Captain’s Blog

Transient Killer Whales & Race Rocks Ecological Reserve

December 7, 2017

On a grey, wavy November afternoon we left the harbour and headed west towards Race Rocks because we had been having success finding whales in that area quite recently. Before we could even get to Race Rocks, a sharp black dorsal fin cut through air. At first glance the captain was not sure what he […]

Port Renfrew Tour, A Whale Extravaganza

September 14, 2017

The last tour of the season brought us more whales than we could count! Cruising up to Carmanah lighthouse. Taking in the epic beauty of the ocean carved shorelines we soon spotted a few blows in the distance. A group of killer whales appeared. Quickly ID as members of J-pod of the southern resident. After […]

September 12, 2017 – Southern Resident Orcas

September 12, 2017

Welcome back Southern Resident Killer Whales! Today was a little foggy, but that didn’t stop us from having an awesome day. The L22 matriline was foraging off of San Juan Island, so off to the east we headed in search of these amazing animals. Two huge dorsal fins greeted us out of the fog as […]

September 6, 2017 – Transient & Resident Orca Pods

September 6, 2017

Today was the perfect example of the amazing differences between Transient and Resident Orca. This morning we spent the tour with two groups of Transients travelling together – the T10s and T109As. These orca were hunting harbour seals close to the shoreline, and we got some looks at the big male swimming sideways along a […]

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 […]

August 19, 2017 – Transient Killer Whales

August 19, 2017

10am Tour In was another beautiful day in the capital of British Columbia and guests were excited to get on the water to see if we could find the giants of the ocean- whales! Well whales were found as we cruised the blue as we sprang upon a family of transient killer whales! We were […]

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 […]

Spotting Orcas Whales At Race Rocks Marine Reserve

July 24, 2017

10am Excursion We departed the dock on the MV Pacific Explorer and proceeded southwest in the Strait of Juan de Fuca in search of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises). In the Strait of Juan de Fuca off of Race Rocks Marine Ecological Reserve, we encountered one of our southern fish-eating killer whale pods (L pod). […]

July 11, 2017 – Bigg’s Killer Whales

July 11, 2017

10am Excursion We departed the dock on the MV Pacific Explorer and proceeded east in the Strait of Juan de Fuca in search of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) towards Haro Strait. Off the north end of San Juan Island, we encountered a group of Bigg’s killer whales (marine mammal hunters). The group identified were […]