Guided whale watching in tofino is possible from february to november. Migrating humpbacks join resident grays from march to september and roaming orcas year round. Black bear guesthouse luxurious self catering suits with stunning views of the tofino inlet and close to the beach. See whales and other marine wildlife on a whalewatching tour in vancouver. Whale watching is popular and reliable from bcs capital, victoria at the southern tip of vancouver island, and from surftown tofino. Tofino located on the western edge of vancouver island is one of the best places to enjoy a whale watching tour with a host of companies offering varying tours you can be spoilt with choice. Aug 26, 2017 about whale watching in tofino you cant leave vancouver island without visiting the west coast. Welcome the first gray whales of the season on vancouver island.
It starts with a mind boggling 20,000 gray whales swimming past our shores in spring on their annual migration from birthing waters by the baja peninsula north to the bering strait by alaska. Whale watching in ucluelet, whale watching at subtidal. Ucluelet and tofino whale watching tours explore both the sheltered waters. Whale watching in tofino pacific gray whales the pacific gray whale eschrichtius robustus gray whale facts. This is when the weather is warmest and whale sightings are highest. Tofino whale watching tours west coast aquatic safaris. Ocean outfitters is the perfect place to set off on all of your tofino activities. Whale watching holidays orca watching canadian affair. Weve been tossing around the idea of making a long weekend trip to tofino on the west coast of vancouver island to catch the start of whale watching season.
The whale centre tofino all you need to know before. The whale centre has over thirty years experience in sharing tofino and clayoqout sounds ecosystems with guests from all over the world. Annually we also enjoy record numbers of humpback whales and our summer resident gray whales. These small baleen whales can be seen around the globe, but are often more elusive in the vancouver island area. Marvel at the spectacular landscapes and wildlife that make tofino so special.
The peak season is from mid march to mid april, with some whales staying in the area to feed during the summer months. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for sea lions, sea birds and resident bald eagles. There are two places to whale watch from the pacific rim. What makes tofino a hot spot for whale watching is the migratory season for grey whales heading north to alaska in march then south again in october. We liked that you could sit indoors away from the wind or go outside. Most common in this area are the summer resident gray whales.
He made his passion to his career in the year of 2007 when he moved to tofino and started adventure tofino wildlife tours. Whale watching in tofino international education viu. Tofino whale watching tours the whale centre, tofino, bc. The whale centre, tofino, bc tofino whale watching, bear. Whales can be spotted year round in the pacific ocean off the west coast of vancouver island. See whales and other marine wildlife on a whale watching tour in vancouver. Whale watching tofino west coast aquatic safaris, tofino. Clayoquot sound is very popular with gangs of transient killer whales that are on the hunt for food. We are proud leaders in responsible whale watching, bear watching and wildlife viewing and have a strong passion for educating guests about the wonders and the fragility of clayoquot sound and tofino. Whale watching season resumes in tofino following leviathan. During the cooler season there is a lot of precipitation, with 492.
Chance of spotting rarer species add an extra thrill to whale watching when whale watching near victoria, keep an eye out for the lesser known minke whale. A whale watching tour in tofino is a fullon seafari. Whale watching in to fino, british columbia, canada. Celebrating over 33 years of operation on the west coast of vancouver island, the whale centre continues to venture out into clayoquot sound, off the coast of tofino, bc, taking passengers on whale watching tours, bear watching tours, hot springs cove tours, bird watching tours, pelagic. To download the full whaleplanner as a graphic, please just click this link and. With a significant focus on marine ecosystems and coastal life education, the pacific rim whale festival celebrates the continued protection and annual return of migrating pacific grey whales to the coastal waters of the communities of tofino, ucluelet and pacific rim national park reserve. Jul 05, 2015 whale watching out of tofino british columbia. Lean into the wind at chesterman beach, watch the waves at cox bay outside or from the warmth of an inside venue, and more. If youre unable to use your local groupon, you can trade it in for use toward any of our other great local business until you either view the voucher or it expires. The whaleplanner march a whale watching infographic whaletrips.
