WHALE WISE


BE


Canada’s new Species at Risk Act provides for the legal protection of wildlife species and the conservation of their biological diversity, which means clients should keep a few basic rules in mind when it comes to whales. While watching marine mammals, travellers should never:


E Feed, swim, dive or interact with them


E Touch or disturb an animal, even if it comes up to a wharf or the shoreline


E Move, encircle or entice them to move


E Change direction quickly or park a boat in their path


E Approach when they’re resting (the whale will look like it’s not moving and will be floating at or near the surface)


E Separate an animal from its group, get between a whale and its calf, or trap a marine mammal between a vessel and the shore or other vessels


E Approach head on or from behind (as this will cut off their movement) or approach at all if there are already other boats present


Island. Some 200 of these stay and feed along the coast through till September; the best places to see them are Ucluelet, Tofino and Sooke. From May to October, pods of


resident and transient orcas (killer whales) swim through the Strait of Georgia while, also from spring to autumn, less frequently spotted minke whales swim and feed in the Haro Strait between Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Tourists can hop on a


whale-watching tour from downtown Vancouver, but those heading over to Vancouver Island can take a tour that involves less travel time in a boat from Victoria.


ATNTIC CANADA


Want to see as many different kinds of whales as possible? Atlantic Canada offers the chance to see beluga, humpback, minke, pilot, sperm, fin and blue whales. In Newfoundland the season


starts in May and runs through to September, and if clients head there between mid-June and July, it’s possible to combine watching


48 22 AUGUST 2019


two natural wonders – whales and icebergs – on the same trip. Whale watching in New Brunswick runs from May to October, with plenty of sightings of fin, minke, humpback and sei whales, while the elusive North Atlantic right whale can sometimes be seen in the Bay of Fundy. Over on the Nova Scotia side


of the bay, there are just as many whale-spotting opportunities, plus you can tick off another natural marvel – witnessing the highest tides in the world, as 160 billion tonnes


BOOK IT


Canadian Affair offers a week-long Belugas, Bears and Blooms holiday around Churchill. It includes a three-hour boat tour of the Churchill River to spot migrating beluga whales in July or August, plus flights to Toronto, internal flights to Winnipeg and from Churchill, six nights’ hotel accommodation and a boat tour of Prince of


Wales fort and the surrounding area. Prices start at £4,046. canadianaffair.com


Grand American Adventures has a 10-day Whales & Bears of British Columbia tour. It includes Zodiac trips to see orca, humpback and gray whales, and black bears in Clayoquot Sound, plus scenic hikes, national park visits, a tour of Vancouver and a


full-day trip to see grizzly bears. Prices start at £2,899 excluding international flights. grandamericanadventures.com


travelweekly.co.uk


of seawater flow in and out of the bay twice a day. In Cape Breton, the most common whales to see are the massive blue, along with fin, minke, pilot, humpback and sei. Pair whale watching with exploring the Cabot Trail to see the best of both land and water.


QUEBEC


Head to the small town of Tadoussac in Quebec, the epicentre of whale watching in the province. This is where you can see up to


CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Excursions and sightings from Quebec


PICTURES: Destination British Columbia; Le Quebec Maritime/ Mathieu Dupuis


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