Vancouver Island is a great place if you want to do whale watching, so we drove to Telegraph Cove in the northern Vancouver Island to catch a tour. It had been a foggy morning and we were a bit worried that we would lose all the whales in the fog, but as our departure got closer, the sun started to come out. When we got out to the sea, the fog intensified momentarily again but it created a magical atmosphere for my first encounter with the orcas. I actually heard them before I saw them – the puffing sound they make when they blow out just before surfacing. And then finally, the black fins started appearing from the fog, wonderful! We spent a while with the orcas but apparently there were a bit sleepy and we mostly just saw the fins and a little bit of their backs.

We then moved on to check out humpback whales instead and now I was able to see a fluke, it was in the distance but it’s the only fluke I’ve ever seen so I will remember it!

The whalewatching tour was good for other marine life as well – we got to see harbor seals and sea lions. Again, the first ones I’ve ever seen.