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Whales... they're the gentle giants of the sea. They captivate us with their immense size and grace, and intrigue us with their playful antics and the foreign world they inhabit. Indeed, few animals are considered as bewitching as whales and few people pass up the opportunity to view them. Luckily for British Columbia visitors, whales are amongst the province's abundant and alluring wild and water life.
Whale-watching tours first began from Telegraph Cove in 1980 but the area's prolific number of whales means that today an equally prolific number of viewing possibilities and tours are available on which to encounter the blubbery beauties.
WHICH WHALES
Orcas (also called killer whales) are the most commonly viewed whales as three resident pods populate the waters around Vancouver Island, making the possibility of viewing a whale or three almost a guarantee if visitors time a tour to coincide with the season (see When To Go).
Thousands of grey whales, humpbacks and minke whales also ply the province's waters as they pass the island along their migration route from Mexico to Alaska.
WHERE ARE THEY – THE WHALES, THE TALES, THE TOURS
Vancouver Island's protected and marine-rich waters are prime whale-feeding grounds and most tours (but not all) leave from various towns and cities on the island. Victoria is BC's whale-watching capital as well as its seat of government and over a dozen operators offer whale-watching trips for orcas. Tours are often approximately three-hour excursions to the beautiful Strait of Juan de Fuca, south of the city. Orca Spirit Adventures offers the experience aboard a luxury boat with heated indoor viewing, while 3-Hour Sail combines whale watching with sailing on a custom-built tall ship. The Prince of Whales and Five-Star Whale Watching are others that both boast high success rates.
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