Orcas off Vancouver Island

More holidays » Featured Holiday

Sailboat cruise in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia This natural history voyage explores the protected waters of the Gulf Islands, off southern Vancouver Island. Our focus will be exploring the new Gulf Islands National Park and the remote islands of this beautiful region. 5 days, from £786 (Cruise). Great Excursions »

Orcas (Killer Whales like the famous ocean mammal celebrity, Shamu) are the most popular residents around Vancouver Island, joined in the migrating season by humpbacks and grey whales.

Agile orcas have a range of interesting behaviours, which range from the frolic-and-shake to the-spray, the tail-slap, the jump-and-flop and the show-off-Shamu-leap but they are always entertaining. Their smaller size means orcas are more playful than other whales and brave visitors can kayak amongst them, though be prepared to get sprayed or splashed!

Other harbour residents are the harbour seals, porpoises and sea lions.

Review by editor World Reviewer Staff

Have you been here? Why not add your own review or report an error.

If you liked that, you might like these...

• 

  Digby Neck's Whale Migration

  Digby is a long narrow rocky peninsular on the tip of Canada, with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and a protected bay on the other, and is a great...

• 

  Swim with Whale Sharks on the Ningaloo Reef

  Swim in clear, warm waters with the majestic, gentle giant, the Whale Shark. The Ningaloo Reef is one of the few places in the world where Whale...

• 

  Orcas and Minkes of the San Juan Islands

  The San Juan Islands are well known for marine life and you can see it by the number of tourists who come here to see the Orcas, Minkes and other...

• 

  Tromso: Whales watching and arctic scenery

  This beautiful coastal region fringed with fjords, glaciers and arctic mountain scenery is a pristine whale watching setting. The ocean around Tromso...

• 

  Heron Island

  Amid the beautiful natural setting of the Great Barrier Reef, Heron Island attracts wildlife of all kinds and in every season; it's on the Humpback...