... Discovery Expeditions kayak tours est. 1986 ... Discovery Expeditions kayak tours est. 1986 ... Discovery Expeditions kayak tours est. 1986
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Original Sea Kayak Trips in Johnstone Strait (Since 1986)
Johnstone Strait or as some Vancouver Islanders say the Inside Passage is without a doubt the place hottest place on the Coast of British Columbia to encounter the killer whale during the months of June through Sept. Since 1986, we have operated sea kayaking trips in these waters that have offered us one of the greatest thrills, "the chance to see pods and individual Killer Whales in their wild. It is simply an experience that renews the human spirit."
With its great weather and safe sea kayaking waters, this is the perfect place for adventures of all skill to enjoy watching a great variety of marine mammals feed, congregate and play.
Our first trip of 2009 will launch in mid June and generally Orca numbers increase gradually throughout July, August and September. These are the months that resident Orca decide to visit the rubbing beaches in the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve. Booking a sea kayak trip with us in either of these three months gives you the best opportunity to see and paddle with pods of Orcas.
...Orca Explorer three days of sea kayaking...Orca Explorer is an excellent to the beaches and marine waters of Johnstone Strait. Ideal for families who wish to experience camping in wilderness for a short period of time.
...Orca Galore four days paddling with wildlife...
This tour is designed to fit in the period of a week and provide you with the best in paddling and wildlife that the core area of Johnstone Strait has to offer. Paddling is beginner to intermediate.
...Orca Classic six days of sea kayaking, nomadic expedition route...
This expedition is a journey through open and sheltered waters and has been the classic seakayak trip on the Inside Passage for the past 24 years. The motto of these expeditions is to expect the unexpected in wildlife encounters.
...Orca Lodge Sea Kayaking with comfort...Our Lodge Based Trips are for three days in length. Accommodation is in private cabins placed along a quaint boardwalk located in Telegraph Cove Resorts. Three options are available. Each option gives you a different itinerary with maximum sea kayaking and exploring hidden passages, lagoons and groups of islands that make up Johnstone Strait, Blackfish Sound and the Broughton Archipelago. Our support boat makes it possible to offer these incredible options..
Located just a few minutes by boat ride from Telegraph Cove Johnstone Strait is home to the resident Orca Whale, and in recent years even Humpbacks and Minke whales frequent these waters more and more.
While this area does attract a large number of visitors during the summer months the size of Johnstone Strait insures privacy without stumbling into other tours. While Orca watching is the prime activity guests are also welcome to try Sport Fishing for Salmon or Cod, viewing wild life, hiking, and if weather is warm enough swimming.
Each summer, we anticipate the arrival of the northern resident Orcas in late June with peak viewing from mid July into the second week of September. Some resident pods are still in the area in October. Their arrival coincides with the arrival and migration of salmon species heading east through Johnstone Strait to their spawning streams. It is with their arrival that we commence our whale watching tours and operate until early Sept.
In recent years there has been an increase in Humpback Whale sightings in the core area to the effect that on most days last summer, July through September, one or more Humpback Whales were sighted. Minke Whales are frequently viewed in the same area as the Humpback Whales. Already this summer, there have been numerous sightings of Humpback Whales including mothers and their calves and Minke Whales. From our Island location in Johnstone Strait Minke and Killer whales have ventured very close to our beaches. Wow what a thrill for the guests.
Some Killer Whale Facts
The average male orca grows to 23 feet long and weighs 7 to 10 tons. Females average 21 feet long and weigh 4 to 6 tons.
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Orcas are highly social animals that travel in groups called pods. Pods usually consist of 5 to 30 whales, although some pods may combine to form a group of 100 or more. Orcas establish social hierarchies, and pods are lead by females. The animals are thought to have a complex form of communication with different dialects (slightly different language) from one pod to another.
Like dolphins, orcas use echolocation—bouncing sound off of objects to determine their location—to hunt, and use a series of high-pitched clicks to stun prey. Orcas feed on fish, squid, birds, and marine mammals. Orca pods often work together to catch a meal. Pods sometimes will force many fish into one area and take turns feeding or will beach (slide out of the water onto the shore) themselves to scare seals or penguins into the water where other whales are waiting to feed.
Orca whales are the ocean's fastest swimmers, capable of speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.
Killer whales live about as long as humans, reproducing over a similar age span. Most females first give birth at age 14 and bear four to six calves over the next 25 years then enjoy life as doting grandmothers, into their seventies and eighties! Males mature also at age 14 and live to about 60 years.
Around the world, orca whales divide into three subspecies (or races) that do not intermingle but neither do they show hositlity between races. "Resident" whales are the best known of the three, navigating directly along coastal passages, feeding exclusively on fish and maintaining highly social family units. "Transient" whales inhabit the same waters, but are markedly less social, travelling alone or in much smaller family groups. These whales are more aggressive and can be identified by their smaller, more pointed dorsal fins with a slight bulge on the leading edge. Transients sem to ignore fish but feed on seals, sea lions, porpoises and other sea mammals. The final subspecies is that of the "offshore" killer whales, which live in large groups of 30-60 or more. Their dorsal fins are crescent shaped with rounded tips. These subspecies thrive independently of each other, despite their overlapping ranges.
While kayaking it is normal to stay a distance of 100 meters from any whale sightings. Our Guides instruct all kayakers to gather together to form a structure that the Orca can sense. This allows the Orca the option of approaching the kayaks or move off into another direction.
Most often Orca whales will approach quite close to kayaks allowing great opportunities for photo's. During the month of August 1991 some of our tours encountered Orcas uncomfortably close our sea kayaks. Now we take a difference approach to pods of orca and have benefitted with even more time to observe them at a comfortable distance.
While some Orca's known as Transients do visit Johnstone Strait during the summer months the majority of the Orca's in this area are Orca's known as Residents.
Larry the owner of Discovery Expeditions has a long standing passion to leave as small a footprint as possible in these waters and on the beaches. He continues to guide at the ripe age of 60 and is always available to share his wisdom of 24 seasons in JS. He was one of the few boats that was allowed into the Robson Bight Area minutes after the oil spill. With his new landcraft skiff he and member of the Ecological Reserve staff were able collect over fifty tires, gas cans and oil drums to lessen the impact of the spill. Protection of this sensitive Orca Whale Habitat is a priority for Discovery Expeditions.
A distinguishing feature of our company is that we maintain the integrity of our trips from the years in which we starting them. We maintain four separate trips of the areas of the Johnstone Strait and its surround waterways. Although our trips have gone through slight modifications, we have maintained the original routes that brought us so many encounters with wildlife and yet safe passage through active waters.
Week of February 4-8 2009 we will be at the Vancouver Boat Show in Booth 885. Drop in and say hello.
Week of March 28-30 2009/10 we will be at the Calgary Adventure Show in Calgary.