Are there any really good spots on vancouver island just to go whale watching from land. Jamies operates our waterfront adventure stations in the hearts of both seaside communities of tofino and ucluelet. Whale watching in july and august vancouver island. Members of the public are encouraged to download the whalereport app. Hop aboard one of our adventurous open boston whalers or a comfortable, heated cabin cruiser. British columbia is home to dozens of whale species, 23 to be exact, according to the vancouver aquarium. The best page i have found for whale season off tofino is from jamies whale watching. We love sharing vancouver islands marine ecosystem and all that inhabits it.
Join the mackay family, pioneers in killer whale watching in bc, for a cruise aboard the newest and most innovative certified passenger vessel on the british columbia coast. The frequency of humpback whale sightings around southern vancouver island has. Please note the photographs simon pidcock on this website were taken with a telephoto lens and have been cropped. Looking for the best whale watching on vancouver island. Why victoria has the best whale watching on vancouver island. Our mackay whale watching office is located at 1514 broughton blvd. Big horns intro 2 by audionautix is licensed under a creative co. You can spot various kinds of whales, like humpback whales, orcas, grey whales, and minke whales. The whale centre offers safe and educational tofino hot springs tours, whale watching tours, tofino bear watching tours, bird watching tours and private tours in tofino on vancouver island.
Gray whales are most commonly encountered in the spring, apriljune, on our whalewatching tours. Whale watching in april vancouver island forum tripadvisor. Were planning a visit to victoria and see there are numerous companies there. Information on whale presence is obtained from realtime observations reported to the b. Book your tickets online for the top things to do in vancouver island, british columbia on tripadvisor. She later studied criminal justice at camosun college. Next up is an exhilarating 3 hour whale watching adventure on either a covered vessel or zodiac.
Whale watching vancouver island why visit parksville. Come for the afternoon, or stay a few nights at one of our partner hotels. We are happy to hear you enjoyed your time on the water with us. Whale watching companies are based in north island coastal. Prince of whales whale watching tourism vancouver island. Were in the planning stage of our trip so we can adjust our itinerary. Where on vancouver island is the best place to go whale watching orcas in the summer. Highest killer whale sightings in british columbia. We are on board a bc whale watching vessel which has brought us to see the killer whales of johnstone strait, british columbia, canada.
In 2010 she came back to vancouver island to complete high school. Network is a research and conservation program of the vancouver aquarium in. British columbia whale watching in british columbia whaletrips. Sidney whale watching is a family owned and operated company that has been serving sidney and the saanich peninsula for over 20 years. The port of vancouver, the port of prince rupert, bc coast pilots, bc ferries. Whale watching at the san juan islands from victoria bc on vancouver island canada. There is no seagoing experience quite like watching, closeup, a sleek whale weighing thousands of pounds frolic like a child in its natural habitat. Whale watching british columbia vancouver islands watching. Whale classification breeding patterns of whales whale migration join us british columbia. Or travel with us to oxford river for some once in a lifetime grizzly bear viewing. Both sides of vancouver island afford primo opportunities.
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 can be kayaking, highspeed zodiac trips, cruises, or even seaplanes. We respect the investment our guests make to join us and we are dedicated to making your trip the experience of a lifetime. You can choose from various tours around the gulf and san juan islands. Well take you through the salish sea ecosystem to see whales and other marine life in. Luckily, there are a number of boat trips to areas where you can see 30ton marine mammals majestically glide through the open waters of canada.
Whale watching downtown victoria vancouver island bc. On the west coast, tofino is a quaint town with an embedded orcawatching culture. 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. Experience some of the best whale watching on vancouver island. Jessicas love of wildlife, and breathtaking vancouver island, brought her to the bc whale tours team in 2017. A whale watching trip is a once in a lifetime experience.
The boats were very respectful and the animals in the mood to show off. Each and every one of our team members loves what we do, and therefore. Johnstone strait is a waterway that lies between the mainland of bc and the east coast of northern vancouver island. Mackay whale watching in bc vancouver island canada. Chances are youve travelled a long way or youre about to and you want nothing more than to fulfill your dream of seeing whales. Daily tours, from early july to october, depart at 10. Download whalereport and enjoy it on your iphone, ipad and ipod touch. The naiad explorer will whisk you from port mcneill to a whale watching experience like no other. Vancouver whale watching deals in vancouver, bc groupon. Experience bcs most sustainable whale watching on an unforgettable day at sea aboard our open zodiacstyle boat or our semicovered vessel.
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. The whalereport alert system wildwhales bc cetacean. The islandstudded coast of british columbia features pristine water. Parksville qualicum beachs central location makes it the perfect base for whale watching vancouver island. Small personal tour groups, never more than 12 passengers on our boats. Tofino whale watching tours ocean outfitters, tofino bc. Many tours leave from victoria on vancouver island, but if you want to see whales from vancouver, you have options.
