British columbia is well known for for its whale watching tours and excursions. Vancouver whale watch provides passengers with the adventure of a lifetime through excellent customer. Telegraph cove on vancouver island, the orca capital of the world. During this peak season we boast a greater than 95% chance of spotting whales in victoria, particularly resident orcas, humpback whales, and transient orcas. The whaleplanner september a whale watching infographic. We went in the end of coho season and he warned us it might be slow but even so he put us on fish and was great really explained the process of everything and. Onboard all of our trips our naturalists collect sightings data on the cetacean species we observe. Known as the place to go for the best whale watching in british columbia, vancouver island offers amazing opportunities to witness wild marine life. Once in telegraph cove follow the boardwalk through the historic old town of telegraph cove. Check out our list of the top 5 places to spot whales, including victoria and tofino. The islandstudded coast of british columbia features pristine water, dramatic. Whale watching holidays orca watching canadian affair. You can choose from various tours around the gulf and san juan islands.
Orca dreams is canadas first whale watching luxury base camp. The humpback whales are already here feeding, the salmon runs are beginning to peak, and by mid july the killer whales are likely to be seen daily. The whale charts the communitys struggle to deal with luna, since whales who are separated from their pods rarely survive in the wild. Join david roberts and james rogers, as they guide a group through the waters off of victoria, british columbia, to experience the thrill of. Whale watching british columbia vancouver islands watching. British columbia and particularly vancouver island is a brilliant location to spot. The rugged beauty of the west coast is something that should be experienced. Best place to go whale watching in british columbia.
British columbia whale watching is something that any and all outdoor enthusiasts should enjoy, and there is plenty of time to enjoy it in this region known for its excellent wildlife. Whale watching season april 1 to october 31 vancouver whale watch provides passengers with the adventure of a lifetime through excellent customer service, first class vessels, the highest possible safety standards and added value from an onthewater education of. 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. Whether you are a first time whale watcher or a seasoned veteran, we guarantee that you will have a blast on this 3hour whalewatching adventure in telegraph cove. Experience whale watching in british columbia canadian. 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. To ensure whale watching activities do not affect cetacean populations or individual animals, nor their environment, legislation requires whale watch tours to keep a safe distance of at least 100 metres. About bc whale tours leave the crowds behind on our custom made vessels specifically designed for comfort, speed and safety that carry only 12 guests at a time. The prime whalewatching season in british columbia is between april and late october. British columbias whalewatching vessels take people onto the ocean to spot orcas, humpback whales, grey whales, and minkes, and along the way often come across seals, sea lions, porpoises, and bald eagles. Depending on which species of whale you want to see, and what type of experience you would like, the answer can be different. Some outfitters have developed longterm monitoring programmes. Whale watching in british columbia tour guide canada.
Zodiacs provide the openair, wet and wild whale watching experience. Vancouver island, british columbia whale watching tours are one of the top attended attractions by tourists on vancouver island. Whale watching victoria prince of whales wildlife adventures. Everything you want to know about whale watching in canada. Whale watching in british columbia an exhilarating experience thats much more than whales. This is the best place in the world to see orcas, the mr. Find a guides that will take you on a fun filled adventure where you can experience the amazing sight of orcas or the killer whales, humpback whales, grey whales and other marine animals. Luckily, there are a number of boat trips to areas where you can see 30ton marine mammals majestically glide. Youll see orca whales, migrating humpback whales and much more. Our whale watching tour season here begins in april, and finishes in october. North island marine mammal stewardship society nimmsa a collection of companies committed to ethical whale watching and advertising. Passive acoustic monitoring helpful to determine seasonal occurrence of. Interim order for the protection of killer whales orcinus orca in the waters of southern british columbia.
They contribute their data to scientific studies and. Raising more questions than it can answer, the film is a truly compelling exploration of our relationship with animals. Here is a good guide to help you make a decision about the whale watching season in victoria. Explore the beauty that is british columbia on this zodiac whalewatching excursion from telegraph cove resort. Whale watching in bc is an unforgettable experience. Spirit of the west adventures is a founding member and on the board of directors. Whale watching in british columbia is about as good as it gets, but its the jawdropping scenery and teeming aquatic and bird life you see along the way that sets this place apart from most whalewatching destinations. These can be kayaking, highspeed zodiac trips, cruises, or even seaplanes. The provincial state of emergency is being extended for the third time, to support the extraordinary measures taken by the province under the emergency program act to keep people safe during the covid19 pandemic. We also collect photos and location data on marine mammals. Join your professional naturalist and board a first class, modern vessel for a 3 to 5hour expedition, starting in the picturesque, historic fishing village of steveston and traveling.
