We had quite the adventure up north today, as two of our vessels left the Nanaimo Harbour and started their search in the Strait of Georgia. We decided to go north today, as there were some shore-based reports of whales in the area. Our two boats spread out and started their search!

When looking for whales you need to have a keen eye, and a little bit of luck, as the whales are quite small in the grand scheme of things, and they spend a lot of their time travelling beneath the surface of the water.

Orca and Humpback whales both do this, and it’s not uncommon to have dive times of up to 10 or more minutes from the whales that we watch! This isn’t even as long as the dives can be though, since the orca can dive up to 20 minutes, and the humpbacks a whole 45 minutes! That’s where the luck comes in during the search, if they are doing a dive as you are in the same area as them, you just won’t be able to see them.

This must have been the case today, as the conditions were great and we had sharp eyes on board. The search continued, our determined staff never giving up until we were back at the dock. Although we didn’t manage to find the whales today, we didn't leave without some wildlife experiences!

Our vessels stopped to see some very excited sea lions who were hauled out on a log boom near the shoreline and then headed to a place that is just starting to get more exciting; the Gabriola Bluffs! This area is a beautiful sandstone cliff system with a ton of beautiful examples of corrosion of different types, as well as a wildlife hotspot. The local cormorants use this area for their nesting! The cracks of the cliffs and the dead trees in the surrounding rocks make for a perfect location. In the spring and summer, the cliffside will be covered with these black, long-necked birds and their young.

It was a nice end to the tour. As always, these guests who joined us and didn't get to see a whale will get to try again whenever they would like, as they received a “no whale” voucher which has no blackout periods or expiry date! Hopefully next time there will be more whales mixed in with the wildlife!

Please enjoy all the photos from today taken by Marine Naturalists Vanessa Vereschahen and Desarae (Des) Poier.