Gray Whales - Every year more than 20,000 Gray Whales swim from their breeding lagoons in Baja, Mexico and journey 10,000 kilometres or 6,000 miles north to the Bering Sea. Leaving Baja in January, these "wandering giants" pass by the West Coast of Vancouver Island in small groups with migration at its peak in March and April.
To celebrate the migration of the northern gray whales, Ucluelet & Tofino hosts the Pacific Rim Whale Festival every spring. A small number of these whales will opt out of the northern migration and summer in the local waters to forage and feed until the end of September. These are known as our "resident" Gray Whales as they will stay until the northern whales swim by in September and October (far offshore where we can't see them) on their way down to the breeding grounds in Baja.
Humpback Whales – of a global population of some 10,000, about 2000 inhabit the north Pacific. They breed in waters off Mexico and Hawaii, and migrate to the north Pacific to feed in the summer. Humpbacks are best kwon for their displays of breaching and other acrobatics. Once quite common even in inshore waters, the Humpback Whale is currently listed as threatened, and its numbers are recovering.
Orcas – also known as killer whales. Their population is divided into 2 distinct groups: residents and transients. Residents travel in large pods within predictable ranges and feed primarily on fish. Transients roam in smaller groups over large areas of the coast, feeding on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions and other whales. There is not a resident pod in the Tofino/Ucluelet area but it is not uncommon to see transients here on a regular basis. You may also see other marine wildlife such as harbour porpoises, harbour seals & California sea lions along with a plethora of marine birds.
Whale watching in Clayoquot
Your choice of inflatable zodiac or cabin cruiser. An exciting eco-tour tour including whales, black bears and Hot Springs. Once disembarking at the dock in Hot Springs Cove you will follow the historic cedar boardwalk through an enchanting rainforest (1.5 km). At the end of this incredible walk lies a succession of natural geothermal hotspring pools, a cascading waterfall and a stunning view of the mighty pacific ocean – an amazing daytrip for all ages!
Whale watching in Barkley
Your choice of inflatable zodiac or cabin cruiser. An Exciting eco-tour through the world famous Broken Group Islands in Pacific Rim National Park. Eagles, Sea Lions, Gray Whales, Orcas and Humpback Whale sightings occur from March through October. View the various abandoned Toquaht and Tseshaht First Nations whaling village sites along the outer Ucluelet coastline. To help you identify many of the marine species we encounter, we supply you with laminated species ID cards in English, German and French.
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