While visiting Vancouver Island one of the main attractions is whale watching, and especially the orca (or killer whale) is on everyones wishlist. It was no different for me. I had seen these guys from a distance before while visiting Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. What we got to experience in Strait of Juan de Fuca far exceeded anything I could have hoped for.
We had booked our trip from Victoria and it didn’t take long before we saw our first whale – a humpback. We were visiting in September and during this period there is a high chance to spot humpbacks as they are migrating south from Alaska to Hawaii.
There are many companies offering whale watching and they all want their customers to see whales – and the best way to ensure this is by cooperating. So we soon learned via the radio that a larger pod of orcas had been spotted. Our captain headed in that direction and we all had our fingers and toes crossed.
As we approached the orcas I was astonished by how many they where. My dear hubby had taken the role as photographer this day – and I could just enjoy watching these beauties!
In the North Pacific there are three distinct types of killer whales are recognized: resident, transient and offshore orcas. There are two resident populations of orca on the Northeastern Pacific coast and it was likely one of these pods we were having the pleasure of meeting.
Before you go on a whale watching tour you should know the guidelines are for all boats to keep a 100 metres/yards away from the whales. A telephoto would normally be required to get any close-up photos.
Often the captain would drive ahead off the pod and turn off the engines while we watched them pass our side from a distance. I captured a small video of this – it is pretty amazing – you can hear the orcas breathe. Even the guide (who you can hear talking in the video) was amazed and she had probably seen this many, many times before.
Check out this 30 second video for your own private whale watching tour from your sofa.
We were sitting in the boat with engines turned off as the whales suddely made a 90 degree turn and came directly towards the boat. Should the orca for some reason get within the 100 meter rule the guidance is to place engine in neutral and allow whales to pass. They were not obviously not planning on changing direction at all and dived directly under our boat. I could see the black and white shadow of the orca as it passed under us. I was ecstatic!
When I thought things couldn’t get any better they did. As we were following this one pod of orca another pod showed up. And magic happened! It was evident that these two pods were happy to see each other. We started seeing all kind of fun orca behaviour like breaching, spyhopping, tail-lobbing and fin slapping.
Breaching is just the whale-word for jumping. No one knows why orcas breach – some scientists say to communicate, some say to get rid of unwanted parasites on the skin. Since breaching occurs most when the orcas are socialising, many think they just do it for fun! I tend to agree with the last theory – based on my own observations this day.
Spyhopping it is when an orca lifts its head out of the water. Scientists think orcas do this to take a look around, which makes sense. We didn’t get any good photos of the breaching (you have to be faster then lightening), but did get this one of an orca peeking above the water.
I could go on and on about my excitement, but think I will just round off the orca part with this one last photo. We had more than 600 photos to sort through after this tour…
The whale watching tour ended with a trip around Race Rocks Lighthouse as the sun started to go down. The lighthouse is just outside Victoria and was first illuminated in 1860.
The area around the lighthouse is designated a Marine Protected Area and has an abundance of wildlife. We saw lots of steller sea lions and adorable sea otters.
I was truly grateful to have had this experience. The orca has always fascinated me and getting to see them up close and see their social behaviors was very rewarding.
What is your most rewarding wildlife moment? Please feel free to share, I’d love to hear about it.
Amazing photos of an amazing experience. I was lucky enough to see a pod of orca off Tofino in 2006 ( wow thats ten years ago!), sea otters and sealions, Humpback whales too. It was fantastic. But we didn’t get as close as you guys.x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks a bunch Sharon! Sounds like you had a pretty good whale experience yourself! These guys are so fascinating. And sea otters – just the cutest thing!
LikeLike
🙂 Love Sea Otters.X
LikeLike
Thank you, Inger, for your beautiful pictures of whales and orcas,
they are not animals that I have never had the opportunity to see up close,
I discover in admiring your photos. Congratulations…
I wish you a good day. Hervé
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for your sweet comment Hervé! It is very impressive seeing the orca up close – they are beautiful! Hopefully you get to see them once.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My husband captained a whale watching boat off the coast of Vancouver one summer. I went along with him once and it was indeed an amazing experience. Orcas love to entertain. Entire families were out including the little ones. I can see how much you enjoyed it. Great pictures.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for sharing Darlene. What an amazing job that must have been, captain on a whale watching boat!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your enthusiasm really shines through here – a wonderful post!
