The Whales & Their Environment
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!
Click Here to learn about Responsible Whale Watching.
Whale Shots by Jo-Anne Lacroix
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The Whale Watch Operators Association logo is your assurance of a responsible company. Make sure you “LOOK Before You Book ! " to ensure you choose a company that abides by the official Whale Watching Guidelines.
Recent Sightings
July 2. 2009: Great morning trip! We were only a few miles from the harbour when we encountered a minke whale. We stayed with it for a few breaths and then carried on to the resident orca!! K and Lpods were very active when we got to them. Breaches, tail lobs, pec fin slaps and then porposing at great speeds towards Victoria. The sun is shining and the afternoon is most certainly going to be epic!
June 29. 2009: We spent the whole day with resident orcas! Some L's were close to home this morning while the rest of the pod, along with Kpod were spread out over Hein Bank; multiple breaches, tail lobs, pec slaps were in order on this sunny day!!!
June 27. 2009: Jpod all day today... beautiful on the water! Jpod came down Rosario Strait this morning and were around for the day!!!
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