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. Campbell river whale watching, grizzly bear, wildlife and ocean rapids adventures tours go wild. We respect the investment our guests make to join us and we are dedicated to making your trip the experience of a lifetime. Orca dreams has twenty years of experience hosting people from around the world in the wildliferich waters of johnstone strait and broughton archipelago, off the east coast of vancouver island, british columbia watch surfacing humpback whales, pods of orcas, dolphins, eagles, sea. Ivory thief saws off teeth from killer whale found dead off.
Orcas island business directory whale watching orcas. Orca whale watch at vancouver island in september 2009. The whaleplanner september a whale watching infographic. Kayaking with killer whales in british columbia, canada. Some feed exclusively on fish, while others hunt marine mammals such as seals and other species of dolphin. There are many options for transportation to our office and departure point. Vancouver island whale watching highest orca sightings.
Southern vancouver island is the best place to see whales in the wild. We have a trained naturalist on board and are waiting to share the adventure with you. Orca breaches near whale watching boat on vancouver island. With a lot of fantastic orcajumps, it was a great experience. This means orcas are at the top of the food chain and nothing is preying upon them. Whale watching in the san juan islands is one of the most popular pastimes for tourists in washington state. The waters around the canadian vancouver island are the worlds pivotal region for meeting orcas.
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. Outer island excursions offer highquality, unforgettable whale watching, marine and fishing charter experiences in the san juan islands of washington state. Orca whale watching information in the san juans island. Orca breaches near whale watching boat on vancouver island i had just picked up her camera to take a few shots when this beautiful orca breached 30 feet from our boat ladysmith news staff. In tofino and ucluelet if you see orcas at all you are more likely to enounter the mammal eating orcas that. Killer whales orcinus orca in the johnstone strait, with kayakers, vancouver island, british columbia, canada. A surprise discovery this week is giving hope that the dwindling population of orca whales off vancouver island could be doing a little better than thought. Cetacean sightings network launched an alert system that. Expect guaranteed whales, including orcas and killer whales.
Although orcas island wasnt actually named after these beautiful animals, the orca whale watching is an absolute must do activity when visiting. Whale watching guidelines vancouver island news, events. Best whale whale watching discover vancouver island. Text by anke junginger, photos by rolf hicker stock photography. While watching in the waters off northern vancouver island in british columbia, canada, you can not ask for a better photo than this. The port of vancouver, the port of prince rupert, bc coast pilots, bc ferries, the. Groups of northern resident killer whales hunt the salmon in the passages and.
They are home to at least 78 orca whales who travel here every spring. Best time place for whale watching experience vancouver forum. Go sea kayaking, salmon fish for dinner, amazing wildlife. Orca rubbing beach vancouver island best time to visit top. Board one of our four vessels at vancouvers unique and historic granville island.
They can measure up to 32 feet in length and can weigh up to 6 tons. This area is considered the best place to watch whales on vancouver island. Several whale watching boats at the western edge of the salish sea off jordan river on vancouver island spotted a group of transient orcas surrounding two adult humpback whales and a. Orca killer whale orca whales discover vancouver island. From there we will provide directions for boarding your boat. We took a tour with eagle wings tours from victoria fisher mans warff in mid september, it was a great trip with our excellent captain marine biologist geoff. In addition, boats must stay 200 metres from all killer whales in other canadian pacific waters and from. Orca spirit adventures is victorias premier whale watching company offering carbon neutral covered vessel and zodiac tours led by certified marine naturalists whose knowledge and passion for vancouver islands marine wildlife is unequaled in the industry.
