- Extremely impressive whale watching tour from Telegraph Cove in Johnstone Strait near Vancouver Island
- Orcas, humpback whales, white-striped dolphins, Steller's sea lions, bald eagles and many sea birds
- Detour to Port McNeill to shop
- Continue south to Seyward
Today we have to get up early to be ready for the orca tour with Stubbs Island (www.stubbs-island.com). Cared for and in good spirits that the morning mist may soon evaporate, we take the «Lukwa», an 18-meter-long, two-story tour boat out into Johnstone Strait. The region is considered to be the world's best place to observe killer whales in their natural environment. We drive towards the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve, which according to Captain Wayne is the most biodiverse stretch of coast in all of BC under protection. Slowly but surely the fog of the morning sun gives way and we enjoy this beautiful pristine landscape with countless wooded islands. Suddenly we hardly know where to look. A huge humpback whale appears behind our boat, in front of us is a family of orcas on a salmon hunt, next to us a group of Steller sea lions observes the black and white whales attentively and then Pacific white-striped dolphins appear on the scene, plowing through the water at lightning speed. They have absolutely no respect for the orcas and keep mingling with their larger relatives. You never know where a marine mammal will appear next and everyone is watching the calm water surface with excitement.
We learn a lot about marine fauna from the biologist on board. Orcas are divided into three completely different groups, which have completely different cultures, behavior and even languages. A distinction is made between residents (salmon eaters), transients (marine mammal hunters) and offshore orcas, who prefer the vastness of the open sea. Resident orcas have extremely strong family ties and communicate with each other in their family language. Transients, on the other hand, are practically silent, as their food would hear these sounds, and usually travel in smaller groups. Since the killer whale is at the top of the food chain, it also suffers from marine pollution. In orcas, for example, there are concentrations of dangerous chemical substances that massively exceed the maximum permitted levels for human food. The effects on the whales are not fully understood. Male killer whales seem to be able to deal with this pollution much more poorly than females. They die today at an average age of 30 instead of the usual 50 years, while the females can reach an age of 80 years.
We drive a little further to the small Stubbs Island, where up to six humpback whales regularly pierce the surface of the water. An impressive spectacle, but for me still not to be compared with the sightings off Juneau. On the way back we pass a large and stinky colony of Steller sea lions and see several bald eagles sitting in the trees.
After this great excursion we treat ourselves to a refreshment in the cafe. Now we drive to the nearby Port McNeill to shop there and then continue our journey south. We discuss again whether we should do an expensive grizzly tour after all. The decision is made for us anyway due to lack of space for tomorrow's tour. So in the late afternoon we start heading south. Finally we reach Seyward Junction and find a conveniently located campground there to stay overnight.
