First Tour of 2022

Our first tour of the season was on June 5th with a lovely group of guests. We departed Alert Bay and took a short cruise over to Alder Bay to pick up two more people. As we left their dock, we spotted a humpback whale in front of Cormorant Island. This whale was travelling Johnstone Straight towards Port McNeill and we spent some time watching it meander its way up, occasionally taking deeper dives where we were able to get a look at its flukes at they came up and out of the water.

After talking a bit about the history of Alert Bay and the Nimpkish estuary, we were off to find more wildlife. We made our way to Donagal Head on Malcolm Island and then to the Whitecliff Islets where we watched a group of harbour seals hauled out on the shore. After exploring the islets watching bald eagles, pigeon guillemots, rhinoceros auklets, and harlequin ducks, we turned into Blackfish Sound. We passed OrcaLab and spotted two more humpbacks in the strong currents at Cracroft Point. These two, likely a mother and calf, were actively feeding underwater, taking dives and circling around us – popping up in a different place every time! Several times, they slapped their huge pectoral fins and tail-lobbed, giving us a good idea of just how big they are.

We then made our way up Johnstone Straight, stopping for a visit with the Stellar sea lions at their haul-out. They were noisily napping in a big cuddle-puddle, with a few taking a swim in the current. By then it was time to head back. We took the boat through the narrow passages of the Pearce Islands and back to Alder Bay and Alert Bay.

We’re looking forward to the season ahead and many more days of west coast whale watching!