I missed the whale tail.
Peering down and fiddling with my camera for a split-second too long, I heard the "oohs" and "ahhs" from my boat mates and knew I'd missed the big one.
"Did you see it?" I was asked.
"No! I was trying to turn on the video thingie, and I couldn't see the screen 'cause of the sun. . ." I trailed off, my excuses weak.
No one was listening anyhow. They were too busy riding the high of the quintessential West Coast experience they'd just witnessed.
Lucky for me, I had ample opportunities to get a glimpse of the pod of orcas before me as they continued to show themselves to my tour group, coming up for breaths of fresh air and to take in their surroundings.
Having woken up at 6: 30 a.m. Sunday morning to board a Prince of Whales eco-friendly Ocean Magic vessel, docked just outside Vancouver's Westin Bayshore, the payoff had more than arrived. The three killer whales I spied, 500 metres away to respect their space, were mine for the watching, and continued to show off their rigid dorsal fins. They put on quite a show.
Yes, I'd missed the aforementioned whale tale, but as I bobbed on the calm water just off the south coast of Washington's San Juan Island, silently taking in the scene before me, I counted my blessings. I had picked what turned out to be the best side of the boat for orca watching, my view unobstructed by taller tour mates, and I'd stayed dry during transit. The same could not be said for one woman, her hair still damp from finding herself smack dab in the splash zone during the morning's commute.
Furthermore, it was only noon and I still had a full day of adventure before me, all as part of my excursion.
Prince of Whales, a Victoria-based whale watching company founded in the 1990s, offers a host of tour options and departures from Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle, Wash., many of which are offered year-round. Last Sunday, I was a passenger on their Ultimate Day Tour, a 10.5-hour round trip journey from Vancouver to Victoria, offered from May to September.
Leaving Vancouver at 9 a.m., I spent three hours, the first of which proved rather rocky as we cruised through the open Georgia Strait. An enjoyable rollercoaster ride, my captain expertly maneuvered the high seas, until myself and the 30 or so other tourists on board found ourselves in the calmer waters of the Southern Gulf Islands. Immediately coming upon a small outcrop, we took a few minutes to take in a colony of harbour seals warming themselves in the early morning sun.
Having heard there was an orca pod nearby, we jetted off, had our fun and then travelled for another 30 minutes until we reached Victoria's Inner Harbour, docking around 1 p.m.
Having a couple of hours of free time to poke around B.C.'s capital as I saw fit, I stopped for lunch at Swan's Brewpub. I treated myself to a refreshing raspberry ale and indulged in a fish and chips craving, which in retrospect seems an odd choice following a morning of avid sea life viewing, but I digress.
After lunch it was time to continue my Prince of Whales tour, which included a visit to Victoria's classic attraction, The Butchart Gardens, a National Historic Site of Canada founded more than a century ago. To get there, I boarded an air-conditioned bus in front of the Fairmont Empress Hotel around 3 p.m., and was given a guided tour of the city as I was ferried to the famed attraction.
My first visit to Butchart, I had an hour to poke around and I explored its sunken, rose and Japanese gardens, snapping photos here and there. I was particularly captivated by the rose carousel, featuring a menagerie of creatures, including, wouldn't you know it, an orca.
Then, it was time to catch my ride back to Vancouver so I walked down to the garden's private dock, situated in a secluded cove, home to an active family of river otters. I met up with my tour mates and we were welcomed by our crew from the morning (captain, first mate and naturalist included) and reboarded the Ocean Magic for a sunset cruise back to the Lower Mainland.
Offered wind and rain jackets, gloves and blankets as needed to protect us from the wind, crew members also offered insight into the coastal area and its wildlife, making for a pleasant journey, getting us back to Vancouver just in time for dinner.
What a day.
If you go:
I did the ultimate day tour in one day, however Prince of Whales offers guests the opportunity to spread it over multiple days for those wanting to spend additional time in Victoria. Cost per person: $125$290.
For information on this and other Prince of Whales tour options (including the one-way southbound adventure crossing), visit princeofwhales.com.
