This Coastal City is Canada’s Top Destination for Whale Watching

Courtesy of Eagle Wing Tours

From Yukon's Ivvavik National Park to the northernmost reaches of Nunavut, Arctic Canada is home to a splendid array of native creatures, with narwhals, belugas, and even polar bears all calling its territories home—but you don’t have to travel far from the 49th parallel north to find some truly incredible ecotourism opportunities. Perched at the southern tip of British Columbia’s Victoria Island, the aptly-named city of Victoria is a treasure trove for aquatic fauna, brimming with incredible cetaceans, pinnipeds, and seabirds.

While visitors are welcome to stroll down to Fisherman's Wharf Park and search for marine life from the comfort of dry land, Eagle Wing Tours offers one of the finest whale watching experiences found on the Canadian west coast. Acquired in 2005 by Brett Soberg and Don Stewart, this aquatic adventure company is equipped with a fleet of three state-of-the-art vessels, each one staffed with experienced naturalists—and to sweeten the deal, each journey takes place across one of North America’s crown jewels of marine biodiversity.

Spanning roughly 18,000 square kilometers from the Discovery Islands to the U.S. city of Olympia, the Salish Sea serves as a bastion of biodiversity, with wildlife ranging from tiny plankton to some of the planet’s largest whale species. In terms of cetaceans, Victoria serves as a particularly enticing destination for spotting humpback whales, a species that’s renowned for its propensity for breaching. While these charismatic creatures spend a portion of the year in Hawaiʻi and Mexico, August through November serves as peak humpback season for Eagle Wing Tours, with adults and juveniles alike congregating to feed in the krill-rich waters. In addition to humpbacks, guests can also spot lesser-known species like minke whales and gray whales during the warmer months, while one particularly famous cetacean species calls the Salish Sea home all year round.

Courtesy of Eagle Wing Tours

Often referred to as “killer whales,” orcas—actually a type of large dolphin—are one of the main ecotourism drivers for visitors to Victoria, with the Bigg’s killer whale serving as a common sighting during a voyage with Eagle Wing Tours. Characterized by their small pod size and majority-marine mammal diet, these transient predators are an everyday occurrence during the summertime, cruising across the Salish Sea as they hunt for unlucky pinnipeds. Smaller dolphins abound across the region as well, with opportunity to spot Dall’s and harbor porpoises and even the occasional group of Pacific white-sided dolphins—though of course, cetaceans are far from the only animals on display during a visit to Victoria.

Seabirds can be found soaring across the Salish Sea, making it a particularly enticing destination for seasoned birders. While there’s no shortage of gulls, cormorants, and ducks to spot during an expedition, charismatic raptors like the bald eagle and even peregrine falcon have been known to make an appearance across the British Columbia coast. In terms of non-cetacean mammalian life, harbor seals and sea lions can be found crowded around the shore—or in the jaws of a Bigg’s killer whale—while sea otters spend their time bobbing along the surf in search of seafood.

The Salish Sea is home to an incredible array of marine mammals, and in order to operate in harmony with its native fauna, Eagle Wing Tours adheres to multiple rigorous metrics. As members of both the Pacific Whale Watch Association and World Cetacean Alliance, the company prioritizes the comfort of the region’s native cetaceans, keeping a safe distance from any orcas that they encounter during a tour. As an even stronger indicator of their steadfast dedication to the natural world, Eagle Wing Tours became the first whale watching company to undergo noise emission testing, ultimately aiming to reduce the noise pollution caused during a routine excursion.

While North America is home to a wealth of top-tier whale watching destinations, the rich biodiversity and world-class tour operators make Victoria a particularly enticing destination for devoted wildlife lovers. As you plan your next trip to the western reaches of Canada, be sure to save some room on the itinerary for a trip to Victoria Island, a tiny slice of ecotourism heaven perched along one of the continent's most bountiful bodies of water.

Courtesy of Eagle Wing Tours