We’re always thrilled by our (distant) encounters with bears. Never gets old!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! Can’t help it, this was just a wonderful experience. I still smile when I watch that video.
I do really enjoy seeing the bears around here as well, I get excited every time:)
LikeLike
Brilliant photos, thanks Inger & hubby! It’s amazing to be able to see something like this, I’m so jealous…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I fully agree, absolutely amazing to have had this experience:) Very grateful for it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Härliga bilder! Det måste vara väldigt uppskakande att få uppleva dessa fantastiska djur i deras miljö.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tusen takk! Ja – det var virkelig en helt spesiell opplevelse. Det er noe man husker resten av livet:) Og ha fått noen flotte bilder av det i tillegg som man kan mimre over er jo en ekstra bonus.
LikeLike
This must have been a stunning experience!
And you captured some great photos of the view of these amazing animals.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Truels! It was one of those once in a life time experiences:)
LikeLike
Fantastic photos. I did this same trip in 2002 & saw so many orcas it was incredible. Unfortunately my memories are a bit faded of the experience & I would happily do the trip again if I ever make it back to Vancouver. I’ve been very blessed to have many sightings of many whales in the wild (the only place whales should be in my opinion).
https://mistynites.wordpress.com/2013/08/31/cetaceans/
LikeLiked by 1 person
You can never have too many whale watching tours – I would definitely also do it again. But I doubt we’ll get that close again:) Couldn’t agree more with your comment – whales should be in the wild. Orcas in places like Seaworld just makes me sad.
LikeLike
Thanks for blowing my mind. Your husband’s photos belong on display. You brought us right there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Ron! He did a great job on the ocean that day:)
LikeLike
Peanut Butter and jealous
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hehe..that was a pretty spectacular experience John:)
LikeLike
What a great day for the whales!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! It seemed like the whales were having a blast. And so were we! 🙂
LikeLike
Awesome, Inger! We saw orcas in Kenai Fjords in Alaska. They are magical!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We also got a glimpse of them in Kenai Fjords, but at that time we didn’t get as close and the sea was a bit rough. They are truly beautiful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, Inger, what a sight! You’ll have to forgive me for being green with envy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes – that was quite a sight! A dream come true to have experienced them so close up.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow – what a fantastic sighting! Love the video – just breath after breath after breath…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Andy! Amazing to have experienced the orcas slo close, big bonus to be able to get it on film so that we will never forget it:)
LikeLike
Inger these are absolutely incredible and I loved the video. Did you use a GoPro to capture the footage? What an experience it must have been.
One of the most amazing encounters I have had was after climbing a multi pitch route to a summit. We packed up our ropes and gear and began to walk off the mountain. We came around a corner and there was a baby mountain goat and it’s ‘family’ . The adults were teaching the little one, who barely looked like it could yet walk, how to scale little rock piles. We stood absolutely motionless as the classroom session continued. Marvelous!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a beautiful encounter Sue! I can just see the little baby mountain goat practicing its moves. Must have been adorable. Thanks for sharing! We just used a small pocket camera for the footage btw.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow that’s impressive video for a little camera!
LikeLike
The most fascinating moment was when I saw wild reindeers in Norway. Never saw humpbacks before, but maybe I get a chance to do so. Ha en riktig fin dag! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t think I have ever seen wild reindeer in Norway, they are not that common and often stick to remote areas. What a wonderful moment that must have been! 🙂
LikeLike
Absolutely beautiful! I have seen whales back in Australia, but it was nothing compared to your experience!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks a bunch! I have been on many whale watching tours before, but as you say, nothing that ever came close to this before. A very special experience.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a sight! And to be honest, I am kind of jealous.. Hopefully we have the chance to watch them sometime. And I really love those pictures!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes – this was far from an everyday experience, I am very grateful to have been so lucky! I will cross my fingers hoping you’ll get the same experience:) Thanks for the sweet comment!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That must have been the best – your excitement was well founded. We had a grand experience with humpbacks feeding but there a few whale experiences like this one that I would love to encounter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Lyle! Ahhh – humpbacks feeding is something I haven’t seen yet. That must have been pretty awesome experience as well! There is just something very fascinating about whales.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely gorgeous! Have a wonderful Tuesday.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Karin!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Simply amazing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! Much appreciated:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you enjoyed the Pacific NW. It’s beautiful out here. Let me know next time you’re in the neighborhood. Maybe we could meet for a hike.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We absolutely loved PNW, we have been a couple of times now, mostly on the island. Always have a blast! 🙂 I’d love to met for a hike if we ever make it back again. Make sure to leave your contact! (you were not signed in so comment is showing as from anonymous).