The research station is very important to clayoquot sound. Tolles whale watching adventure tofino wildlife tours. However, your best bet is to head a little further afield to vancouver island. Gray whale migration passes vancouver island gray whale off vancouver island, british columbia, canada each spring, some 20,000 gray whales travel passed the western shore of vancouver island, british columbia, en route to their summer feeding grounds in the bering sea and chukchi sea. Typical tofino whale watching tours take 2 to 3 hrs. One year of whale watching in just one infographic. Whale watching tofino vs ucluelet tofino forum tripadvisor. With so many larger tour operators already established in tofino, my goal was to provide a different wildlife experience for my guests, tours in smaller groups and with a more personal touch. In october 2015, a whale watching vessel capsized off the coast of tofino. Best place to go whale watching in british columbia. Whale watching in tofino pacific gray whales in tofino, bc. The history of jamies whaling station jamies whaling. The district is located at the western terminus of highway 4 on the tip of the esowista peninsula at the southern edge of clayoquot sound a popular tourist destination in the summer, tofino s population swells to many times its winter size.
Both places can have good whale watching depending on the time of year. It is home to miles of sandy beaches and a great place to take a whale or black bear watching. Each year in march, the pacific rim whale festival celebrates the continued protection. Alistair was amazing with his knowledge of the area and the sea life. Gray whale migration passes vancouver island vancouver. In march the people of tofino and ucluelet celebrate the arrival of the first gray whales. Tofino whale watching tours the adventure of a lifetime. You can expect to see whales until the end of october. Hopping aboard a specialized whale watching boat is the best way to see these majestic creatures. Tofino whale watching inc discover tofino bc canada. The whaleplanner march a whale watching infographic. Our baja kayaking and whale watching trips combine two of the very best natural experiences in baja kayaking the beautiful loreto bay national marine park in the sea of cortez and whale watching in magdalena bay, an ecological reserve and the gray whale calving lagoon on bajas pacific coast.
Whales can be viewed yearround, but the strongest season begins in may, when a mindblowing 20,000 grey whales swim past tofino s sandy shores. Tofino whale watching tofino whale watching tours tofino whale articles. Choose to go whale watching in an open style zodiac boat or enclosed boat. The pacific rim whale festival coincides with the kickoff of whalewatching season on the. Jamies whaling station and adventure centres tofino.
Whale watching season in tofino begins in march and ends in late october. Launching from tofino takes you into clayoquot sound. March 15th to october 12th in clayoquot and barkley sounds, we most often view pacific gray whales. Apr 14, 2017 whale watching in tofino, british columbia, canada. It starts with a mind boggling 20,000 grey whales swimming past our shores in spring on their annual migration from birthing waters by the baja peninsula north to the bering strait by alaska. Every spring, pacific gray whales and humpback whales migrate into our waters, and ive been dreaming of taking my girls out on the open ocean to catch a glimpse of these gentle giants.
Here, pods of transient and resident orcas, humpbacks and greys have been known to surface for a breath. Whale watching around vancouver island in british columbia is an exceptional experience that will leave you awestruck after watching whales that weigh thousands of pounds frolic in their natural habitat. And within this, chances to see them, camera in one hand, binoculars in the other, are almost limitless. The best time of year to go whale watching in tofino. The boat was comfortable and it was nice to know their was a toilet on board, although we didnt need to use it. Tofino, but the crew also went above and beyond to make the experience fun, safe, full of sightings with the utmost respect for all the wildlife along the way and so very informative. Tofino whale watching tours discover tofino bc canada. Tofino is a district of approximately 1,932 residents on the west coast of vancouver island in the canadian province of british columbia. Jamies whaling station is a company comprised of close to 50 west coast residents during our peak season. Join us for a whale watching tour aboard one of our 30 zodiacs or covered boats in the some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. Operating since 1982 jamies boasts many firsts for tofino and the whale. Up to 51% off wildlife tour in tofino the whale centre. Tofino is a district of approximately 1,932 residents on the west coast of vancouver island in the.
Whale watching in tofino with jamies full time canada. The prime whale watching season in british columbia is between april and late october. Whale watching in bc is easily accessible, with tours even going from vancouver. We offer various morning, midday, and afternoon departures. Tofino s waters, known as the clayoquot sound, is the best whale watching location in the world as the waters are rich with food. In a couple hours you can see gray and humpback whales in tofino and ucluelet.
