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Keep up-to-date on all things whales and wildlife in the Salish Sea with our Instagram feed!
ABOUT US

Our mission is to offer guests the wildlife adventure of a lifetime in the spectacular Gulf Islands and the Strait of Georgia.

InstagramVancouver Whale Watch2023-12-01T10:51:25-08:00

Our Instagram page is our most active social media platform, where we regularly post photos taken from our public tours. We work hard to highlight the photography done by our team by showcasing the wildlife that live in the Salish Sea!

Please follow us on Instagram to stay up to date on giveaways, tour information and action shots from our naturalists as well as with all things whales and wildlife in our corner of the world.

vancouverwhalewatch

Vancouver’s Original and Best Whale Watching Experience! For bookings please give us a call 604-274-9565

This week, for our Fun Fact Friday, we are going t

This week, for our Fun Fact Friday, we are going to learn a bit more about sea lions.

There are many different species, the ones that you will see on our tours are the Steller Sea Lions and occasionally California Sea Lions. The latter will usually be on the jetty when coming out of Steveston Harbour.

They are very social creatures and each colony can have thousands of members. June is the month when pups are born, you can see a couple at the bottom of the photo. Although they spend some time on land, they are excellent divers and can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes.

There is one body of water on the planet where you cannot find sea lions, and this is the Northern Atlantic. The reason is unknown.

📸: @mangajin70

#sealions #stellersealion #marinemammals #vancouverwhalewatch #fridayfunfact #whalewatching #richmondmoments #wildlifeencounters

Come out on the adventure of a lifetime and check

Come out on the adventure of a lifetime and check whale watching off your summer bucket list!

Witness the beauty of the Pacific North West with a fully guided tour of the wildlife in the Strait of Georgia. Encounter graceful humpbacks, majestic orcas, and other marine mammals.

Use the code “SummerFun24” when booking on our website for 10% off of our large vessel tours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays until August 29th.

#vancouverwhalewatch #richmondmoments #summeradventures #humpbackwhales #orcasofinstagram #vancouverbc #hellobc #bucketlistadventures #straitofgeorgia #hellobc

It’s been a while since we have done a Fun Fact

It’s been a while since we have done a Fun Fact Friday but it is back! This one will be about bald eagles. We thought we would give some credit to these beautiful birds.

Their eyesight is 8 times stronger than ours! They can spot small animals about two miles away, their peripheral vision is even better than owls.

Baby eagles reach their full growth at 12 weeks. The feathers on their heads are first dark and transition to white during their first 4-5 years when they reach their adult plumage.

Their speed is probably a lot faster than you imagined. Each specie of eagles has different speeds, the bald eagle can go up to 160km/h when diving!

It is very frequent to see bald eagles during our tours, try and spot them when coming out of the harbour, along the jetty.

📸: @melaniewarren.photography

#baldeagles #vancouverwhalewatch #animalencounter #birdenthusiast #wildlifespotting #straitofgeorgia #whalewatching #bcisbeautiful

The humpbacks on our tour on June 27th were very a

The humpbacks on our tour on June 27th were very active with breaches that our naturalist @mangajin70 captured beautifully! Our guests and crew were lucky enough to be at the right place to witness this beautiful moment.

#vancouverwhalewatch #humpbackwhales #straitofgeorgia #marinemammals #richmondmoments #vancouvercanada

On June 1st, the hydrophones were taken out to lis

On June 1st, the hydrophones were taken out to listen to a pod of orcas communicating. This brought tears to our eyes so you better get the tissues out!

This pod consists of the granddaughter and great grandkids of “Wake” (T046). Wake was presumed dead last year after not being sighted but she is part of how live captivity came to an end! In 1976, she was captured in Puget Sound along with 5 other orcas. The capture was witnessed and a public outrage resulted in setting them free. A legislation then followed forbidding the capture of live orcas in Washington State. After being released, Wake had about 8 offsprings and 15 grandchildren.

Disclosure: Hydrophones are not used on all of our tours as the whales do not always communicate with each other.

🎥: @yasminemohammad

#orcasofinstagram #killerwhales #straightofgeorgia #vancouverwhalewatch #wildlifeencounters #hydrophone #richmondmoments #hellobc

On Thursday May 23rd we were lucky to witness a sh

On Thursday May 23rd we were lucky to witness a show put on by Reef and her two sons, Rush & Lagoon (aka the T101’s). Their successful hunt for a sea lion started with back to back breaches, followed by porpoising, and tail slaps.

🎥: @erica.5683

#vancouverwhalewatch #whalewatchingtour #orcasofinstagram #breaching #wildlifeencounters #gulfislands #straightofgeorgia

On April 21st, the crew went up to Howe Sound to l

On April 21st, the crew went up to Howe Sound to look for a pod of orcas. Not only did they encounter the pod of the T65B, they also saw beautiful examples of BC wildlife, such as double crested cormorants and a harbour seal.

