Wildlife Tours
Whale Watching
Spyhopping: A Whale of an Adventure!
Orcinus orcas, also known as killer whales, are the principal type of whale we see on our tours although we also occasionally see Humpback, Gray and Minke whales.
New for this year... boat options! We are offering whale watching tours in Zodiacs and enclosed boats. The Zodiac tour gets you into an all-weather suit and experiencing extreme excitement and fresh, salty air in a comfortable open boat. Whale watching in an enclosed boat gives you cruiser class comfort and protection from the elements...or the ability to enjoy the view and fresh air on the outside viewing deck.
2010 Rates |
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Adult |
Child |
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| Zodiac | $160 cdn |
$100 cdn |
| Enclosed Boat | $218 cdn |
$189 cdn |
Both types of boat have onboard washroom, and also have onboard hydrophone, so you can listen to the whales sing!
The tour is approximately six hours long and includes a box lunch. There is one morning departure daily. Reservations are strongly recommended.
Call for departure times & availability: 1-877-285-2007
Whale Sighting Success:
Although whale sighting cannot be guaranteed, we have an over 95% success rate.
A Whale of an Adventure
Stay & Play package
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$259 cdn pp... Zodiac tour
- $299 cdn pp... enclosed boat tour
- two nights at the Heriot Bay Inn
- full day of whale watching.
Available beginning July 1, 2010. Based on double occupancy and subject to availability.
Whale Exploration Routes
When looking for whales our boat tour routes vary depending on where the orcas are, of course! We most often head north around and past Maurelle Island, Sonora Island, East & West Thurlow Islands, traveling through Nodales or Cordero Channels and into Johnstone Strait. If this sounds exciting, it is! You won’t believe the wildlife & birds you’ll see and you won’t believe the beautiful BC scenery.
On this BC whale watching adventure tour we take you to where the whales are! We may venture to the heart of the killer whale’s home turf, Telegraph Cove in Johnstone Strait located between northern Vancouver Island and the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. Located adjacent to Telegraph Cove, Robson Bight is internationally recognized as a prime sighting location for killer whales.
While we are cruising north through the extraordinary wilderness beauty of British Columbia’s Discovery Islands and Vancouver Island’s east coast you will also have chances for viewing Pacific White-sided dolphins, Dahl's & Harbour porpoises, Stellar sea lions in season, seals, bears on the beach, eagles and other marine birds. That’s why we call it an adventure tour. Remember your binoculars and your camera!
About Orcinus orcas (Killer Whales)
Killer Whales are the largest member of the dolphin family. Their familiar black and white coloration is actually a strategy of camouflage. From above their dark back blends in with the darker water below them while, from below, their whiter bellies blend in with the sunlit water above. Did you know that male killer whales reach 30 feet (9.5 m) in length, weigh over eight tons and have a dorsal (back) fin up to six feet (1.8 m) tall? Female killer whales grow to 22 feet (7 m), weigh about four tons and have a three-foot dorsal fin. Killer whales have 50 conical-shaped teeth which are about three inches long.
There are three types of killer whales: residents, transients and off-shore. Resident killer whales are matrilineal and stay with the same pod through their entire lives; pod size is often groups of five to eight or more. Resident whales travel through large territories and eat salmon almost exclusively.
Transient killer whales travel in smaller groups, generally three to five individuals and do not have territories. Southern transient whales range from Washington State to the Queen Charlotte Islands. They eat seals, porpoises and other mammals.
Offshore killer whales are rarely seen in the Inside Passage, the waters between British Columbia and Vancouver Island.
Stay & Play
Plan an island vacation and combine your whale watching trip with a stay on beautiful Quadra Island, the most convenient of the Northern Gulf Islands just a 10 minute ferry ride from Campbell River, Vancouver Island, BC. Contact the Heriot Bay Inn, Quadra Island for packages that include accommodations along with whale watching tours, grizzly bear viewing tours, fishing charters, or sea kayaking! The Heriot Bay Inn also has an RV Park, ocean side campground, kayak day tours, and kayak rentals.
