The waters around the canadian vancouver island are the worlds pivotal region for meeting orcas. This is exactly what happened in english bay, vancouver, b. On board hydrophones allow you to hear firsthand the wild calls of the orcas and sightings are guaranteed. Our location wild whales vancouver is situated on granville island, a 510 minute taxi ride from most downtown hotels. British columbia whale watching in british columbia whaletrips. Whale watching tour from granville island in vancouver we set off with what we thought was plenty of time to get form west vancouver to wild whales but we had to notify them that we were running late due to traffic. Wild whales vancouver is located 5 to 10 minutes from most hotels in the downtown area with easy access to granville island. Launch your seatosky experience with an eagle eye view aboard a harbour air seaplane flight departing from either vancouver or victoria. After signing a bunch of paperwork, we were loaded onto the boat. Roger obayashi, a local familyman from richmond, bc, spent many years working as a fisherman and skipper before founding wild whales vancouver.
With all that coastline, there are plenty of places to go whale watching in canada. If you could recommend the best whale watching tour company located on vancouver island, what would it be. 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 the west coast ecosystem. Discover digital orca in vancouver, british columbia. Whale watching vancouver island why visit parksville. Look for killer whales in their natural habitat on this whalewatching adventure near vancouver, british columbia. In just over an hours drive you can hop on a killer whale watching tour at campbell river. I chose vancouver whale watch for our tour, mostly because they would pick us up right at the hotel, which was super convenient. The main whale watching destinations are in british columbia on the west coast and in newfoundland, quebec, new brunswick, and nova scotia on the east coast. The drive to the boat docks in richmond takes about 3045 minutes. See whales and other marine wildlife on a whalewatching tour in vancouver. Wild whales vancouver all you need to know before you go. In 2010 she came back to vancouver island to complete high school.
The canadian press photographer bertie gregory rex features. According to that report, a whale weighing 50,000 to 80,000 pounds breached and landed on kayakers. Whether its half day whalewatching, or whalewatching and a trip to the beautiful butchart gardens on our ultimate day tour, we are perfectly able to match a tour to your desires. Frequently asked questions bc whale tours victoria whale. Image of a north atlantic right whales carcass that recently. Shuttle service from vancouver and richmond available. The powder coated aluminium sculpture on a stainless steel frame is owned by pavco, a crown corporation of british columbia which operates bc place stadium and the vancouver convention centre see also. You can even download the files so you can listen to them whenever you want.
In the event we do not find whales on you tour, bc whale tours is the only company to offer guests a complimentary return tour with us on a standby basis that is good for life as well as a 20% refund of your total tour cost. Custom designed and built by the company owner, captain harold, our vessels offer the latest technology in safety, speed and environmentally friendly design. Next up is an exhilarating 3 hour whale watching adventure on either a covered vessel or zodiac. New whales, dolphins banned from vancouver aquarium the. Hop aboard one of our adventurous open boston whalers or a comfortable, heated.
One grey whale was reported off saratoga beachoyster river area about 2 weeks ago and over the past weekend, two grey whales were reported near comox. Researchers focus on northern resident and transient orca, humpback whales, and fin whales. Killer whales are majestic creatures, who we have the privilege of interacting with. Wild whales 2020 eggbeater creative vancouver whale watching. Victoria is located on the southern tip of vancouver island, located 112 kilometers across the georgia strait from the city of vancouver. Prince of whales adventures bcs best whale watching. There are many options for transportation to our office and departure point. Youll see orca whales, migrating humpback whales and much more. Whale watching and guided whale watching tours of north vancouver island, british columbia, canada. Whether its half day whale watching, or whale watching and a trip to the beautiful butchart gardens on our ultimate day tour, we are perfectly able to match a tour to your desires. The powder coated aluminium sculpture on a stainless steel frame is owned by pavco, a crown corporation of british columbia which operates bc place stadium and the vancouver convention centre.
Weather conditions in this area can be extremely variable. Includes, port mcneill, alert bay, telegraph cove, johnstone strait, robson bight, and queen charlotte sound. May 16, 2017 the vancouver aquarium is weighing its options, including possible legal action, in response to a controversial ban on whales, dolphins and porpoises in city parks. There is no seagoing experience quite like watching, closeup, a sleek whale weighing thousands of pounds frolic like a child in its natural habitat. Vancouvers most experienced whale watching company offers 3 to 5hour tours and is the only company from vancouver with zodiacs. Wild whales vancouver 2020 all you need to know before. The vancouver aquarium is weighing its options, including possible legal action, in response to a controversial ban on whales, dolphins and porpoises in city parks. The whale centre offers safe and educational tofino hot springs tours, whale watching tours, tofino bear watching tours, bird watching tours and private tours in tofino on vancouver island. Look for killer whales in their natural habitat on this whale watching adventure near vancouver, british columbia. Prince of whales is focused on sharing the beautiful and breathtaking coastal waters of british columbia, its vibrant wildlife, and its rich history. Resident killer whales tend to travel in stable groups known as pods. Several whale watching boats at the western edge of the salish sea off jordan river on vancouver island spotted a group of transient orcas surrounding two adult humpback whales and a. Parksville qualicum beachs central location makes it the perfect base for whale watching vancouver island.
Humpback whales off the coast of vancouver island june. Frequently asked questions bc whale tours victoria. A pixel art killer whale is frozen midleap in this vancouver square. Jessicas love of wildlife, and breathtaking vancouver island, brought her to the bc whale tours team in 2017. Whale watching in bc british columbia travel and adventure. Harbour air will fly you from downtown vancouver to downtown victoria in just 35 minutes. Wild whales vancouver told us before paying at their granville office that their crew will do everything possible to find orcas, even if takes 6 hours on the boat. Orca whale watching outside of vancouver in british columbia. Hop aboard and experience orcas, killer whales, gray, humpback, and minke whales up close and personal. From there we will provide directions for boarding your boat. For a large part of the year this applies to the killer whale, but tour companies only operate during the late spring to early fall time period.
