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. Vancouver island is a great destination for whale watching. Humpback whales vancouver island whale watching highest. Jessicas love of wildlife, and breathtaking vancouver island, brought her to the bc whale tours team in 2017. Before boarding, we ask all guests to checkin at our office. Whale watching vancouver island from granville island this particular tip was starting from granville island, worth a visit in itself. There are many options for transportation to our office and departure point. Telegraph cove on vancouver island, the orca capital of the world. Experience some of the best whale watching on vancouver island. While other vancouver island whale watching tours are heading for shore, our experienced captains and crew are going the extra mile or 50 to show you the gray whale feeding beaches, the eagles nests, the hidden coves and all the other delights. On any given day between april and october, you can witness up to 89 orca whales frolicking in the southern vancouver island waterways. Jeff spotted two gray whales heading north at his last weather report at 9.
Members of some 260 fisheating orcas known as the northern residents are often in the area in pursuit of salmon. Well take you through the salish sea ecosystem to see whales and other marine life in their natural habitat. Whale watching at the san juan islands from victoria bc on vancouver island canada. We are located on granville island, 510 minutes from most downtown hotels. Whale classification breeding patterns of whales whale migration join us british columbia. These are all typical maneuvers you may expect to see while whale watching off the west coast of vancouver island. I was on my way out of the inner harbour when i glanced out to sea. Eagle wing tours gives you more than just a look at whales, they give you the longest and most comprehensive whale watching tours in the industry. From there we will provide directions for boarding your boat. Ocean ecoventures offers daily whale watching tours departing from cowichan bay, only 45 minute south of nanaimo. This is the best place in the world to see orcas, the mr. Vancouver, we offer a wide variety of marine wildlife experiences that range from three hours long to a halfday. Vancouver whale watch provides passengers with the adventure of a lifetime through excellent customer.
Campbell river whale watching, grizzly bear, wildlife and ocean rapids adventures tours go wild. You can spot various kinds of whales, like humpback whales, orcas, grey whales, and minke whales. Are there any really good spots on vancouver island just to go whale watching from land. The resident fish eating orcas are usually not reliably seen until midjuly the last few years it has been between july 7 and 14. Also, you should watch sites like groupon or livingsocial for whale watching deals. See whales and other marine wildlife on a whale watching tour in vancouver. Whale watching in april vancouver island message board.
Recent efforts to determine current status of cetacean species. For those visiting vancouver island outside of the summer whale watching season, minke whales, the smallest of the north pacific baleen whales, can be spotted yearround. Whale watching british columbia vancouver islands watching. Whale watching in june vancouver island forum tripadvisor. We are proud to announce that in 2016 we had a success rate of 97% for the season. Witness resident killer whales, biggs killer whales, humpback whales, dolphins, bears, wolves, bald eagles and so much more. We are the most centrally located whale watching company on vancouver island with the highest sighting of orcas and humpback whales every year in british columbia. Go whale watching between march and may to have a chance to witness this incredible annual migration of over 20,000 grey whales swimming along the west coast of vancouver island towards their summer arctic feeding waters in bering, chukchi and beaufort seas.
Whale watching tours are operated along the east coast of vancouver island, from victoria to campbell river and port hardy, on the west coast of the island out. Board our 30 rigid hull inflatable zodiacs, or one of our high speed covered family cruisers to enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. Our 2018 whale watching seas a new whale watching season is here. The most celebrated residents of vancouver island north are its marine mammals. A whale watching trip is a once in a lifetime experience. Frequently asked questions about whale watching in bc. Five star whale watching helps you discover the picturesque southern vancouver island, victoria, and the gulf islands, home to the largest population of killer whales orcas in the world. All around us theyll be vocalizing, hundreds of sea lions growling all through the day and night. My mind had somehow noticed something out ahead that beckoned me to observe. You can choose from various tours around the gulf and san juan islands. The whale report remote passages whale watching, tofino, bc. Coinciding with our last tours of the season, the sea lions return to nearby haulouts with their new pups. Ive seen deals on the trips out of vancouver in the last two weeks.
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. The whalereport alert system wildwhales bc cetacean. Aug 15, 2008 whale watching on vancouver island in victoria, bc. In addition to there being more orcas at the north end of the island you also have excellent opportunities to see humpback hales, dalls porpoises, white sided dolphins, seals, sea lions, eagles, sea birds and bears. 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. Vancouver island whale watching beautiful photos, photo gallery. Whale watching vancouver island news, events, travel. Gray whale migration passes vancouver island vancouver.
