subject: Make Sure To Go Whale Watching While Visiting Victoria Bc [print this page] Victoria BC is a vibrant city to visit! Travelers can stroll the natural scenery of Victoria's Butchart Gardens, adventure travel on the challenging mountain bike trails that span the island, shop Antique Row on Fort Street for rare finds, and see the marvels of Victoria BC's own Chinatown. However, no matter what brings you to Victoria BC, make sure to go whale watching off Vancouver Island if your visit is during the peak whale spotting season of April through October. It is a fascinating site to see a whale surface next to you in the water and hotels in Victoria offer whale watching tour packages that make this once in a lifetime opportunity too hard to pass up.
The reasons Victoria BC is one of the best whale watching places in the world is because many pods of Orca whales seasonally inhabit the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Haro Strait. National Wildlife Refuge provides marine protected areas for the whales and animals like sea lions, seals, seabirds and many others on hundreds of little islands. Upon returning to their Victoria BC hotel after a whale watching tour, travelers often report encountering Grey, Minke, and Humpback whales on their journey into the deep.
Whale watching trips depart from the Inner Harbor which is also an enjoyable place to wander around and take in the many Victoria BC tourist attractions. You can visit the Parliament building, the Royal BC Museum, and Thunderbird Park, or take a traditional horse drawn carriage ride around the city. Take a stroll along the docks or dine at a wide array of excellent restaurants that Victoria has to offer.
Educational Tours and Eco-Adventures
Some tours are more educational and might offer Hydrophones which are on-board acoustic systems that allow you to hear the calls of the whales. "Killer whales produce clicks and sounds that resemble moans, trills, grunts, whistles, squeaks, and creaking doors" (http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/killer-whale/communication.htm) in order to communicate and for location purposes. Humpback whales are said to have "songs" that they use to communicate through the waters to each other. Educational tours will go more in-depth about Vancouver Island and the whales and other wildlife during your tour.
The Pacific Whale Watching Association (PWWA)
Eco-tours are tours that are sensitive to the environment and wildlife. If a tour advertises itself as an Eco-tour or Eco Adventure, look for membership in the PWWA. The Pacific Whale Watching Association is a group devoted to protecting the whales and ensuring their safety and well-being. Because whales use echolocation, the rising level of noise in the waters makes it hard for them to hunt and reproduce. According to their website the PWWA has established guidelines to minimize underwater noise with speed limits, sonar restrictions, and no-boat foraging zones to help protect the whales which also protects the future of the whale watching tour businesses. On their website, PWWA offers a list of whale watching tours that are members and follow the guidelines.
Imagine seeing a killer whale swimming so close you could reach out your hand to touch it. Or imagine seeing this gigantic being that might weigh as much as 12,000 pounds jumping out of the water in graceful arcs with a little calf in tow. Whale watching Victoria BC is an awesome experience and travelers can easily find a Victoria BC accommodation that provides whale watching packages along with their stay; it is an experience people say takes their breath away and stays with them their whole lives.
