Kayak with Whales
It is possible to encounter whales on any of our kayak tours. However, our kayak tours in and around Johnstone Strait on northern Vancouver Island have by far the most reliable whale sightings. Our 4 day Orca Waters Base Camp and 6 day Orca Waters Explorer kayak tours have about a 95% success rate of seeing whales over the past 12 years.
The most commonly seen whales on these kayak tours are orcas (killer whales), humpback whales, and Minke whales. Less frequently seen are Fin whales (we have only seen 2 on our kayak tours in this area in the past 12 years) and grey whales (in 2010 one grey whale stayed in the area for the entire summer)
From early July to late September many of the northern resident "fish eating" orcas (killer whales) return to this area to feast on the migrating salmon, socialize, and to rub on the smooth pebbles in Robson Bight Ecological Reserve (an area set aside to protect orcas and closed to both land and water access). While less predictable we may also see transient "marine mammal eating" orcas throughout the year as well.
The humpback whales are a real success story in this area. When we first started kayaking here we were happy if we saw one humpback whale a summer. Now we see them on almost every one of our multi day kayak tours. The humpback whales are often seen feeding near the Plumper Islands adjacent to our base camp or at the mouth of Knight Inlet where we begin our Orca Waters Explorer tours.
The number of Minke whales in this area fluctuates from year to year with 2010 being a good year for Minke whales. Like the humpback whales we often have Minke whales feeding near our base camp. With the help of a local researcher our guides learned how to indentify a few of the Minke whales from their dorsal fins and markings on their flanks. Our guides can also identify some of the orcas through their dorsal fins and saddle patches and humpback whales by their tail flukes.
In addition to the whales we often seen many other marine mammals while kayaking. These include Dall's porpoises, pacific white-sided dolphins, harbour porpoises, harbour seals, and Steller sea lions.
Click on one of the below kayak tours to learn more about kayaking with whales.
Orca Waters Base Camp Kayak Tours
Our most popular tour. Experience the amazing diversity of wildlife of Johnstone Strait, Queen Charlotte Strait, and Blackfish Sound from the comforts of our kayak base camp. These 4 day / 3 night kayak tours run every Tuesday to Friday from mid-June to late September.
Family Orca Waters Base Camp Kayak Tours
Using the same established base camp as our regular base camp kayak tours we offer these 4 day / 3 night kayak tours focusing on exploring nature at a pace suitable for families with children aged 6 to 14. Tours run every Saturday to Tuesday to Friday from late June to late August.
Orca Waters Explorer Kayak Tours
Sea kayaking in the wildlife rich waters of Johnstone Strait, Queen Charlotte Strait, and the Broughton Archipelago is an experience to remember. This nomadic kayak tour is a classic west coast experience. These 6 day / 5 night kayak tour are offered weekly from late June to late September.
