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Humpback Whale Vancouver Island
Humpback Whale Vancouver Island
Humpback Whale Vancouver Island
Humpback Whale Vancouver Island
Humpback Whale Vancouver Island

Humpback Whale Watching on Vancouver Island

It’s time to start talking about the largest frequent whale inhabiting the waters of Vancouver Island. Humpback whales are easily identified by their humps and long flippers. Based on global estimations, the population of humpback whales is 18,000 to 20,000. Humpback whales' migration is seasonal. In other words, they feed in temperate cooler waters since food is scarce in warm waters, and they will come back to warm regions for reproduction. They are migratory. However, there’s an exception. In the Arabian Sea, humpbacks live year-round and never leave the area which means no humpback whale migration. Unlike killer whales, mama humpback will stay with its calf for a year and nurse it and then the calf will leave. Long ago, Humpback whales have the largest population in the waters around BC. However, commercial whaling was their end. Starting from 1903, coastal whalers came to the coasts of Vancouver Island and started killing humpbacks for commercial whaling. It continued until 1966 when humpback whales were introduced as an endangered species and banned killing or hunting them. Now, after half of a century, they started to return to the waters of British Columbia. People would call it the “Humpback Comeback.” The funny thing is the humpback whale song. In other words, they are the singer whales. That may be why people seek the location to go whale watching in which humpback sighting is assured with the bonus of humpback whale song. These magnificent whales would sing for about 10 to 20 minutes with low vocal registers, different frequencies and amplitude. Gender doesn’t have a role in their singing ability. Both male and female whales sing; however, males are louder. They even have some kind of vocal groups, and scientists would say that males do the singing to hit on females during mating season. Who knows!? Considering the facts that we already mentioned, it can be claimed that humpback whales are funny marine creatures, and they are worth knowing about. Vanisle Wildlife team is proud to say that it is able to operate whale watching tours in which humpback sighting is guaranteed. Stay with us to tell you more about the details of and humpback whale watching on Vancouver Island.

Humpback Whale, Habitat, Size and Diet

You can find humpback whales in worldwide waters; however, they prefer nearshore and near-island settings for feeding and reproducing. One group was discovered in the North Pacific, off the coast of Alaska. During the winter months of November to May, a major portion of this population migrates to the Hawaiian Islands. They do not eat throughout their stay in Hawaii, instead of relying on the energy stored in their blubber. Instead of eating, whales spend the majority of their time mating and giving birth to their pups.
Krill, small shrimp-like crustaceans, and numerous small fish are the staples for humpback whales. Each whale consumes up to 1361 kg (2994 lbs) of food every day. It features a set of 270–400 fringed overlapping plates that dangle from either side of the upper jaw where teeth would normally be positioned as a baleen whale.
Humpback whales, like other rorqual whales, are long, skinny creatures with a considerably more streamlined appearance than other great whales. They feature a large, flat rostrum, a pointed snout, and paired blowholes (upper part of the head.) Adult males are 12.2–14.6 m (48 ft) tall, whereas adult females are 13.7–15.2 m tall (50.5 ft). They range in weight from 22,680 to 36,287 kg (79,831 lbs).

Places You May Encounter Humpback Whale on Vancouver Island

Humpback whales are species found in all oceans. the humpback whale migration is long and annual which ranges from where they feed in cooler areas to subtropical and tropical waters where they mate and calve. Once females conceive, the pregnancy period of a humpback whale lasts for about a year, then the newborn calf stays with its mother another year before leaving. In summer, mothers with several-month-old calves can be spotted on the feeding grounds. Of course nothing more than a humpback whale breaching can make your whale watching trip delightful.

Spotting a humpback is possible in the waters surrounding all BC. However, if you want this possibility to be guaranteed, you would better travel to Telegraph Cove, Port McNeil, and Pacific Rim. Humpbacks prefer places near shores and near islands for feeding and reproduction. Based on what the SPLASH Project has found, most of the humpback whales that go to Northern B.C. to feed in summer head to Hawaii during winter, while the humpbacks that feed during summers in southern B.C., Washington, and Oregon are more likely to be seen in Mexico in winter.

Humpback whales usually feed in the inlets; thus, it is possible to see them in Barkley and Clayoquot Sound. In general, we can claim that any land leading to the southwest of Vancouver Island can be a good place to see some humpback whales breaching.

4 Top Places to Spot Humpback Whales on Vancouver Island

If you are having a good time watching whales in Ucluelet, humpbacks may welcome you.

