Whale Watching in BC
Apr 11th, 2000, 09:14 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Roby, it really depends on the time of year and the type of whales you're hoping to see. Now and the fall are the times for the migration of the grey whales, and the West Coast (Tofino) is the center for that. For orcas, June-August is peak in the Victoria area, but there is another group of orcas further north on Vancouver Island that you can see alot of in the late summer and fall (up in the Telegraph Cove area). <BR> <BR>By agency, do you mean the company that runs the whale watching boats? Please clarify.
Apr 12th, 2000, 08:47 PM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
In Victoria you could try Prince of Whales: <BR>http://www.princeofwhales.com/ <BR> <BR>And in Tofino: Pacific Adventures or Jamie's Whaling Station. <BR>http://www.alberni.net/whales/ <BR>http://www.jamies.com/bottom.htm <BR> <BR>As for the best kind of boat, I guess that's personal preference. I know someone who took a Prince of Whales tour out of Victoria on a Zodiac and she found the ride back a little jolting for her bad back (but she did get to see a gray whale). The company provides the suits you see in the photos on the website, by the way. <BR> <BR>Or sit on any west coast beach for a length of time and you will often see whales, although usually not that up-close and personal.
Apr 12th, 2000, 08:58 PM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Hi Roby, April has given you a couple good suggestions, although as I noted above, August won't be peak time for grey whales out on the west coast (Tofino). <BR> <BR>In addition to Prince of Whales in Victoria, I like Seacoast Expeditions; they've been doing it for a long time (since before whale watching trips got so trendy in the last couple of years). I would avoid a company called Five Star; we were kayaking in the San Juans last summer and saw their boat violate several provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act by following the whales and approaching them too closely.