Digital orca is a 2009 sculpture of a killer whale by douglas coupland, installed next to the vancouver convention centre in vancouver, british columbia, canada. Bc whale tours has the largest and longest range zodiacs in the whale watching industry. Enjoy a 3to5hour, smallgroup adventure, departing from the beautiful town of steveston, located just outside the city of vancouver. Many of the whale watching tour companies also offer black bear and grizzly bear excursions. A threatened species of whale that was nearly hunted to extinction seems to be making a comeback off canadas west coast, but observers are concerned that could mean humpbacks could lose what. From our downtown departure locations, we offer industryleading whale watching tours in vancouver, victoria, telegraph cove, and seattle. Includes, port mcneill, alert bay, telegraph cove, johnstone strait. 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. Our crew bc whale tours victoria whale watching tours.
Whales and their watchers stars of documentary shot on the north coast of b. Humpback whales are known to be one of the most playful whales on earth. We are located on granville island, 510 minutes from most downtown hotels. Second beluga death at vancouver aquarium prompts talk about. Captain michael sack was near the area and one of his passengers was shooting a video of the scene. Before boarding, we ask all guests to checkin at our office. Hello patricia, were happy to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us and were able to observe an abundance of marine animals. Stop by the office to pick up a parking pass, before going to parking lot p1 a large gravel parking lot behind the gulf of georgia cannery. Known as the place to go for the best whale watching in british columbia, vancouver island offers amazing opportunities to witness wild marine life.
Every trip is different, as we follow reports of the whales location. Parks board officials say the death of a beluga whale at the vancouver aquarium the second in less than two weeks is a turning point that justifies a vote by city residents on whether. Gray whale off vancouver island, british columbia, canada. Prince of whales is the largest and most environmentally sustainable whalewatching and ecoadventure company operating out of both victoria and vancouver. This prestigious award, which places vancouver whale watch in the topperforming 10% of all businesses worldwide on tripadvisor, is given to businesses that consistently earn high ratings from tripadvisor travelers. Although wildlife is the focus of our trip, the scenery along the way is not to be forgotten. Come read some of our most frequently asked questions before you hop on board with us. During mating season, the males will sing organized and complex songs with distinct melodies and themes that can be heard over twenty miles away. Whale watching tours from vancouver island tourism victoria. Hop aboard one of our adventurous open boston whalers or a comfortable, heated cabin cruiser.
Head out into the canadian gulf islands and beyond in search of wild killer whales, humpback whales, seals, sea lions, porpoises, and more. Humpback whales wow tourists with earlymorning show on b. During the colder months we recommend passengers to dress warm but we do provide outerwear for guests who feel like they need an extra layer. Whale watching adventure semienclosed vessel 2020 vancouver. Whale watching tour from granville island in vancouver. Wild whales vancouver 2020 all you need to know before you. About wild whales wild whales vancouver is granville islands oldest and bestknown whale watching company. Vancouver whale watch celebrates over 20 years of showing our magnificent whales to people from all over the world. 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. The whale and the raven is a beautiful and cinematic must see. There were a number of pacific whitesided dolphin pods observed with the largest pod numbering around 50 members. Humpback whales off the coast of vancouver island june 2015. Frequently asked questions about whale watching in bc. From its small perch on fin island, this new research camp established in 2017 overlooks many things at once.
Digital orca vancouver, british columbia atlas obscura. The port of vancouver, the port of prince rupert, bc coast pilots, bc ferries. Vancouver whale watch richmond 2020 all you need to know. Southern british columbia is one of the premier areas in the world for whale watching. Everyone deserves to treat themselves every once in a while so head to wild whales vancouver, bc today and have some fun. Tours depart from the historic fishing village of steveston.
Were going to be traveling around the island for two weeks so were not dependent on any specific location. Second beluga death at vancouver aquarium prompts talk. Gray whale migration passes vancouver island vancouver. The north coast cetacean society nccs is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the research and protection of whales along the northern coast of bc. The ride can get a little bumpy if we encounter waves or the wakes from large boats. We paid for 3 hours but got over 4, during which we saw a pod of about 6 transient orca 1 calf, around 20 resident orca, 2 humpback whales and lots of stellar sealions and californian sealions, we had top class day out with loads of. Luckily, if you are staying in vancouver there are plenty of options to get here. Aug 01, 2017 endangered whales are dying in canadian waters. Best time place for whale watching experience vancouver forum. When they first started they operated one vessel that could accommodate 12 passengers. We took a tour with eagle wings tours from victoria fisher mans warff in mid september, it was a great trip with our excellent captain marine biologist geoff.
Vancouver whale watch richmond 2020 all you need to. Members of the public are encouraged to download the whalereport app and. Vancouver whale watch provides passengers with the adventure of a lifetime through excellent customer. She later studied criminal justice at camosun college. The whale centre, tofino, bc tofino whale watching, bear. Prince of whales whale watching vancouver all you need to. For the adventure of a lifetime, travel through the spectacular gulf islands and san juan islands to. The stevestonbased business was the first company to offer tours from the lower mainland and celebrates 15 years in business this year. Our mission we aspire to be the best whale watching company in the area by. Luckily, there are a number of boat trips to areas where you can see 30ton marine mammals majestically glide through the open waters of canada. The whaleplanner september a whale watching infographic. Prince of whales is the largest and most environmentally sustainable whale watching and ecoadventure company operating out of both victoria and vancouver. They feed on fish and were named residents because they are reliably seen each summer.