Whale watching vancouver island news, events, travel. 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. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Whatever tour you choose, youll have the chance to see orcas, minke whales, harbor seals, dalls and harbor porpoise, bald eagles, ospreys, cormorants, great. The gulf islands off the coast of vancouver island boasts one of the. Whale watching holidays orca watching canadian affair. The sighting of the calf, with its unusual pigmentation, was reported by vancouver island. We paid for 3 hours but got over 4, during which we saw a pod of about 6 transient orca 1 calf, around 20 resident orca, 2 humpback whales and lots of stellar sealions and californian sealions, we had top class day out with loads of. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Humpback whales the world over are known for their epic migrations, complex songs, and the acrobatic jumps that earn them their name. Going on a victoria whale watching trip with grandma and grandpa is memorable and certainly special, to say the least. We are located on granville island, 510 minutes from most downtown hotels. The size of a bus the killer whale is the worlds most powerful predator.
Vancouver island tourism vancouver island accommodation. Looking for the best whale watching on vancouver island. The southern resident orca whales reside on southeast shores of vancouver island. This family of four consists of mom t99 approximately 35 years old and her 3 offspring, t99b 12. We also offer the orca whale adoption program through the whale museum. Orca whales are the fastest marine mammal around vancouver island though its rare to witness the speed like we can with dolphins since dolphins follow cruising boats for short periods of time. Orca whale, off vancouver island check out tripadvisor members 1,694 candid photos and videos. Small personal tour groups, never more than 12 passengers on our boats. Whale watching tour from granville island in vancouver we set off with what we thought was plenty of time to get form west vancouver to wild whales but we had to notify them that we were running late due to traffic. Orca spirit adventures is victorias premier whale watching company, offering carbon. The whalereport alert system wildwhales bc cetacean. Whale watching in ultimate camping comfort in the wilderness off vancouver island orca dreams offers canadas first whale watching camp, with bc. Book a whale watching holiday in canada with canadian affair for the chance to.
The orca is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the. Killer whales have a diverse diet, although individual populations often specialize in particular types of prey. Orca spirit adventures victoria 2020 all you need to know. Orca dreams is situated on compton island a half hour boat trip from telegraph cove, on north vancouver island.
Orca mostly seen in the victoria and north island areas are fish eating orcas that often congregate in the dozens i have seen superpods pf over 100 out of port mcneill. Dec 08, 2014 the 18yearold killer whale j32, nicknamed rhapsody, was found floating in the water last thursday off vancouver island in canada. After being separated from his mother while still young, luna spent five years in nootka sound, an ocean inlet of western vancouver island. While killer whales can be found in all the worlds oceans, they hold a special cultural significance in the pacific northwest and we are fortunate to share our local waters with more than one type of killer whale. Orcas island eclipse charters whale and wildlife tours.
Killer whales, also known as orcas, are one of the most recognizable and beloved marine species on the planet. The gulf islands off the coast of vancouver island boasts one of the best locations in the world to see orca whales in the wild. Orca dreams is situated in the center of the whale watching activity. Vancouver island is a brilliant location to spot orcas, minke whales, huge. Numerous businesses are ready and able to take you all over the san juan islands for the ideal whale watching experience. An orca whale gives us a great photo opportunity off northern vancouver island in british columbia, canada.
An extremely rare palegray orca calf was spotted tuesday off vancouver island in british columbia, canada. Killer whales orcas, gray whales, humpback whales and minke whales ply the waves and perform their watery rituals. Telegraph cove on vancouver island, the orca capital of the world. In the west coast waters near vancouver island and the gulf islands, a large number of orcas reside between here and the san juan islands us. In the fall pacific humpbacks are readying for their winter migration to hawaii. Whale watching in ultimate camping comfort in the wilderness off vancouver island orca dreams offers canadas first whale watching camp, with. People come from all over the world to vancouver island to go whale watching. Luna september 19, 1999 march 10, 2006 also known as l98 or tsuxiit, was a killer whale orca born in puget sound. Highest killer whale sightings in british columbia.
