Captain’s Blog

Southern Resident Killer Whale Pregnancies: Cautious Optimism for Their Future

September 23, 2020

Written by Rachael Merrett- Orca Spirit Marine Naturalist The whale world has been abuzz about the orca pregnancies detected within all three pods of the Southern Resident Killer Whale population since SR3 (Sealife Response + Rehab + Research) announced their discovery in July of 2020. They revealed that there are pregnancies in all three pods, […]

Port Renfrew Whale Watching Report: Doing Our Part in Being Responsible Whale Watchers

September 12, 2020

September – 9am/1pm Zodiac Vessel Tours The privilege that comes with visiting such naturally beautiful places should always be paired with the responsibility to better understand and preserve nature. It should be the foundation for which all eco-tourism industry is built upon. The slightly remote waters off Port Renfrew have become a focal point for […]

Port Renfrew Whale Watching Report: The Marine Circle of Life

September 1, 2020

September Whale Watching – 9am/1pm Zodiac Vessel Tours As we transition from August into September, we begin to see dramatic changes around our remote coastal town. The pressure systems between Alaska and California collide offshore as seasonal temperatures begin to change in our hemisphere. On the water we experience these changes as wind from the […]

Port Renfrew Whale Watching Report: When do Humpbacks Breach?

August 27, 2020

August – 9am/1pm Zodiac Vessel Tours In my 10 years experience driving zodiacs, I have never witnessed higher instances of breaching whales than my time in Port Renfrew. Sometimes it’s a distant explosion of water rising above the horizon and sometimes its whales much closer than that. While viewing whales nearby it’s awe-inspiring to watch […]

Remembering Mega (L-41) of the Southern Resident Killer Whale Family

February 12, 2020

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Mega (L-41) of the Southern Resident Killer Whale population is missing and likely deceased. We cherish all the whales we encounter, but Mega held a very special place in our hearts, which makes this news all the more tough to handle. On January 30th, […]

Celebrate Family Day by Adopting a Family of Bigg’s Killer Whales!

February 7, 2020

Family Day (February 17th) is an important time to celebrate those we love and at Orca Spirit Adventures we consider all the whales and wildlife we watch members of our family!  To mark Family Day 2020, we adopted a Bigg’s (Transient) Killer Whale Family known as the T018 matriline from Ocean Wise – Wild Killer […]

“Why are they called Transient Killer Whales if they aren’t Transient?”

November 27, 2019

A frequent discussion we have on our whale watching trips is the difference between the types of Killer Whales we have in the Salish Sea. Yes, you read that right! Types! This means that there is more than one kind of Killer Whale that inhabit our water; the one you are most likely to see […]

Odd Orcas: These Outliers are a Little Different From the Others

August 20, 2019

Something magical was spotted in the water off the coast of British Columbia near Victoria, BC. A frequent spot for interested travellers and locals alike, Canada’s west coast boasts incredible views of orcas travelling between southern California and Alaska. During the prime summer months of May through September, the activity picks up big time. And […]

What To Expect On Your First Whale Watching Adventure

August 6, 2019

I can’t remember if I was more nervous or excited the night before I went on my first whale watching adventure. Surely I was excited – I’d grown up obsessing over whales and I was hours away from seeing them in their natural habitat for the first time. However, part of me was concerned. I’d […]