The Whales & Their Environment

Grey Whale The waters and islands of Juan de Fuca Strait, Haro Strait and the Strait of Georgia are a part-time home to three groups of "resident" whales, commonly known as "pods" of orca, or "killer" whales. Pods of whales are groups of families and individual whales that live and thrive mainly on salmon and other species of fish found in the waters of the Pacific Northwest. On occasion, "transient" orca whales are encountered on an individual or group basis, and are mainly dependent on other mammals, such as seals and sea lions as a core food source. Pods can gather together to form "super-pods" and have reached numbers in excess of 80 whales at a time!

Because of our diverse ocean bio-systems, many forms of marine wildlife, birds and fish species are abundant in these waters, making viewing of all creatures an ever-changing daily experience. Grey whales, minke whales, humpback whales, dolphins, porpoise and many other mammals frequently call these waters "home".

Photograph and video opportunities are abundant, as our tour operators will provide you with choice positioning for visual enhancements of your trip. For easy access, water-resistant storage is located directly under your seat for your cameras and bags. You are never far away from your valuables!

Responsible Whale Watching Click Here to learn about Responsible Whale Watching.

Whale Shots by Jo-Anne Lacroix

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Recent Sightings

August 28. 2010: beauty day on the water with all that sunshine... the gray whale is still hanging around Discovery Island, which is always nice for us; Jpod was slowly moving north this morning, fairly spread out with the occasional breach and a few tail slaps... plenty of seals bobbing around, probably enjoying the calm waters and a bald eagle to finish the trip!

August 23. 2010: It was a wonderful day to be on the water today. Sun, calm seas and whales! The gray whale was seen on all three trips, frolicking in kelp beds; we also saw members of Lpod on the afternoon and evening trip. A california sea lion was sunning on a can and many seals were hanging out at Trial Island!

August 21. 2010: Well, it seems the orcas are taking a break but the humpback whales are keeping us entertained. Yesterday and today, we've had three different humpbacks. Today's humpbacks were all about cartwheels, breaches and spyhops; it was amazing to watch such giants leaping out of the water. We also came across the gray whale this afternoon, swimming in a kelp bed!

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