Whale Trails Vancouver Island

Nearly 500 killer whales are found in British Columbia waters, while thousands of gray whales pass along the west coast on their way to feeding grounds off Alaska.

If you're looking for whales, check out the following hotspots:

Victoria - Resident pods of killer whales make Victoria, Saanich Peninsula and the Southern Gulf Islands a year-round place for viewing these magnificent mammals.

Johnstone Strait - On the northeast side of Vancouver Island, Johnstone Strait is probably the place where you can get closest to killer whales. From May to October, pods gather in the narrow Strait to feed on salmon. Johnstone Strait is also home to the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve, a protected area where killer whales rub themselves against shoreline rocks. There's also a station in the Strait on West Cracroft Island where researchers count, identify and monitor the whales. Communities along the Strait include Sayward, Telegraph Cove, Port McNeill, Port Hardy and Alert Bay.

Bamfield, Ucluelet and Tofino - On the west coast of Vancouver Island, the stretch of coast between these three communities offers the best viewing of the migrating gray whales. The best time of year is mid March to mid April. This is the same time when Ucluelet, Tofino and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve host the Pacific Rim Whale Festival. Some of the whales stay in the area, so it's possible to see them year-round.

Whale watching requires you follow specific guidelines so you do not disturb or interfere with whale activity. Disturbance of whales carries a fine as high as $100,000 and 12 months in jail.

The guidelines include:

* It is illegal to hunt, chase, disperse, drive or herd pods of individual whales.
* Do not bring your vessel closer than 100 meters to a whale.
* Motorized boat operators should shift engine into neutral or idle.
* Keep noise levels down - do not blow horns, whistles or race motors.
* Start your motor only when the whales are more than 100 meters from your vessel.
* Leave the area slowly, gradually increasing speed when you are more than 300 meters from the whales.
* Approach whales from the side, not from the front or the rear.
* Approach and depart slowly, avoiding sudden changes in speed or direction.
* Do not 'leapfrog' - repeatedly racing your boat ahead of whales, then waiting for them to swim by.
* Avoid disturbing resting whales.
* Maintain low speed and constant direction if traveling parallel to whales.
* When whales are traveling close to shore, avoid crowding them or getting between them and the shore.
* Limit time spent with any group of whales to less than 30 minutes when within 100 to 200 meters of the whales.
* If other boats are around, avoid encircling the whales.
* When whale watching in Johnstone Strait, do not enter Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has a very informative pamphlet on whale watching and regulations. The pamphlet is available at DFO offices.

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