Before boarding, we ask all guests to checkin at our office. Our luxurious, highspeed vessels for small groups of passengers can accommodate a more personal experience with the whales and our crew. Killer whale or also known as the orca whale often transit the waters of discovery passage between vancouver island and quadra island. Orcas are able to travel more than 100 miles in a day, dive to 900feet deep and can. Experience some of the best whale watching on vancouver island. Enjoy an orca whale aka killer whales nature tour on orcas islands all weather family style boat and renew your spirit with nature. This little corner of the world is one of the best to see orcas as it is home to the southern resident killer whales, population around 85. Historic variations in opportunity probably explain the differences in food preferences we see among the orca populations of today. Orca whale, off vancouver island picture of british. Victoria zodiac boat whale watching tour provided by orca spirit. Humpback whales are one of the largest whales and a breach is an amazing display of nature showing off. Download your 3page trip itinerary on vancouver island north. Sep 01, 2015 we spent an amazing morning watching these beautiful, wild orca whales playing around vancouver island, canada. Killer whale watching in vancouver orca whales in canada.
Embark on a whalewatching excursion onboard a small zodiac boat that allows upclose encounters with marine life. Orca whales are a requested sighting and vancouver island is one of the most studied areas in the word for these magnificent creatures. Aug 10, 2016 several whale watching boats at the western edge of the salish sea off jordan river on vancouver island spotted a group of transient orcas surrounding two adult humpback whales and a calf on sunday. Short transfer to vancouver island and our hotel, the carlton plaza in victoria, which is well placed for our whale watching activities. Orca dreams offers canadas first whale watching camp, with bc packages that include 4 days of luxury camping. Orca whale watching vancouver island canada youtube.
Male orca weyton pass sunset northern vancouver island. Wild whales vancouver 2020 all you need to know before you. In tofino and ucluelet if you see orcas at all you are more likely to enounter the mammal eating orcas that travel in much smaller numbers, typically 1 to 6. You can even download the files so you can listen to them whenever you want. Orca killer whales, humpback whales and pacific gray whales are the most common whales to see around vancouver island. Ocean ecoventures is the most centrally located whale watching company on vancouver island with the highest sighting of orcas and humpback whales every year. Jan 12, 2011 orca whale watch at vancouver island in september 2009. The 18yearold killer whale j32, nicknamed rhapsody, was found floating in the water last thursday off vancouver island in canada. Departing from granville island in downtown vancouver, the wild whales experience allows you to observe whales and the diverse wildlife of the pacific coast in their natural habitat. Members of the public are encouraged to download the whalereport app. 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 t99s making their way northeast of vancouver island last week. Newborn killer whale spotted off vancouver island ctv news. British columbia whale watching in british columbia whaletrips. Orca natural history san juan safaris san juan island. The orca whale pods that frequent the san juans arent as common around orcas island. At the northern end of vancouver island lies a maze of islands and waterways, full of wildlife. Sightings report bc whale tours victoria whale watching tours. Or travel with us to oxford river for some once in a lifetime grizzly bear viewing. May 31, 2017 killer whales orcinus orca in the johnstone strait, with kayakers, vancouver island, british columbia, canada.
They are a mammal, a carnivore and can live up to 80 years of age. After a leisurely start from our hotel we take a tour from victoria harbour looking for southern resident orca on the salish sea. The killer whale, or orca orcinus orca, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. We spent an amazing morning watching these beautiful, wild orca whales playing around vancouver island, canada. Orca whale watching close encounters vancouver island. Ranger 85 orca whales february 16, 20 whale watching. To download the full whaleplanner as a graphic, please just click this link and save the graphic on the next page.
Whale watching from vancouver island is the best place in british columbia to see killer whales and humpback whales in the wild. Be whale wise advises that, boats must stay 400 metres from orcas or killer whales in southern resident killer whales critical habitat and in canadian waters in the pacific ocean east of vancouver island and south of campbell river. The orcas of new zealand exhibit a preference for stingrays, and the orcas of the crozet islands in the southern indian ocean hunt elephant seals as well as fish. Orca whales can be identified from its pattern on the saddle patch as well as the dorsal fin.
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