Vancouver island whale watch killer whales vancouver. Campbell river whale watching, grizzly bear, wildlife and ocean rapids adventures tours go wild. These are all typical maneuvers you may expect to see while whale watching off the west coast of vancouver island. The whale was found already deceased on a secluded beach north of kyuquot, a remote first nation community on the northwest coast of vancouver island. Best whale whale watching discover vancouver island. The whales are found in the salish sea, the body of water that separates vancouver island from the mainland.
For the orcas off victoria from april, with an increase in sitings from may you might consider a week. Tourism vancouver island and all associated trademarks and logos are trademarks and official marks of the region. Four days in vancouver island whale watching paradise. Launch your seatosky experience with an eagle eye view aboard a harbour air seaplane flight departing from either vancouver or victoria. Guaranteed to see whales from mid april to end of october. Should we just plan to do it there or head up to sidney or some other spot. Killer whales are best observed from mid july through the first week of september. We view transient orca pods, migrating humpback whales, grey whales and other marine animals that reside in our coastal waters. At jamies whaling station, our team of local experts has been professionally guiding adventure seekers from around the world to explore the nooks and crannies of clayoquot sound and barkley sound since 1982. We hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in victoria. Up and down the coast of british columbia, from victoria to port hardy on vancouver island, from vancouver to the bc gulf islands, and up to haida gwaii queen charlotte islands. Not only will you save yourself a bit of money by not having to travel in and out of downtown every day, but you will also save yourself a lot of time. On vancouver island, youll find reputable whale watching providers to bring you close to the action while respecting the boundaries of these magnificent animals.
How to go whale watching from vancouver explore bc. Whale watching from the inner harbour in downtown victoria on vancouver island in bc british columbia. What an amazing experience killer whale watching near vancouver island, canada. They swim among bc s gulf islands and the san juan islands of washington state. Gray whale migration passes vancouver island vancouver. We provide whale and grizzly bear tours, and great bear rainforest tours. A new attitude by 1976 it was illegal to kill or capture orca in bc and washington state, and they have been. Eagle wing whale watching in victoria british columbia canada at fishermans wharf. It sounds like you had incredible encounters with both killer whales and humpback whales and with other local marine wildlife. From what i know, i dont think whales would be close enough to the island to be visible from just land, at least in. The small community of operators here is dedicated to ensuring safe, sustainable encounters that serve the whales and the sightseers in equal measure. Oean ecoventures is a small family run whale watching and marine eco tour company located in cowichan bay on vancouver island.
Eagle eye adventures is the most reliable whale watching tours company in canada. The 15 best things to do in vancouver island updated. The whale centre, tofino, bc tofino whale watching, bear. Humpback whales the world over are known for their epic migrations, complex songs, and the acrobatic jumps that earn them their name. Many of the whale watching tour companies also offer black bear and grizzly bear excursions. The majestic orca has long been the proud symbol of our incredible city. Our crew bc whale tours victoria whale watching tours. Michael bigg completed the first ever census of killer whales in bc. Bc whale tours victoria aktuelle 2020 lohnt es sich. Vancouver island north sightseeing crews view these magnificent creatures with respect. Enjoy a scenic 35 minute float plane ride from vancouvers coal harbour to downtown victoria, then start your southern resident killer whale watching adventure with us. The marine life in the waters of bc is abundant and diverse, but there is no greater creature than the mighty whale.
If you are visiting to sightsee, your best bet is to stay downtown. 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. The waters around the canadian vancouver island are the worlds pivotal region for meeting orcas. Go sea kayaking, salmon fish for dinner, amazing wildlife. Whale watching vancouver island news, events, travel. Gray whale off vancouver island, british columbia, canada. Known as the place to go for the best whale watching in british columbia, vancouver island offers amazing opportunities to witness wild marine life. The whaleplanner september a whale watching infographic. Vancouver island is worldrenowned for its whale watching, and at the heart of the action is the city of victoria. Our whale watching tours are located off the southern coast of victoria, british columbia on vancouver island. This is the best place in the world to see orcas, the mr. Jamies whale watching and adventure tours in tofino bc. Each spring, some 20,000 gray whales travel passed the western shore of vancouver island, british columbia, en route to their summer feeding grounds in the bering sea and chukchi sea. Ocean ecoventures is the most centrally located whale watching company on vancouver island with the highest sighting of orcas and humpback whales every year.
If seeing orcas is a priority, please keep these dates in mind when you book your tour with us. What a great first experience on this bc, british columbia whale watching adventure. Three pods of about 80 resident orca whales live around the southern tip of vancouver island and in the gulf islands. Killer whales orcas, gray whales, humpback whales and minke whales ply the waves and perform their watery rituals. Although vancouver island whale watch is a new company, i have been a part of bcs whale watching industry for almost a decade. British columbia is one of the worlds most famous places for whale watching and the city of vancouver is the perfect place to start your whale watching tour during the summer months, whether you take a trip from downtown or a scenic suburb near vancouver international airport.
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