The ocean around Victoria and Vancouver Island teems with wildlife! Watch for migrating Humpback Whales slapping their flippers and showing off their flashy flukes. You might see a majestic Minke Whale silently surfacing, or spot a family of Orcas on the horizon.

Orcas (Killer Whales)

Members of the Dolphin family, Orcas (also known as Killer Whales) can measure nearly ten meters in length and weigh up to six tons. These apex predators can consume up to 500 lbs. of food every day! They use echolocation to hunt, emitting a series of clicks and whistles to determine the size, shape, speed, distance and direction of their prey. Females can live to see their hundredth birthdays. The …

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Humpback Whales

You thought Orcas were big? Humpback Whales can grow up to 16 meters long! Even just their blows can measure as high as three meters. Over the past 40 years since commercial whaling was banned in the North Pacific, Humpbacks have been making a comeback in the waters surrounding Vancouver Island. These long-distance migrators show great fidelity to their favourite feeding spots along the BC coast, typically appearing during the …

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Minke Whales

Visible in our waters all year long, the Minke Whale is the smallest cetacean in the North Pacific, similar in size to Orcas. These generally solitary whales avoid boats but can be seen from a distance. Although they’re sometimes mistaken for Fin Whales in certain parts of the world, Minke Whales are much smaller. Everything about them – including their small, rarely-seen blow – is a little bit mysterious and …

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Sea Otters

The sea otter is a species on the west coast that is currently building its success story! The heaviest member of the weasel family was hunted almost to the point of eradication from 1741 to 1911. It was hunted for its luxurious pelt that can have about 100,000 hairs per square centimeter. In comparison, humans have about 100,000 hair follicles over their whole head! By about 1929, there were no …

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Harbour Seals

Harbour seals, also known as the common seal, is the most widely distributed pinniped in the world. Harbour seals sport a varying range of colours; however, all have a spotted coat. As these mammals are categorized as ‘true seals’, they lack external ear flaps and move by a crawling motion. Unlike the larger sea lions, harbour seals do not have pronounced hip joints and so use a flopping motion when …

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Steller Sea Lions

One of the loudest and smelliest marine mammals that passengers can come across on our tours is the Steller Sea Lion. These sea lions are named after the naturalist, George Wilhelm Steller, who first described the species in 1741. Male Stellers can reach sizes of 11 feet (3.25 m) in length and weight up to 2,500 pounds. This makes them the largest species of sea lion in the world! These …

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California Sea Lions

Perhaps the most comical marine mammal that passengers may encounter on our tours is the California sea lion, due to its dog-like barking sounds. Known for their intelligence, playfulness, and noisy barking; they have long been the preferred species for zoos and aquariums due to their ability to be trained. California sea lions range in colour from dark brown (males) to lighter, golden brown (females). Males can reach up to …

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Dall’s Porpoise

We are lucky to be located on the Pacific coast where there are multiple different cetacean species that inhabit the local waters. One of the lesser-known cetaceans that we can see on our tours is the smaller-bodied Dall’s Porpoise. Black-and-white in colour and reaching speeds of up to 55km/h, these little porpoises look like torpedoes in the water! Dall’s Porpoises can reach a maximum length of 8 feet and can …

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Harbour Porpoise

The harbour porpoise is one of the smallest marine mammals and one of the six species of porpoise in the world. There is still lots that is unknown about this elusive species. One reason for this lack of knowledge is that scientists still do not know where teenage herring go, which is a main food source that this species follows. Adult harbour porpoises reach sizes of only 1.4 to 1.9 …

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Northern Elephant Seals

Possibly the strangest looking marine mammal that can be seen on our tours is the Northern elephant seal. Its strangeness stems from its giant proboscis (nose) that is found on the males. This enlarged nose is what gives them their common name, as it looks akin to the trunk of an elephant. They use this flabby appendage to make extraordinarily loud roaring noises. This species shows huge size discrepancies between …

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About Our Wildlife

Orcas (Killer Whales)

Humpback Whales

Minke Whales

Sea Otters

Harbour Seals

Steller Sea Lions

California Sea Lions

Dall’s Porpoise

Harbour Porpoise

Northern Elephant Seals