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| Transient Orca |
Yesterday we took our four hour Wildlife viewing tour from the Campbell River Harbour. It was fabulous sunny day filled with loads of wildlife! I can't say enough how much my Mom, hubby and I all enjoyed the tour.
I purchased it in Springtime as a Mothers day gift for Mom on special through Travelzoo. Regular price per person was $129. Our price was $59. We had to pay 5% Goods and Services Tax at the time of tour. It was so nice to pay for this months ago and when the day came we only had a few dollars out of pocket for crew tips and tax. It included a light lunch and promised nothing more than a great day on the ocean as this was not specifically a whale watching tour. We got far more than we paid for as two transient Orcas were spotted ten minutes into our trip. This time of year they are waiting for the resident Orcas to return from Alaska, which should happen in a week or two. These guys, also called Killer Whales, eat seals. Our resident whales eat fish. The two we spotted were male and female and ages 47 and 50. It is amazing how much the naturalists track these things so when spotted they know exactly who we are looking at.
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| Transient Orca |
These guys were very close to the shore of Campbell River. The upper photo looks like we were very close to the whale but that was taken with the telephoto lens as there are very strict guidelines how close the boats can get to the whales.
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| How many eagles can fit in one tree? Click on photo to enlarge |
One of my favorite parts of the tour was this area where in the summer the eagles feed on fish in a specific area. There had to be between one and two hundred eagles there, diving repeatedly trying to get a meal.
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| Eagles waiting for lunch |
It was something completely amazing and I felt so fortunate to be able to view such an event.
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| Bald eagle with his catch of the day |
These sea lions were enjoying the sunny day, laid out on a rock.
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| Sea lions lazing in the sun |
There were about 10 harbour seals feeding on fish along the rocks at one point. If you click on the picture to enlarge you can see their cute little whiskery faces.
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| Harbour seals feeding by the rocks |
This was our boat and Captain Shaun is to the left. He and the naturalist Mark had great personalities and really gave us a great day out.
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| Captain Shaun and our vessel |
What a great day it was. If we had been on vacation it would have been a high point of the trip. What is even better is that we live so close and hope to do this every year. It was so nice to see some of the Discovery Islands which have breathtaking scenery and to spend the day out on the water. If you ever get a chance I highly recommend it!
BEST POST EVER!!!!!!!!!!! Lucky lucky lucky you!! Wow!! Awesome sights....all of them!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Yes, we feel so fortunate, this trip is something we will talk about for a long time to come!
DeleteGreat pictures. Sounds like a great adventure to try out. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou definitely should check it out if ever near Campbell River. They seem to have way more wildlife to see than the other end of the island.
DeleteWow, so many eagles! We get excited at camp if we get to see one and it's a treat if we see two or three at a time. I am envious -- it looks like a great day!
ReplyDeleteWe are a bit spoiled with Eagles here but that area where they catch the fish was just amazing. There are only a couple spots in the world that this happens and we got to see it - so lucky!
DeleteWhat a lovely day you had!
ReplyDeleteWe did a whale watching tour when we were in Victoria but only saw some minkie whales (hubby was hoping for orcas). However on the ferry ride back to Vancouver, we saw some orcas on the way. We were so excited to see them. I didn't even bother to try and photograph them, I just wanted to be in the moment! Awesome!
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This tour was way better than the other whale watching tours we have been on - one previous one in Victoria. We got to see so much area and a bunch of different wildlife. We loved it!
DeleteLove the pictures! We've been spending a lot of time on the coast (Oregon) recently, & loving every minute of it. Sounds like a fabulous vacation exploring your home town.
ReplyDeleteIt was, we hope to do much more!
DeleteI totally get where you are coming from CC! This was an incredible trip for you. Unforgettable and well worth the full cost charged. Well done for getting such a great deal.
ReplyDeleteOrcas! Wow! And to find out such detail about those beautiful creatures is amazing. You make me want to visit the Discovery Islands NOW!
And the bald eagles, what a privilege to see them too and you have taken INCREDIBLE photos! I love the one of the eagle with the fish.
Sft x
It was such a great trip - so worth it!
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