Parksville qualicum beachs central location makes it the perfect base for whale watching vancouver island. During this period thousands of whales migrate through these waters. It sounds like you had incredible encounters with both killer whales and humpback whales. Longer tours to ensure maximum viewing time with the whales and wildlife. 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. Vancouver whale watch provides passengers with the adventure of a lifetime through excellent customer. If you have never seen whales before, the waters near vancouver are one of the best places in the world for this activity. The islandstudded coast of british columbia features pristine water, dramatic. Were in the planning stage of our trip so we can adjust our itinerary. Tofino whale watching tours ocean outfitters, tofino bc. Threehour wildlife whale watching tour for one or two from five star whale watching up to 34% off. There is no seagoing experience quite like watching, closeup, a sleek whale weighing thousands of pounds frolic like a child in its natural habitat.
Below we give summaries of the best places to whale watch on vancouver island and what you can expect to see there. March to october is the season for orcas, minke, grey, and humpback whales. Harbour air will fly you from downtown vancouver to downtown victoria in just 35 minutes. Southern resident orcas all year, gray whales march to november. Whale watching tours and marine eco tour adventures provided by west coast wildlife adventures.
Over the years, wild whales vancouver has maintained a focus on marine conservation while also ensuring we go the extra mile to find whales for our guests. The most celebrated residents of vancouver island north are its marine mammals. Welcome the first gray whales of the season on vancouver island or try your luck with the blue whales of chile. Whale watching in july and august vancouver island. Whale watching in april vancouver island forum tripadvisor. Minke whales have a similar aesthetic to humpback whales, but are are just. The west coast of vancouver island is another great place for whale watching.
Ocean ecoventures is the most centrally located whale watching company on vancouver island with the highest sighting of orcas and humpback whales every year. Look carefully, because theyre hard to spot without the dorsal fin. Should we just plan to do it there or head up to sidney or some other spot. Full day whale watching and wildlife tours vancouver island. Whale classification breeding patterns of whales whale migration join us british columbia. Save time and money by going at the end of the day. A year for the gray whale begins in late december when hundreds of pregnant females, along with the rest of the herd, arrive in the warm calving lagoons of baja, mexico, after completing an arduous 8,000 kilometre swim, nonstop from the arctic. Go sea kayaking, salmon fish for dinner, amazing wildlife. Why victoria has the best whale watching on vancouver island. Gray whales participate in the longest migration of any animal. Orca whale watch at vancouver island in september 2009. Orca whale watching vancouver island canada youtube.
Killer whales orcas, gray whales, humpback whales and minke whales ply the waves and perform their watery rituals. Where on vancouver island is the best place to go whale watching orcas in the summer. The majestic orca has long been the proud symbol of our incredible city. When is the best time of year to go whale watching in. The tour identified in this promotion is made available through viator.
With a lot of fantastic orcajumps, it was a great experience. Wales island is an island on the north coast of british columbia, canada, situated east of the dixon entrance at the entrance to portland inlet. Highest killer whale sightings in british columbia. We have been avidly watching whale reports and sightings over the winter counting down the days until april 1st. Whale watching on vancouver island owner direct vacation. 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. What an amazing experience killer whale watching near vancouver island, canada. On the west coast, tofino is a quaint town with an embedded orcawatching culture. Meanwhile on vancouver island, canada, the people of tofino and ucluelet. Travel through the spectacular gulf and san juan islands. We love sharing vancouver islands marine ecosystem and all that inhabits it. 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. The whales migrate 8000 1100 km every spring and fall.
The whaleplanner march a whale watching infographic whaletrips. Many varieties of whales pass through the waters of vancouvers west coast including humpbacks, orcas, grey whales and minke whales. Groupon is not affiliated with or sponsored by the vancouver island whale watch in connection with this deal. We are happy to hear you enjoyed your time on the water with us. 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. As a midpoint on the trip, the best chance to see them pass vancouver island is around april and november of every year. If youre very lucky, a whale will breach while youre watching.
The marine life in the waters of bc is abundant and diverse, but there is no greater creature than the mighty whale. Oean ecoventures is a small family run whale watching and marine eco tour company located in cowichan bay on vancouver island. Researchers are hoping the carcass of an entangled juvenile humpback whale that washed ashore will hold clues to its death and insight into preventing further entanglements. Fraser island whale watching season planning to book a tour to fraser island. Are there any really good spots on vancouver island just to go whale watching from land. These are all typical maneuvers you may expect to see while whale watching off the west coast of vancouver island.
If a visit between july and november is on the cards then you may be lucky enough to spot one of the many humpback whales that bypass the island every year. Our coastal wilderness is home to killer whales, humpback whales, sea lions, porpoises, seals, eagles, and more. Eagle wing whale watching in victoria british columbia canada at fishermans wharf. Were planning a visit to victoria and see there are numerous companies there. Coinciding with our last tours of the season, the sea lions return to nearby haulouts with their new pups. Whale watching british columbia vancouver islands watching. 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.
