NATURE
Vancouver Island and its surrounding waters nurture some of the world's finest wildlife. The waters surrounding Victoria and the San Juan Islands are resident to fascinating marine wildlife. Throughout the shoulder season whale watching companies offer marine wildlife tours with certified naturalists on board to answer all your questions. Ecotours and wildlife viewing excursions are also available. Learn about the ocean, the forests and the myriad ecosystems. See various species of whales, sea mammals, birds, bears and other creatures inhabiting the area.
Whales / Seals
Both of these fascinating creatures are sea mammals, making them similar in many ways. In order for them to survive they must breathe air from the surface of the water. Instead of laying eggs, they give birth to live young. When you compare seals and whales to other sea mammals you will find that these two sea mammals are quite large in size.
Although they have similarities they also differ in many ways. Seals can spend time on land or in ice rather than just in the ocean. Seals and whales have a different technique when it comes to swimming. Seals move their bodies sideways through the water and whales move their bodies up and down.
Although whales and seals are classified as sea mammals they are grouped separately. Seals as well as sea lions and walrus are classified as Pinnipeds and whales along with dolphins are classified as Cetaceans.
The Orca Whale is the most popular whale on Vancouver Island. Traveling in groups called pods of 30 or 40. Locally there are 3 pods that inhabit the waters around Victoria and the San Juan Islands. Collectively there are about 82 whales in total. The males can live 45-60 years and females 55-70 years.
The Minke Whale can sometimes be spotted in the area. They have a dorsal fin similar to the female Orca, but is smaller and positioned farther back on the body. The Minke reach lengths of up to 32 feet.
The Gray and Humpback Whales occasionally travel to Victoria waters. The Minke, Gray and Humpback Whales are all baleen filter feeders.
Sea Mammals
The Harbour Seal is fairly common, appearances range from brownish to black with a spotted pattern. They weigh in at between 60-80 kilograms (130-1175 pounds) and breed locally in the spring and summer months.
Stellar sea lions can grow up to 11 feet in length, migrate north in the summer months and breed in warmer climates
California Sea Lions breed in California estuaries and migrate north in summer.
Elephant Seals can be seen at Race Rocks. The males have very pronounced "proboscis"(trunk like appearance) and can reach 16 feet in length and weigh 4,000 pounds.
Dall's and Harbour Porpoises will ride alongside in the boat's wake. These mammals reach lengths of 6-7 feet.
Sea Birds
During a marine wildlife tour, one will see many species of birds. Western Gulls, Heermann's Gulls and Glaucous Gull are very abundant. Also seen are diving birds; Double breasted, Pelagic and Brandt's Cormorants, Muires and Guillimots. The Bald Eagle can often be seen along the coastline. There are more bald eagles on Vancouver Island than in all of continental USA.
Bears
Enjoy the majesty of the snow-capped coastal mountains and explore spectacular Knight Inlet to find grizzly bears in the spring. As the snows melt, both black and grizzly bears emerge from their hibernation dens on the mountain slopes. They make their way down to feed on the spring sedge grasses in the river lowlands. At low tide the bears also feed along the inlet beaches, eating seaweed and turning over rocks to find crabs, barnacles and mussels. Early July is the time to see newborn cubs scrambling along beside their mothers as they first explore their wilderness home. Fall viewing is also thrilling , as bears feed on salmon and move toward their dens for winter hibernation. Various tours are offered to maximize seasonal viewing.
Learn about Spirit Bears, one of the common names for a unique subspecies of the North American black bear. In spirit bear populations, approximately one in every 10 bears is snow-white or cream-coloured, the rest are black. The spirit bear area, is about halfway between Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Stunning fjords, mountains, and valleys rich in salmon and bears comprise the mainland area. Vast expanses of intact rainforest and remote inlets and rugged coast comprise the area that was proposed for protection.The area hosts more than 34 salmon streams, 800-1100 Kermode (spirit bears), grizzly bears (mostly on the mainland) and an incredible wolf-deer predator-prey system with up to 16,000 Sitka deer.
University of Victoria Speakers Bureau
The UVic Speakers Bureau is a community service provided by volunteer speakers from among the faculty, staff, and graduate students who teach, conduct research, study and work at the University of Victoria. Through the Bureau, experts from UVic are made available to speak to community groups, schools, clubs and other organizations throughout Greater Victoria and southern Vancouver Island. The service is free (although travel expenses may be requested to some locations).
Crescent Moon Kayaking
A clear night sky away from city lights offers the best opportunity to view the universe beyond. Crescent Moon Kayaking with the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and Marine Resort's guides, complete with orientation, certified guides and astronomers, lends a rare perspective to the stars with a nighttime paddle through the waters of Haro Strait. Your evening starts by dining with amateur astronomers, discussing the wonders of the night sky and what special viewing opportunities may unfold that night. Then it's off to the ocean's edge where a specially modified landing craft will take you safely through the rough waters of Haro Strait to a pristine wilderness lagoon on the island just off shore. As the sun sets, seasoned kayakers guide you through the waters and astronomers guide you through the night sky. Upon darkness, head to a nearby sandy beach to feast on fresh Dungeness crab and a look through large telescopes fora spectacular astronomy show, viewing Saturn's rings, Jupiter's red spot and the Orion Nebula.
WILDLIFE TOUR CONTACTS - VICTORIA
WILDLIFE TOUR CONTACTS - UP-ISLAND
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