Captain’s Blog

September 3, 2017 – Humpback Whales, Seals & Sea Lions

September 3, 2017

10am Tour Glass-like waters met the Pacific Explorer as we headed out past Ogden Point and on to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We started our search to the west, looking for any signs of blows, splashes or fins breaking the surface. Whale watching boats spread out across the water in directions, working together […]

Humpback Whales & Race Rocks Ecological Reserve

August 25, 2017

Today was humpback whales galore! This morning we departed heading towards the scenic Olympic mountain range in search of marine mammals. Hugging the Vancouver Island shoreline, we stopped at Race Rocks Marine Ecological Reserve to check out the abundance of male California and Steller sea lions spotting the rocks as well as Ollie the Sea […]

Watching Whales On A Saturday

August 5, 2017

10am Tour Spending a Saturday morning whale watch is never a bad weekend decision! Aboard the Pacific Explorer, we aimed our efforts and our hopes to the southwest of Victoria. As the fleet fanned out, orcas were discovered! We caught up with a mammal-hunting group of orcas known as the T18 & T19 family. T18 […]

Gray Whale, Southern Resident Orca & Humpback Whales

August 4, 2017

Today was one of those great west coast days where you are amazed by how much wildlife you can fit into 3 hour tours! Starting first thing this morning we headed out into calm seas only to come across a Gray Whale after only 15 minutes out of the harbour! It isn’t often we have […]

Port Renfrew Seals, Sea Lions, Humpbacks & Orcas

July 8, 2017

Sunshine and small swells where the only thing in sight as we set out on our tours this week. Any fog that had been around burned off fast as we cruised along the Juan De Fuca shore line. Quickly spotting bald eagles soaring above the tree line we stopped to check for any nests that […]

Transient Killer Whales, Seals, Sea Lion & Sea Otter

June 14, 2017

Glassy sea’s were a welcome sight for our whale watching tours today. Although the sun decided to hide for much of the day, the conditions made for excellent sighting capabilities. As we travelled into the Juan de Fuca Strait, guests eagerly pointed out Harbour Porpoise feeding in the productive waters south of Race Rocks. As […]

Humpback Whales, Bigg’s Killer Whales & Race Rocks

June 6, 2017

10 am Excursion We departed the harbour and transited slightly southeast towards Constance Bank, scanning the waters for cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises). The MV Pacific Explorer shifted to a southern direction transiting across the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Off the waterfront of Port Angles on the Olympic Penisula, we encountered a foraging humpback […]

June 3, 2017 – Humpback Whale, Seals & Sea Lions

June 3, 2017

10am Tour On this morning’s whale watching excursion, we left the docks on flat calm waters, but were greeted by rolling waves as we entered the Juan de Fuca Strait. The fleet fanned out in search of marine life in the chilly waters that surround our little city. We searched to the south and west, […]

June 2, 2017 – Transient Orca, Seals & Sea Lions

June 2, 2017

There could not be a more perfect afternoon! It was sunny and the ocean was calm as glass. We took a turn for the west when we left the harbour and set our sights on locating the male transient orca that was found earlier this morning. We made it to Beachy Head when his tall, […]