Written by: Rachael Merrett, Orca Spirit Adventures Marine Naturalist At Orca Spirit Adventures, marine wildlife conservation and protection are at the heart of everything we do. We feel the most effective ways to protect local wildlife are through the education of our guests and supporting scientific research and monitoring. With such a diverse array of […]
Originally published: May 4, 2013 These beautiful black-and-white creatures have secrets and we know some interesting, little-known facts about orcas. Remember these facts about orcas on your next Victoria whale watching trip! Orcas are actually dolphins Orcas, often referred to as “killer whales” (Orcinus orca) are a toothed whale and are the largest member of […]
In the Pacific Northwest, the Southern Resident Killer Whale population has been facing a crisis that threatens their survival. The crisis is an ever-dwindling supply of Chinook Salmon, their preferred prey, within their range along the western coast of Canada and the United States. Chinook Salmon make up approximately 80% of the Southern Resident […]
Every year Orca Spirit completes new Southern Resident Killer Whale adoptions from the Whale Museum on San Juan Island, Washington. This year we adopted one whale from both K and L pods. Adoption funds support the important work of the Whale Museum including the operation of their amazing, educational Exhibit Hall, operating the Marine Mammal […]
Originally posted: May 2015 Many Killer Whales have become famous over their lifetime. Some for heroic acts, others for entertainment, some for sad stories of their capture and life in captivity. In this post, we look at 7 Famous Killer Whales that have stolen our hearts over the years. Tahlequah Tahlequah, officially named J35, was […]
West Coast Bigg’s (Transient) Killer Whales are a unique ecotype of orca who reside off the Pacific Coast of North America, ranging from Alaska to Northern California. Bigg’s Killer Whales are known as the mammal-hunters because their diet consists of seals, sea lions, porpoises, dolphins, and larger whale species like humpbacks, minkes, and grey whales. […]
This was a year like no other with the COVID-19 pandemic delaying the start of the Victoria whale watching season until July. With international borders closed, Victoria was a quieter place with only tourists from across Canada visiting our Capital City. While the world seemed up-side-down on land, time on the water and with wildlife […]
Sunday, September 27th, 2020 – 12pm Covered Vessel Tour This afternoon, we headed out into the Juan de Fuca Strait with gorgeous conditions for finding wildlife in the Salish Sea. We travelled South West for a while with beautiful views of the Olympic Mountains and saw several Harbour Porpoises in the area. These are the […]