Howe Sound (Átl’ka7tsem) is surrounded by beautiful landscapes and is full of history. In 2021 it was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve, once devastated by industrial activities, it has restored considerably. As mining began around the 1920s, hazardous chemicals and materials were leaked into Howe Sound causing a loss of biodiversity and wildlife. Thankfully, as it began to recover, wildlife such as orcas and humpbacks have returned in great numbers.

📸: @mangajin70

#vancouverwhalewatch #whalewatchingtour #wildlifewatching #protectouroceans #howesound #richmondmoments #orcasofinstagram #oceanconservation #tourismvancouver

Join us on our daily 12pm departure! Make sure t

Join us on our daily 12pm departure!

Make sure to be at the office by 11am so we can get your boarding pass ready and you can head to the boats for boarding at 11:40am. After our safety talk, off we go to look for the whales!

We travel around the Gulf Islands and sometimes up to Howe Sound to see the whales which is an absolutely beautiful scenery!

Ask your wildlife guide to lend you binoculars so you can help them look for the whales!

Once we’ve found them, we stay with them for about an hour, although time flies by when you’re with them!

On our way back, we stop to see the sea lions, they’ll probably give you a bit of a laugh!

If you’re not hopping back on the shuttle, make sure to check out the local restaurants and shops in Steveston!

#vancouverwhalewatch #whalewatchers #stevestonvillage #richmondbc #straightofgeorgia #gulfislands #killerwhales #wildlifeencounters #vancouveractivities

Get your May promo code to see whales!! Join our p

Get your May promo code to see whales!! Join our professional wildlife guides on a tour with Vancouver Whale Watch, we depart from Steveston BC, the gateway to the whales! Follow the steps below to get your code:

1- Follow us @vancouverwhalewatch
2- Tag someone you would like to share an adventure with in the comments below.

After you’ve completed the steps, we’ll send you a direct message with your promo code.

The code is valid for 12pm large boat tours until May 31st, for May bookings only.

#vancouverwhalewatch #whalewatchingtour #maypromotion #wildlifeencounters #humpbackwhales #orcasofinstagram #stevestonbc #Richmond moments #supportlocalbc

Our season has been off to a ´killer’ start wit

Our season has been off to a ´killer’ start with incredible encounters from multiple Transient Killer Whale pods like the T065Bs, T100s, and the T049As (to name a few!)

Did you know that we log all of our whale sightings through @pacificwhalewatch ? This helps to contribute important tracking data which can be used by various organizations such as @orcabehavior, who recently reported an increase in 60 (!) Transient Killer Whale sightings in April compared to 2023! 😮 We can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store!🐋

#vancouverwhalewatch #whalewatching #orca #nature #naturephotography #steveston #richmond #pnw #wildlifeofbc #salishsea

📸@melaniewarren.photography

On April 10th we were lucky enough to have some ra

On April 10th we were lucky enough to have some rare sightings! Grey whales were back and our naturalists got some beautiful shots of them. They are either left or right side feeders and scrape the bottom of shallow seas.

It is pretty rare to see them so we were thrilled when we found them!

📸: @mangajin70

#greywhale #vancouverwhalewatch #whalewatching #steveston #wildlifeencounters #whalesofinstagram #richmondmoments #vancouver_canada #canadatourism #adventureideas

If we ever see balloons floating on the water whil

If we ever see balloons floating on the water while we are on a tour, we’ll always stop to grab them. Balloons and plastic are often mistaken by wildlife for food, especially by whales. They block the digestive system of the animal and can lead to starvation and death. They resemble jellyfish which makes them think it could be a tasty prey.

When you let go a of a balloon, you might think it will stay up in the air forever. Unfortunately, it doesn’t and will most likely end up in the ocean. So what can be done instead? You can always return the balloons to the store where you bought them. You can also get away from plastic and use paper decorations, light up soy wax candles (typical candles are made out of petroleum), paper bunting or anything you already have.

Let’s keep our oceans safe all together for a better future and to preserve the beauty of our planet.

#vancouverwhalewatch #protectouroceans #keepplasticoutoftheocean #plasticpollutionkills #whalewatching

What’s better than going on a whale watching tri

What’s better than going on a whale watching trip to spend some fun quality time with your loved ones?

Our guests were lucky enough to see these humpbacks breaching and spy hopping over and over again!

Many people think that they have to go to Vancouver Island to see whales and orcas but you don’t need to go that far. Our boats leave from Steveston (South of Richmond), an old fishing village that is now very popular and touristic. It is the perfect location to go whale watching as we are very close to the Straight of Georgia and the Gulf Islands!

Next time you’re visiting Vancouver, make sure to come and visit us!

🎥: @valepe23

#vancouverwhalewatch #whalewatchingtour #stevestonbc #richmondmoments #hellobc #humpbackwhale #breachingwhale #veryvancouver #vancouverbc #britishcolumbia #canadatourism #wildlifeencounters

We missed a Friday Fun Fact but we are back with o

We missed a Friday Fun Fact but we are back with one today!