Killer whales orcas, gray whales, humpback whales and minke whales ply the waves and perform their watery rituals. Big horns intro 2 by audionautix is licensed under a creative commons attribution license s. Whale watching on vancouver island in victoria, bc. On the west coast, tofino is a quaint town with an embedded orcawatching culture. Killer whales are majestic creatures, who we have the privilege of interacting with. The only opportunity to see bears in april would be on a wildlife tour which might depart daily for a 4 hour trip, depending on the companies from campbell river. The rates for the boating outfits are a joke about a hundreds bucks a person. Our crew bc whale tours victoria whale watching tours. Four days in vancouver island whale watching paradise. In 2010 she came back to vancouver island to complete high school. 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.
Southern vancouver island is the best place to see whales in the wild. See whales and other marine wildlife on a whalewatching tour in vancouver. Harbour air will fly you from downtown vancouver to downtown victoria in just 35 minutes. On vancouver island, youll find reputable whale watching providers to bring you close to the action while respecting the boundaries of these magnificent animals. Both sides of vancouver island afford primo opportunities. Members of the public are encouraged to download the whalereport app. Bc whale tours victoria aktuelle 2020 lohnt es sich. Whale watching on vancouver island owner direct vacation. The killer whale or orca, is the largest of the dolphins, a predator, feeding on fish, seals, and sometimes whales. The pacific rim whale festival in the coastal towns of tofino and ucluelet kicks off an allout celebration of the gray whale migration and life in general on the fabulous west coast of vancouver island.
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. Come aboard one of our two 40passenger expedition catamarans, each of which combines comfort, speed, safety, and your choice of 3 viewing platforms. We may even see one devouring a salmon in its own unique way. The whaleplanner september a whale watching infographic. The 30ton giants can be seen from shore, as early as february, with females and calves passing by from mid march, through april and into. Go sea kayaking, salmon fish for dinner, amazing wildlife. Whale watching tours from vancouver island tourism victoria. Departing from granville island in downtown vancouver, the wild whales experience allows you to observe the diverse wildlife of the pacific coast in their natural habitat. Our coastal wilderness is home to killer whales, humpback whales, sea lions, porpoises, seals, eagles, and more. The more stealthy marine mammaleating population of killer whales know as transients are also often hunting in the area. Biggs killer whales move north up the east side of vancouver island in what i call the salish sea exodus. She later studied criminal justice at camosun college.
This is your chance to sea kayak with killer orca whales or watch them from our boat, the. You can even download the files so you can listen to them whenever you want. However, if you truly want the best place for whale watching then head to the north end of 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. Luckily, if you are staying in vancouver there are plenty of options to get here. Whale watching in april vancouver island forum tripadvisor. Minke whales have a similar aesthetic to humpback whales, but are are just. Research open access finescale foraging movements by fish. Ill be in vancouver in the first couple of weeks of april, and am really keen to see some whales. Dtags were deployed during august and september 20092012 in the coastal waters of northeastern vancouver island and the. Swim with dolphins in mexico, caribbean and jamaica at dolphin discovery up to 42% off. The best place to kayak with orcas is the north end of vancouver island in johnstone strait.
Victoria is located on the southern tip of vancouver island, located 112 kilometers across the georgia strait from the city of vancouver. Furthermore, if you wait until september maybe there will be deals as tourist season will be over. Whale watching in bc british columbia travel and adventure. These can be kayaking, highspeed zodiac trips, cruises, or even seaplanes. We have been avidly watching whale reports and sightings over.
Our 34 hour whale watching tours depart daily from downtown nanaimo bc, april through october. Youll see orca whales, migrating humpback whales and much more. 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. Looking for the best whale watching on vancouver island. Hop aboard and experience orcas, killer whales, gray, humpback, and minke whales up close and personal. My plan is to head towards tofino, and do a boat tour which will hopefully coincide with the grey whale migration.
Vancouver island whale watching during a vacation on northern vancouver island, british columbia, be sure to book a whale watching tour to see whales, eagles, dolphins and other marine mammals. We respect the investment our guests make to join us and we are dedicated to making your trip the experience of a lifetime. Granville island is really a village, on an island obviously, in the middle of world city vancouver. Ocean ecoventures offers whale watching, wildlife encounters and multiday expedition style zodiac marine eco tours exploring the remote waters and wildlife of vancouver island. Or travel with us to oxford river for some once in a lifetime grizzly bear viewing. 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. We offer year round whale watching and marine eco tours. Orca dreams offers fourday allinclusive tours from our luxury island camp site in the wildlife rich area of northern vancouver island, british columbia, canada. Prince of whales whale watching tourism vancouver island. Threehour wildlife whale watching tour for one or two from five star whale watching up to 34% off. Sep 03, 2018 whale watching vancouver island from granville island this particular tip was starting from granville island, worth a visit in itself. May 29, 2016 whale watching at the san juan islands from victoria bc on vancouver island canada. Whale watching tours and marine eco tour adventures provided by west coast wildlife adventures.
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