Whale Watching in British Columbia

Whale watching in British Columbia was not what I imagined. My reverie of Free Willy frolicking in the sun was replaced by a freezing reality as we set off from the harbor. When we arrived at the dock in Victoria, the first thing we were asked to do was put on giant orange astronaut suits, and safely goggles too. "Oh, right," I thought, "whale watching is such serious stuff. Or better yet, they just want us to have something amusing to take pictures of if we don't actually see a whale." Little did I know. As the Zodiac headed out toward the straits of Juan de Fuca we all zipped our cameras- and heads- inside the suits to avoid the rain, ocean spray, and waves that began to bombard us from every direction. Onward we went, chasing the whales that were rumored to be feeding in the area (all the whale watching companies share information so that everyone will get to see the animals). On our way to the feeding grounds, we passed some rocks covered with what looked like more rocks. As we got closer, we could distinguish seals and sea lions practicing (mostly) peaceful cohabitation.

The orcas had headed over to Vancouver that day, so we were content to track down the grey whales off the coast of Washington State. As we crossed the border, the captain saluted the southern neighbors. This caused one passenger to giggle that he was not allowed inside the US without a visa, making the guide a bit nervous.

We finally joined a group of whale watching boats, and sat around telling whale stories (much like fish stories) for about an hour waiting for the grey whales to surface. When two of them finally did, we were close enough to see the barnacles on the whale's skin! Too bad we couldn't really see much below the surface of the water to get an idea of just how big these creatures are.

If you are able to go see the whales on a sunny day, I imagine the experience would be different. But with west coast weather being famously rainy, you might just have to hide your head in your space suit and try warming up with whiskey and tea after the ride.