Ocean Cruises To View The Gray Whales Of Victoria
Posted by admin under on May 4th, 2011.Ocean Cruises To View The Gray Whales Of Victoria
Vancouver Island has been declared the best spot to view whales in North America according to Travel and Leisure Magazine. Vancouver has over 80 Orca whales just living off the coast. Whale watching tours and cruises depart directly from Victoria which lies on Vancouver Island. The waters just outside of the Port of Victoria, known as the Salish Sea at the southern tip of Vancouver Island near Victoria, have the greatest amount of whale activity.
The whales favor the strong currents of the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Georgia Strait outside of Victoria, BC. The strong currents bring plenty of food and provide good hunting grounds for the Orcas. Not only Orcas but the gray whales, humpbacks and Minke regularly frequent the area. The gray whales swim in mass numbers from March till October. In addition, sea lions and dolphins call the waters home too.
The best times to view the whales from the Victoria area are from May to November. During this period cruises leave daily from Victoria and surrounding municipalities like Oak Bay. The cruises vary in size and luxury from small kayaks to large ocean going cabin cruisers. On the smaller vessels like the kayaks and zodiacs, these vessels are for those that want an up close and personal view. The ride in the smaller vessels though, tend to be rougher when the winds come up. The larger operators provide meals, padded seats, viewing decks and enclosed cabins.
Cruises last from 3 to 5 hours at a time. Each person needs to be prepared for cold weather. The philosophy being you could always take off a layer. Seas tend to be calm unless the days get windy. A good majority of operators have hydrophones so you can listen to the whales underwater. The bottom line is to layer your clothing, wear sunscreen, and bring bottled water. Of course check with your operator for other options.
An ideal time to visit Victoria and take a whale watching cruise is during The Pacific Rim Whale Festival, an annual event, from March 17 to 25. The festival celebrates the migration of the Pacific gray whale and encompasses the entire west coast of Vancouver Island. March is the opening of whale watching season for the entire British Columbia area.
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