Campbell River is a known as the gateway to northern Vancouver Island. Located on the eastern side of the island, its a picturesque waterfront town whose slightly sleepy exterior hides the fact that its actually home to a host of exciting opportunities to explore British Columbia’s natural world.
Our choice of adventure was an afternoon of whale watching with Discovery Marine Safaris, chosen by our local host because of their commitment to ethical viewing and conservation.
The waters between Campbell River and mainland British Columbia used to be a pretty hostile marine environment for whales. According to our excellent tour guides and based on what we saw for ourselves, times have changed.
Over the course of more than six hours on board, we were fortunate enough to see six humpback whales and an orca – all viewed from a respectful distance and in virtual silence. Our guides were able to identify some of the humpbacks but were thrilled that a pair we spotted were unknown. Sightings such as these are reported to the appropriate authorities who are working to track and monitor the region’s whale population.
Our first sighting of the day came just as we cleared the largest of Campbell River’s adjacent islands and after seeing several humpbacks in this area, our captain followed a tip and headed north to see if we could spot an Orca.
The bonus for us was an hour or so of cruising between Vancouver Island and the mainland’s stunning coastlines, taking in habitat that is still very much wilderness.
The Orca was very obliging and seemed unaware and untroubled by our distant observation. It was such a privilege to see this beautiful creature just hanging out and enjoying the clear water on a sunny afternoon.
It was a remarkable afternoon – we had great weather, a friendly and truly international group of fellow passengers and to top it all off, a fantastic sunset. The icing on the cake, as we pulled into Quadra Island to drop off two passengers, was an unexpected sighting of a humpback – clearly comfortable enough to come closer to shore, knowing that this is a community which has learned to respect his right to be there.
One of the things that struck us most about the afternoon was how little we know about these mysterious and extraordinary creatures. There is still so much to learn and understand.
Hopefully, if we continue to become better stewards of their environment, there is still time to learn a few more of their secrets.
PS. Photos were taken using a zoom lens and were further enhanced for publication – our boat kept at least the legally required distance from all the whales sighted.