cove andor port mcneill is better for viewing orcas and other wildlife.
Notes from a place i never meant to leave hays, daniel on. Saturna island winery tour vancouver island whale watching this exciting tour combines the thrill of a west coast boating adventure with a visit to one of bcs most unique vineyards and winery. You can see orca whales from tours in victoria they are resident orcas. In 2010 she came back to vancouver island to complete high school. All three of their vessels are zodiac style one open and two semicovered, customdesigned for marine wildlife viewing, and all are equipped with hydrophones to listen to the whales. Whale watching in april vancouver island forum tripadvisor. Are there any really good spots on vancouver island just to go whale watching from land. Telegraph cove on vancouver island, the orca capital of the world. Network is a research and conservation program of the vancouver aquarium in collaboration. We have two humpback whales heading north in blackney pass.
It began with captain cooks arrival at nootka island in 1778 and, subsequently, as english and spanish explorers found their way to the lush paradise of the pacific northwest. I do not want to knock victoria as there is good viewing around there and if travelling further north is difficult time wise it is a good choice. Located in the heart of the southern resident killer whales and biggs killer whales travel areas, cowichan bay offers a relaxed experience away from the hustle and bustle. Orca whale watch at vancouver island in september 2009. I started to paddle towards it quickly thinking i really wanted to get a closer look. Victoria and southern gulf islands, johnstone strait and northern vancouver island, west coast vancouver island. Before boarding, we ask all guests to checkin at our office. After enjoying a one hour breathtaking scenic tour of haro strait the year round home of. Whale watching tours are available from the inner harbour of victoria, sidney, tofino, campbell river, and port hardy, as well as most of the communities on the island. Prince of whales is the largest and most environmentally sustainable whale watching and ecoadventure company operating out of both victoria and vancouver. Whether its half day whale watching, or whale watching and a trip to the beautiful butchart gardens on our ultimate day tour, we are perfectly able to match a tour to your desires. Prince of whales whale watching tourism vancouver island.
Known as the place to go for the best whale watching in british columbia, vancouver island offers amazing opportunities to witness wild marine life. Tofino is on the west coast, campbell river on the east coast. The whaleplanner september a whale watching infographic. Best whale whale watching discover vancouver island. Victoria is one of the top spots for orca killer whale watching on vancouver island but you also have a chance to spot humpback, minke and gray whales. Whale watching in july and august vancouver island. Whalewatching vancouver island vancouver island forum. Generally they are a bit further north so you have to travel up to them. Vancouver, we offer a wide variety of marine wildlife experiences that range from three hours long to a halfday. Orca whale watching vancouver island canada youtube. From there we will provide directions for boarding your boat. The whalereport alert system wildwhales bc cetacean. Killer whales attract tourists to vancouver island killer whale or also known as the orca whale often transit the waters of discovery passage between vancouver island and quadra island.
Looking for the best whale watching on vancouver island. Whales and wilderness glamping in british columbia, canada. Whale watching around vancouver island in british columbia is an exceptional experience that will leave you awestruck after watching whales that weigh thousands of pounds frolic in their natural habitat. These whales are quite used to boats and will often let the whale watching boats come quite close to them. You can even download the files so you can listen to them whenever you want. Whale watching tours from vancouver island tourism victoria. Big horns intro 2 by audionautix is licensed under a creative commons attribution license s. Wake riding or surfing by an orca whale is a special treat but you must always be ready to snap a photo as an orca whale off vancouver island may surface anywhere at anytime. Why victoria has the best whale watching on vancouver island. The majestic orca has long been the proud symbol of our incredible city. This orca is a member of the northern resident killer whales, which as far as we know, usually travel from alaska down to campbell river. The rates for the boating outfits are a joke about a hundreds bucks a person. Ocean ecoventures is the most centrallylocated whale watching company on vancouver island. There are many options for transportation to our office and departure point.
If seeing whales in their natural habitat is something you have always wanted to do, then planning a trip to do so is easier than you might think. We are located on granville island, 510 minutes from most downtown hotels. Jessicas love of wildlife, and breathtaking vancouver island, brought her to the bc whale tours team in 2017. Orca killer whale orca whales discover vancouver island. Luckily, there are a number of boat trips to areas where you can see 30ton marine mammals majestically glide. Our 34 hour whale watching tours depart daily from downtown nanaimo bc, april through october. The port of vancouver, the port of prince rupert, bc coast pilots, bc ferries, the. We saw many humpbacks, dolphins, eagles, and seals and learned a lot from david about ocean depths, creature habits, and even a little canadian history from the area. We were hoping to do some whale watching before heading across the island. After some searching for the elusive whales, during which we were entertained by seals, eagles, amazing scenery, fishing camps and other boats, we finally came up on a pod of humpbacks. And of course, there is a very slim chance on seeing. Four days in vancouver island whale watching paradise. The history of vancouver island, british columbia is an interesting amalgamation of first nations and european culture and heritage. For the orcas off victoria from april, with an increase in sitings from may you might consider a week.
Our coastal wilderness is home to killer whales, humpback whales, sea lions, porpoises, seals, eagles, and more. Vancouver whale watch was the first whalewatching company to operate from the vancouver area, in their 21st year of operation in 2019. Download whalereport and enjoy it on your iphone, ipad and ipod touch. How to go whale watching from vancouver explore bc. With a lot of fantastic orcajumps, it was a great experience. Our crew bc whale tours victoria whale watching tours. Prince of whales adventures bcs best whale watching. The best page i have found for whale season off tofino is from jamies whale watching. Whales and wilderness glamping in british columbia, canada kayak the realm of the orca and humpback whales imagine beautiful, big white tents set against the backdrop of towering fir trees and the blues and greens of the ocean lapping at your doorstep. Killer whales are best observed from mid july through the first week of september. Three pods of about 80 resident orca whales live around the southern tip of vancouver island and in the gulf islands. Members of the public are encouraged to download the whalereport app and.
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