LikeLike
Amazing!! must have been such an experience, maybe a bit scary?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was awesome! I never thought of it as scary at the time. Would probably be different had we been in kayaks:)
LikeLike
It’s like to see a civilization of other beings… Quite interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely! So interesting to see their social behaviours. Still many things that are not explained or fully understood out there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful! We’ve seen those orcas too I think! We made a stop in San Juan Island afterwards. However, they never got as close to us as this! Oh how exciting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks a bunch! Awesome that you have had the pleasure to see orcas. Up close or a bit further away, they are still pretty impressive:)
LikeLike
Amazing! We plan on visiting Vancouver end of April or early May still working on planning the trip. Will book soon. Any advice? We may stay in Victoria for a little bit. We don’t drive so seeing nature is harder for us but I found some tours that do pick ups from hotels.We won’t go a grizzly tour this time around, we will go another year around Sept/Oct when we can see cubs too.
2 years ago when we were walking around Point Lobos. Seeing sea otters and sea lions made me realize – we need to get out and see nature more. It was thrilling to see so many animal friends.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh what a trip you have ahead! It is such a lovely area. I haven’t spent much time on Vancouver as I am not a much of a city person. We did spent time in Victoria and loved it, would highly recommend it. Also the ferry ride from Vancouver to Victoria is beautiful. Victoria is the perfect city if you are not driving as it is very walkable. You can probably walk to Fisherman’s wharf in Victoria where most of the whale watching tours start. I am sure you’ll have a blast!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So excited! Finally booked. 5 nights Victoria and 5 Vancouver. We found hiking tours 🙂 so we can see some trees! I keep reading about the ferry ride. Would be so nice. Thanks for the tips!
LikeLike
What a fantastic experiance and lot of magical photo”s of The killer Whalers
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Marylou! It was such a great experience:)
LikeLike
Again, you have some beautiful photos. That orca peeking out of water is spectacular. Perfect timing!
It’s so exhilarating to watch these majestic creatures in the wild.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Anna! Not easy capturing some of the ‘out of water’ moves so happy we at least got one of the spyhopping. Awesome seeing these guys in the wild – the only place they should be in my opinion:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ya, true. We saw pods of killer whales while on a boat trip in Kenai fjords national park in Alaska. It was thrilling to see them hunt as a group.
LikeLike
We saw some orcas when we were in Seattle and it was very nice to see them. I think my most rewarding experience was when I was in Galapagos island, Seeing the tortoises in the wild, the turtles and the sea lions in the oceans and the sharks and manta ray when we were diving.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ahhh…Galapagos is soooo on my bucket list. And tortoises is the wild – how awesome is that! I can probably live without the shark during diving experience…but manta rays sound awesome. They are so beautiful and elegant.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow how exciting! I would love to go whale watching some day. Wonderful photos and lived the video too! Thanks so much for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks a bunch for your sweet comment! Yes – you should definitely grab the opportunity for whale watching should it ever come. These creatures are spectacular! 🙂
LikeLike
One of your most captivating posts,dear Inger!Rich in gorgeous photos,amazing group portraits of those fabulous sea creatures and lots of excitement while watching their performance in your video!You so vividly narrated your incredible experiences.Thank you so much for sharing with us,I’ll gladly tweet it away for more friends to enjoy 🙂 Doda xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for your awesome comment dear Doda! I am happy my enthusiasm came through in this post. This was such a wonderful experience that I will always carry with me. To get some of it on footage was such a lovely bonus. Very happy to share the experience with you! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure,dear Inger!Always my pleasure to comment on your fabulous posts and to virtually enjoy your memorable travel experiences 🙂
LikeLike
Wow! AMAZING photos and video…thank you so much for sharing. What magnificent creatures they are.