Swim with dolphins in mexico, caribbean and jamaica at dolphin discovery up to. 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. Members of the public are encouraged to download the whalereport app and. Frequently asked questions about whale watching in bc. Known as the place to go for the best whale watching in british columbia, vancouver island offers amazing opportunities to witness wild marine life. Vancouver island is worldrenowned for its whale watching, and at the heart of the action is the city of victoria. When booking a day trip or tour, destination canada recommends checking. Please contact groupon customer service for all inquiries related to this offer. Both sides of vancouver island afford primo opportunities. Four days in vancouver island whale watching paradise. Eagle eye adventures is the most reliable whale watching tours company in canada. In regards to our 2020 summer season, we are in a holding pattern and will simply have to wait and see how things unfold. 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. Chances are youve travelled a long way or youre about to and you want nothing more than to fulfill your dream of seeing whales.
Each passes through the seas at slightly different times of the year but overall whale watching season is considered to run from march to october. 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. Experience some of the best whale watching on vancouver island. Our 34 hour whale watching tours depart daily from downtown nanaimo bc, april through october. On vancouver island, youll find reputable whale watching providers to bring you close to the action while respecting the boundaries of these magnificent animals. Looking for the best whale watching on vancouver island. In just over an hours drive you can hop on a killer whale watching tour at campbell river. 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. If seeing orcas is a priority, please keep these dates in mind when you book your tour with us. Many of the whale watching tour companies also offer black bear and grizzly bear excursions. Vancouver, british columbia is one of the best places to go whale watching. Killer whales are best observed from mid july through the first week of september. Avoid the crowds and travel straight to the whales.
Our first tour is scheduled for april 1st, and well be offering tours daily until the end of october. A whale watching trip is a once in a lifetime experience. He opened up a small whale watching business on granville island in 2003, and we are now pleased to be embarking on our 15th season of operation. All around us theyll be vocalizing, hundreds of sea lions growling all through the day and night. Reports of killer whales were plentiful during our offseason and we are expecting this trend to continue. See whales and other marine wildlife on a whale watching tour in vancouver. Luckily, if you are staying in vancouver there are plenty of options to get here.
We are the most centrally located whale watching company on vancouver island with the highest sighting of orcas and humpback whales every year. The whalereport alert system wildwhales bc cetacean. Gray whale off vancouver island, british columbia, canada. Members of some 260 fisheating orcas known as the northern residents are often in the area in pursuit of salmon. For the orcas off victoria from april, with an increase in sitings from may you might consider a week. This is the best place in the world to see orcas, the mr. 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. Three pods of about 80 resident orca whales live around the southern tip of vancouver island and in the gulf islands.
We here at seasmoke whale watching hope that you, your friends and family are well despite the challenging circumstances we all currently face. British columbia is home to dozens of whale species, 23 to be exact, according to the vancouver aquarium. Our whale watching tour focuses on magnificent orcas killer whales, majestic. Victoria is located on the southern tip of vancouver island, located 112 kilometers across the georgia strait from the city of vancouver. Our location wild whales vancouver is situated on granville island, a 510 minute taxi ride from most downtown hotels. Small personal tour groups, never more than 12 passengers on our boats. Every year over 1200 humpback whales make the 5000km voyage along the east coast of australia. The port of vancouver, the port of prince rupert, bc coast pilots, bc ferries, the. Luckily, there are a number of boat trips to areas where you can see 30ton marine mammals majestically glide. The boats were very respectful and the animals in the mood to show off. Inquiries placed to viator will be directed back to groupon. Youll see orca whales, migrating humpback whales and much more. Vancouver island is a great destination for whale watching.
Bc whale tours victoria aktuelle 2020 lohnt es sich. See whales and other marine wildlife on a whalewatching tour in vancouver. Gray whale migration passes vancouver island vancouver. Please note the photographs simon pidcock on this website were taken with a telephoto lens and have been cropped. The more stealthy marine mammaleating population of killer whales know as transients are also often hunting in the area.
Whale watching vancouver island news, events, travel. We provide whale and grizzly bear tours, and great bear rainforest tours. The best page i have found for whale season off tofino is from jamies whale watching. Or travel with us to oxford river for some once in a lifetime grizzly bear viewing. Campbell river whale watching tours let visitors see watching killer whales feeding. Our mission we aspire to be the best whale watching. Campbell river whale watching, grizzly bear, wildlife and ocean rapids adventures tours go wild. Come aboard one of our two 40passenger expedition catamarans, each of which combines comfort, speed, safety, and your choice of 3 viewing platforms. Well take you through the salish sea ecosystem to see whales and other marine life in their natural habitat. Best whale whale watching discover vancouver island. Victoria and sidney close to victoria most common whales. The rates for the boating outfits are a joke about a hundreds bucks a person.
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