Americas

[Visited: October 2024]

We walk toward the waterfront on an autumn afternoon. Although the sun is shining, we have several layers of clothes, as we are going on a boat tour and there are dark clouds in the distance. We find a good spot near the bow of the boat, and are excited at the upcoming hours. We have seen whales before, but the question that all passengers have in the back of their minds is: will we see orca's? We sail towards the west, and near the entrance of Howe Sound, see a fish eagle on top of a lighthouse. The majestic bird waits long to take-off, giving us a good chance to observe it. Soon after entering the sound, we see a big pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins swimming near the coast. Our boat quietly follows them, and they make sure to swim to and fro, as if they are showing off to us.
It is time to sail deeper into the sound, and after a while, we circle around without seeing any marine wildlife. We concentrate on the mountains rising from the sea, with clouds stuck at higher elevations. We know that the next day, we will be driving up north along this same sound, off to new adventures in the north of the country. The captain decides to try his luck in the wider Strait of Georgia, but when we are about to leave Howe Sound, we get word that an orca has been spotted in the sound. We immediately turn around, and excitement builds. And then - yes! We see the big black dorsal fin of an orca, surfacing regularly as it blows water into a spray. Upon closer inspection, there are actually two orca's, and we follow them from a respectable distance. Often, we are able to see the white spots on their sides, before they disappear in the cold water again.
After a while, we notice that there are actually three orca's. They don't seem to mind our presence, and we continue following them. After all, this is what we all came for. The majestic mammals seem to be the masters of Howe Sound. Then, the moment arrives where we have to let them go, and we sail towards Christie Islet which is a bird sanctuary deeper inside the sound. Apart from a multitude of birds, we also see many seals lying on the rocks. From here, we turn around, and cruise into the Straight of Georgia. Here, we see a humpback whale, who is kind enough to dive again and again, often showing us its beautiful tail before it disappears in the sea. The question is then always: where will he surface again? By now, we are wearing all our layers, and go inside for a warm drink. Happy faces all around: we have had a very good look at the beautiful orca's we had wished to see.

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Whale watching (Canada)

Whale watching > Canada > Americas

[Visited: October 2024]

Around the World in 80 Clicks