LikeLiked by 1 person
THANKS a bunch! What an awesome feedback to get. They are beautiful aren’t they:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, what an amazing experience this must have been. It’s always such a thrill to see wildlife up close but I can’t even imagine seeing so many whales such as this. Thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed – wildlife is always special. But this was extra, triple special to me:) Thanks for your lovely feedback!
LikeLike
Didn’t even imagine to sail so near to the killer whales….
You know I’m a fan of your posts : this is unplayable !
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are supposed to keep your distance, but sometimes you get lucky when the orca decide to come to you:) Thanks a bunch for your sweet comment – I am smiling all over! 🙂
LikeLike
Bravo Inger! A great post with beautiful and stunning images ! Cheers, from Barcelona!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! Happy to have captured these beauties on film. Greetings back to my favourite city in Europe!
LikeLike
Oh! es un honor! Many thanks my dear friend!
LikeLike
These are great photos!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, and thanks for stopping by! 🙂
LikeLike
Fabulous to get so near these guys! A good-sized pod too! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was absolutely a special experience Jo, I didn’t expect getting so close that I could hear their breaths:) Awesome!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You had a great experience. I like the amazing video. You were so close to the whale, this was awesome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! This was an experience I will never forget – very happy to have captured it on footage. Thank you so much for your visit!
LikeLike
I can well imagine the excitement of such an amazing sight! I remember spotting a huge whale off a diving ship I was working on off the coast of Queensland – we all dived in to swim near it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow – swimming with a whale must have been pretty amazing? I would probably have been a bit scared, but the enthusiasm might have overshadowed that:)
LikeLike
Amazing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Rob!
LikeLike
Wonderful post and gorgeous photos. I watched the video also and loved it very much. Thank You.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Than you so much for your generous comment! Happy you enjoyed the video – I still enjoy watching it even though I have seen it a million times by now. Never expect to get close enough to actually hear the orca breathe.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amazing photos – applause to the photographer. Although all of the photos were wonderful, the last one of the lighthouse deserves an award because it is surreal. I’ve never had a wildlife moment that could come remotely close to this. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for your lovely comment Judy! I will make sure to let the photographer know you liked his pictures, I am sure he will be very happy to hear it. This is for sure not an everyday wildlife moment – I am very grateful to have had this moment.
LikeLike
Wow what a fantastc view must have make you very happy
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am so glad you had a chance to see the whales. We have ran I to the pods several times while out on my parents boat and it never gets old. They are the most amazing creature to watch and if you get the during feeding times it is captivating. I do have to comment on your great pictures because I k kW first hand how hard it is to get them out of the water. Great shots!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Shannon! Wow – must be awesome seeing them during feeding times. I have to agree – seeing orcas never gets old. At least not to me, they are so fascinating. You are lucky to be able to see them so often!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great captures of these whales. Remarkable!! We saw some whales in Hawaii a year ago, it’s good to know that you can see them in Vancouver! Thank you for the video. I so enjoy this post. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much for your sweet comment Amy! Ahhh..the mention of Hawaii makes me dream of Maui. What a lovely place. We also saw whales there, but only from a far distance. Did you go whale watching there? We could see the whales from the beach which was pretty awesome, but they were pretty far away.
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing, inger! We saw big whales in Big Island, took a small cruise tour there. 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve never seen these beauties, and you saw so many! Wow!
In a lagoon in Mexico, I saw a few gray whales, and one approached out boat (called a panga there) and let us pet her!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow Emilie – that must have been amazing. Petting a whale is not something many people have done I would think. I would have loved that. Lucky you:)
LikeLike
Amazing and lovely pictures. What a pleasure it should have been to see such spectacle! Thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks a bunch for your sweet comment! It was an exhilarating experience – one of those you will never forget:)
LikeLike
Your photos are outstanding.What kind of camera/lens were you using? I didn’t realize that you could see so many orcas so close to Victoria.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Caroline! We had a smaller Olympus camera with us and a 300 mm lens if I can remember correctly. Yes, there are several pods that stay year round in Victoria so there is a high chance of seeing orcas there I understand.
LikeLike
What an incredible collection of photos! I envy you your luck at seeing these amazing creatures.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! I feel pretty lucky and grateful to have had this mind-blowing experience:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
amazing 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks a bunch Joshi!
LikeLike