Transient orcas along the entire coast of British Columbia all use a distinctive set of calls, with some additional calls that can be specific to a region. For example, killer whales from BC and killer whales in Norway will use completely different types of calls and sounds (pulsing whistles, clicks and calls).

Transients tend to do calls after successful hunts or when multiple matrilineal are present and they are socializing. Otherwise , they tend to be quieter because they are hunting marine mammals and want to be able to sneak up on their prey.

The bump on their head (the melon) is used for echolocation to know if there is prey in the area.

📸: @sebastianvelasquezphoto

#vancouverwhalewatch #transientorcas #straightofgeorgia #whalewatchingtour #tourismrichmond #orcasofinstagram #daytripideas #holidayactivities #steveston #wildlifeconservation #vancitynow

Our first week of whale watching was a success! We

Our first week of whale watching was a success! We’re all so happy to be back out there looking for the whales and they weren’t shy. We’ve found them every day we were out on the water.

It’s been an exhilarating and exciting first week but we can’t deny that it has been pretty chilly! Rest assured that we have extra complimentary coats that you can take with you on the boat for extra layers. Better be comfortable and warm when you’re out on the water looking for whales.

The orcas were pretty playful this week, especially on Sunday when they had a gathering! Two babies also made an appearance on Saturday, which we absolutely love to see!

#whalewatchingtour #vancouverwhalewatch #wildlifeencounters #killerwhalesofinstagram #explorevancouver #vancouveractivities #veryvancouver #stevestonvillage #richmondmoments

🚨 Exciting News! 🚨 Our open air zodiac Stri

🚨 Exciting News! 🚨

Our open air zodiac Strider is making an early appearance this year!

If you're looking for an exhilarating and adventurous whale watching experience, this is for you! You can now book your tour on the small zodiac every weekend, starting this week!

It fits up to 12 people and a mustang suit is provided for the ride. It will protect you from the wind as this zodiac goes faster and is open air. It's not for the faint of heart but it's extremely fun and addicting.

Please note that the 15% discount code for April does not apply to the small zodiac tours. Passengers must be above 8 years old.

Book in the link in our bio, seats fill very quickly!

📸: @sebastianvelasquezphoto

#vancouverwhalewatch #zodiactour #whalewatchingtour #supportlocalyvr #tourismmatters #stevestonbc #richmondmoments #sustainabletourism #gulfislands #vancouvercanada

Our first day out on the water was a success! We f

Our first day out on the water was a success! We found a group of killer whales who were pretty active very quickly. Our guests had a great time out in the Gulf Islands. We also saw sea lions, seals and a handful of eagles.

The happier our guests are, the happier we are, we love to make their day and sometimes even their dreams come true!

Don’t forget about our discount code WHALES2024 for all of April bookings when you book on our website.

🎥: @yasminemohammad

#vancouverwhalewatch #gulfislands #killerwhales #orcasofinstagram #tourismrichmond #stevestonbc #whalewatching #hellobc #veryvancouver #wildlifeencounters #vancouver_canada

This week we’re skipping Fun Fact Friday for the

This week we’re skipping Fun Fact Friday for the countdown!

We are starting the whale watching season in 3 days! On Monday, our first tour of the season will leave at 12pm. We’re so excited to welcome you all and start seeing the whales and killer whales again! But let’s not forget about the cute seals and sea lions that you can see jumping at the end of the video!

🎥: @yasminemohammad

#vancouverwhalewatch #richmondmoments #hellobc #whalewatching #killerwhalesofinstagram #veryvancouver #stevestonbc #sustainabletourism #humpbackwhales #canadatourism

Things to do in Vancouver | Vancouver Whale Watch | support local businesses | wildlife sightings | British Columbia, Canada | explore the outdoors | marine life | experiences to share | activities in Vancouver

One more week!

Our boats are in the water and we’re almost ready for the season! Our tours are going to start again on April 1st, starting with one tour a day at 12pm. We still have the discount code going on for new bookings made for April so make sure you use it when booking your tour!

We’re so excited to welcome you all, take you on an adventure and teach you about marine life and why it’s so important to protect it!

#vancouverwhalewatch #marinelifeconservation #whalewatchingtour #seasoncountdown #richmondbc #stevestonvillage #traveladventure #travelactivities #wildlifemoments #protectouroceans

Here we are for another Friday Fun Fact! Did you

Here we are for another Friday Fun Fact!

Did you know that seals (Photo 2), also known as “earless”, don’t have any external ear flaps? They have little ear holes. They can hear very well above and under the water. Sea lions (Photo 1), on the other hand, have tiny little flaps covering their ears. Seal lions are also a lot louder than seals as they bark.

First 📸: @mangajin70
Second 📸: @andyscheffler

Did you already know this about seals and sea lions?

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