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WHALE WATCHING,
WILDLIFE, HISTORY & CULTURE
Prince of Whales offers you the opportunity for a unique
and memorable whale watching adventure. We strive to
offer the best wildlife viewing experience in Victoria,
while operating with a responsibility to respect the
habitats of all marine mammals. You will love every
moment of your wildlife encounters in the southern British
Columbia inland straits of the Pacific Ocean.
Please select from one of
the categories to learn more about the various animals
and places you will see on any given tour;
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Southern
Resident Killer Whales |
| Southern resident (JKL pods) fish
eating killer whales and their habitat. |
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Transient
& Offshore Killer Whales |
| Mammal eating killer whales, Offshore
killer whales and their habitat. |
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Cetaceans
& Porpoises |
| Grey Whales, Humpback Whales, Minke
Whales, Harbour Porpoises, Dalls Porpoises. |
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Pinnipeds
& Birds |
| Elephant seals, Stellar sea lions,
California sea lions, Harbour seals and various
marine birds. |
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History,
Geography & Culture |
| Victoria, Race Rocks, Discovery Island,
Sooke, Lime Kilm Park, D'arcy Island, First Nations
culture and more. |
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BACKGROUND
ON ORCAS IN BC
Whales in general have been a resource for hundreds
of years. In retrospect, only recently have whales actually
been a protected species. The last harpoon fired at
whales in B.C. waters was 1967 when the Western Whaling
Company closed and Canada (and the US) did not officially
ban commercial whaling until the season of 1972-73,
the reason the Coal Harbour whaling station (a Vancouver
Island landmark) closed--no whales.
As for Killer Whales, they were very rarely caught
for anything other than aquaria. Very close to the Canadian
border and Victoria, are the San Juan Islands in the
United States. This particular area was among the most
successful areas for the capture of Orcas for use in
aquariums around the world. Now Killer Whales are under
a moratorium forbidding their capture for aquaria and
slaughter.
To this day Killer Whales number close to 250,000 in
our oceans. A fantastic number, and hopefully a legacy
we can nurture as a whole.
The skipper makes sure the Orcas are a safe distance
away before he starts up the engines and the boat begins
to move away.
To learn more about the whale watching guidelines,
please visit the Straitwatch program. Straitwatch (a DFO
funded project) is out on the water 5 days a week along
with the Whale
Museum's Soundwatch
project.
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OTHER
ADVENTURES
What other adventures would you like to enjoy during
your visit to Victoria?
Please find helpful links to Tourism Victoria's site
below.
Golfing Victoria
Enjoy the view while playing a round on one of Victoria's
well manicured courses. Thanks to our mild climate,
the golf season never ends. More
info
Kayaking Victoria
Victoria is surrounded by islands, estuaries and plenty
of wildlife; perfect for the avid kayaker. If you're
not a professional, Victoria's calm Inner Harbour is
an ideal place for first timers. More
info
Fishing Victoria
Vancouver Island's picturesque coastline is renowned
for its diverse game fish and natural beauty. There
are a variety of charter and tour opportunities; from
salmon and halibut charters, to crab, clam and oyster
tours. More
info
Sailing Victoria
Enjoy Vancouver Island's coastline in style! The Juan
de Fuca Strait is blessed with a breeze that will take
you anywhere you want to go. More
info
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