Enjoy miles of spectacular scenery aboard our luxury covered boats, or for a real thrill jump aboard one of our zodiacs and experience the wildside. In fact, the whales gain over 30 percent of their body weight while feeding in our waters. Whale tours leave from the harbour downtown tofino bc. Annual pacific rim whale festival click here to download the sample list of events it is the time of year for springtime celebrations in canada, and on the wild west coast of british columbias vancouver island, that means the migrating whales will return to celebrate the return of the suns warmth with us. Annual pacific rim whale festival tourism ucluelet. The tofino whale watching season begins in march with the pacific rim whale festival and lasts into autumn with peak sightings in spring during the gray whale northward migration and throughout the summer months culminating in their southbound return in early september. Over the winter they breed and calve in warm mexican waters then, midfebruary to april moms and calves till june, migrate close by our shore on the way to cold alaskan waters, where the food is. Tofino has a long whale watching season, running from march sometimes late february through october. Remote passages whale watching tours from tofino, bc, vancouver island, canada. Hot springs tours the whale centre located in tofino, british columbia has offered whale watching, bear watching, bird watching and hot springs tours in clayoquot sound to the ecominded explorer for over 33 years. Whale watching in tofino head out on the pristine waters of clayoquot sound in search of mighty gray and humpback whales. Hi all, were staying in tofino for 4 days in mid june and are planning on taking a whale watching tour. Black bear watching tours operate from april through october. Our whale watching season usually starts in mid february and lasts until the end of october.
From pacific rim national park to cox bay, experience some of canadas most beautiful beaches and wild, rugged coastlines. Pacific gray whales to the coastal waters of the communities of tofino, ucluelet and. The whale centre invites you to join us for an exciting sea adventure in pristine coastal ecosystems. Whale watching vancouver island news, events, travel. Tofino whale watching is an amazing up close and personal view of whales. Tofino bus offers multiple daily departures to and from tofino ucluelet. The rarity of local sightings make for an exciting show if one is lucky. Jamies offers tours in tofino and ucluelet on highspeed, zodiacstyle vessels for those craving adventure, or board our large cruiser style whale watching vessels to find comfort and relax. Killer whales orcas, gray whales, humpback whales and minke whales ply the waves and perform their watery rituals. Experience the west coast on a 3 hour whale watching tour through the islands around the tofino area.
Acsla at march 1220 tofino gray whale migration update. Youll see orca whales, migrating humpback whales and much more. Annual pacific rim whale festival tourism ucluelet tourism. Storm watching winter in tofino is storm watching season. Join tofino whale watching inc on a wildlife safari for orca, humpback, and grey whales aboard our spacious, high speed, cabinstyle cruisers. The chatter on the local radio channel is about to pick up as whale watching boats start heading out from the docks in tofino for another season. Jamies offers tours in tofino and ucluelet on highspeed, zodiacstyle vessels for. Tofino whale watching tours ocean outfitters, tofino bc. Tofino whale watching companies provide zodiacs and comfy cruises. In fact, you can go whale watching out of both ucluelet and tofino year round. We offer tofino whale watching tours, bear watching tours, bird watching tours and hot springs cove tours on both open boston whaler and covered.
Tofino is a popular surfing and whale watching resort near the clayoquot area. Winter in our temperate coastal rainforest means dramatic skies, rain, wind, big surf plus bursts of sunshine. Tofino has a long whale watching season, running from march through to late november. Here, pods of transient and resident orcas, humpbacks. I just wanted to check whether there was much difference in the tours going out of tofino compared to those from ucluelet. Theyre intent on their annual migration from the baja peninsula to alaskas bering strait.
Pacific rim navigators offers private vehicle and shuttle services to and from tofino ucluelet. Below are a couple options to get you here in the shortest amount of time. The whale report remote passages whale watching, tofino, bc. Every march and april, the pacific rim national park and the communities of tofino and ucluelet celebrate the return of the gray whale during its annual spring migration.
May, june, september and october are great months to go whale watching in tofino. The gray whale migration from baja california, mexico begins to arrive along the west coast of vancouver island in february and continues through late april. They conduct research of the marine ecosystems, monitor marine life and promote public awareness of the marine environment in clayoquot sound. From ucluelet there are two areas that most charters will head out to, clayoquot sound and barkley sound, 35 minutes south.
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