Whale watching in british columbia mainly boils down to whale watching on vancouver island, even if you can also book tours directly from vancouver. By the end of our 2016 season this number was 420 individual identified and many of these return year after year and are referred to as seasonal resident humpback whales. A whale watching trip is a once in a lifetime experience. Each vessel has a private washroom and has a maximum capacity of 12 guests per trip. We now sight humpbacks on a daily basis during the field season. Theoretically, you could meet orcas in the waters of british columbia all year long, but the main season is from may to september. Where to see whales in coastal bc spirit of the west. Learn more campbell river whale watching and adventure tours. Whale watching season 2015, victoria bc springtide tours. Thousands of whales migrate through the vancouver coastal waters every year from march to october. The whale was spotted just a few weeks ago and marked the first sperm whale reported in british columbia since 1984. In 2004, 42 individual humpback whales were identified in the caamano sound to douglas channel region. During whale watching season, theres nothing like seeing the fluke of a. While it is possible to see whales at any time of the year, there is a peak season from may through october.
Many whale species use these northern waterways as their feeding grounds, including humpback, orca, gray. The whaleplanner march a whale watching infographic whaletrips. At the end of the boardwalk you will find our sandwich board with instuctions on meeting our water taxi. And within this, chances to see them, camera in one hand, binoculars in the other, are almost limitless. Tofino is prime whalewatching territory, as grey whales migrate north from the baja peninsula to alaska in march and south again in october. British columbia is one of the best places in the world to see orcas in their natural habitat, something that offers a much more rewarding experience than seeing these magnificent animals in captivity. Read the whale watching british columbia page for more information and the best locations to spot grey whales, humpbacks and orcas. On the west coast, tofino is a quaint town with an embedded orcawatching culture. The seasonal distribution and movement patterns of southern resident killer whales srkw are strongly associated with the availability of their preferred prey.
British columbia whale watching indigenous tourism bc. Whale watching from victoria british columbia, canada. Whale watching in july and august vancouver island. Here is some clips that have been shot and edited by one of our captains over his various trips. British columbia is one of the worlds best locations for whale watching. There is no seagoing experience quite like watching, closeup, a sleek whale weighing thousands of pounds frolic like a child in its natural habitat.
Provides great charts on where to see whales, directly from whale researchers. Whaletrips british columbia whale watching in british. S ummer time is the time to see all whale species in large numbers. There are zodiac, cabin cruiser and floatplane whale watching tours. Our first week of tours was blustery but successful. On the islands east side, head for campbell river, where.
Our company utilizes stateoftheart, custom designed, locally built vessels that are leading in the industry for safety. See whales and other marine wildlife on a whalewatching tour in vancouver. Frequently asked questions about whale watching in bc. Whale watching attractions vancouver island british. Only adding to the allure is the fact that there are a variety of whale. Both sides of vancouver island afford primo opportunities. Management measures to protect southern resident killer whales.
Tours can be done straight from telegraph cove with stubbsisland, multi day tours or kingfisher kayak tours. Whale watching, wildlife tours and sea kayaking tours located in the beautiful seaside town of sidney, british columbia on vancouver island. From a cedar strip canoe, i was resting at a point betwn grebe islets and eagle harbour, offshore about 1 km in west vancouver. Bc whale tours is a premium whale watching company based out of victoria on vancouver island, bc.
This data is shared with the bc cetacean sightings network in british columbia, as well as the center for whale research on san juan island in washington state. The city of victoria in particular, on the southern tip of vancouver island, is globally renowned for orca sightings and is the ultimate destination for bc whale watching. Victoria, bc is the best place on earth to view whales. Welcome the first gray whales of the season on vancouver island or try your luck with the blue whales of chile.
You can spot various kinds of whales, like humpback whales, orcas, grey whales, and minke whales. Tour operators, both on the mainland and the island, have specialized on orcas another highlight is the migration of the gray whales past the western part of the island. Quebec, british columbia, new england, washington and oregon are among the best places in the world for whale watching. Although we had to cancel and delay some of our tours due to high winds and rough seas, we still managed to get off the dock and see orca almost every single day. Many companies will take visitors out to the pods that spend summer in nearby clayoquot sound, using zodiacs or a covered aluminum boat. Our whale watching tours located off the southern coast of victoria, british columbia consist of viewing transient orca pods, migrating humpback whales, grey whales and other marine animals that reside in our coastal waters. Saw several pods of orcas, humpback whales, porpoise, seals and eagles aplenty. While in vancouver, dont miss the chance to take a whalewatching tour and spot killer whales, porpoises, seals, eagles and other wildlife amid the stunning scenery of canadas southwest coast. Ask upon booking if there is a wild life biologist on board of your whale watch outing. Joining a whale watch tour offers an important educational experience to whale watchers. Numerous marine mammal and orca experts have estimated that whales born in captivity live to be, on average, just fourandahalf years old. The greatest variety is observed between midjuly and october. From its small perch on fin island, this new research camp established in 2017 overlooks many things at once.