Pacific Rim waters are the whale watching paradise on Vancouver Island. Tofino humpbacks are awaiting you.

Literary the most famous trail ending in the city of Tofino increases the chance of seeing humpbacks.

Located near the city of Ucluelet, this trail is pretty ideal to sight some humpbacks off-shore.

When Is the Best Time for Humpback Whale Watching on Vancouver Island?

Whale watching tours are not customized to view only humpbacks. However, since humpbacks are migratory, if you want to spot them while you’re on a whale watching cruise, the best time to book your tour is April to October, right when they come to the tropical waters of Vancouver Island to calve. When you start your whale watching journey sharpen your ears to get the humpback signals, their song. Otherwise, you may notice them by the dark-coloured hump they carry on their backs.

Get Abroad!

Customize you whale watching tour on Vancouver Island and include sighting humpback whales. Remember that your request is in professional hands.

How Much Does a Whale Watching Trip Cost?

When visiting Vancouver Island, one of the must-do activities is whale viewing. Whales are recognized as the island's guardians since they reside in each coordination's waterways. Whale watching is a year-round pastime on Vancouver Island if no specific subspecies are sought. Our whale watching experiences on the pristine Vancouver Island start at $145 for adults and $85 for children, regardless of the species of whales. We have an offer for students with proper IDs, which is great news. For about $125, they can have a great day observing whales.

Some Amazing Facts About Humpback Whales

• For easy humpback identification during whale watching tours, it is good to know that in British Columbia, humpbacks are introduced by a letter as part of their ID to classify their fluke according to its colour. X animals’ tail is mostly black with less than 20% white on their fluke, Y animals have a fluke with a 20-60-percent white, while Z animals’ fluke is white for over 60%. • From all the baleen whales, humpbacks are the group that does more surface stuff which can be easily recognized from a boat’s deck during whale watching tours. • The main predator of the humpback whale is the transient killer whale. They may prey on young humpback claves. If you pay close attention to the body of a humpback whale’s tails, you can see a majority of them bear the scars of unsuccessful attacks on their flukes. There’s the idea that humpback whales may migrate to the tropical areas to prevent being killed by killer whale attacks; breeding areas like Hawaii have very few orcas. • Humpback whales are food generalists in contrast to other whale counterparts, which feed on particular species. Therefore, they feed both on plankton, especially small shrimp-like creatures such as euphausiids or krill, and different small fish, including herring, anchovies and pilchards. • Southern Vancouver Island, including Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds, is located more or less on the borderline between areas where humpback whales migrate to Mexico and regions where they migrate to Hawaii. That is why the Pacific Rim is one of the ideal places where whale lovers could go for their whale watching adventure.

Your Guide for Whale Watching on Vancouver Island

We'll be sitting here all day if we start talking about the advantages of hiring a tour guide for your whale-watching excursion. To begin with, whale watching trips are nearly always conducted from the deck of a boat, around 90% of the time. As a result, you'd need someone with a boat to carry you to the middle of the ocean to view the sea giants. Even if you have a boat, you'll need an experienced captain to guide you and inform you when the ideal time to see whales is. It's worth noting that if you possess a boat, you might not know how far you can go, and you might be surprised.

We'll be sitting here all day if we start talking about the advantages of hiring a tour guide for your whale-watching excursion. To begin with, whale watching trips are nearly always conducted from the deck of a boat, around 90% of the time. As a result, you'd need someone with a boat to carry you to the middle of the ocean to view the sea giants. Even if you have a boat, you'll need an experienced captain to guide you and inform you when the ideal time to see whales is. It's worth noting that if you possess a boat, you might not know how far you can go, and you might be surprised.

Go Beyond for Your Whale Watching

Port Alberni Wildlife Watching

Port Alberni Wildlife Watching

Parksville Wildlife Watching

Parksville Wildlife Watching

Sooke Wildlife Watching

Sooke Wildlife Watching

Campbell River Wildlife Watching

Campbell River Wildlife Watching

Port McNeil Wildlife Watching

Port McNeil Wildlife Watching

Port Hardy Wildlife Watching

Port Hardy Wildlife Watching

Telegraph Cove Wildlife Watching

Telegraph Cove Wildlife Watching

Port Renfrew Wildlife Watching

Port Renfrew Wildlife Watching

Sidney Wildlife Watching

Sidney Wildlife Watching

Ucluelet Wildlife Watching

Ucluelet Wildlife Watching

Victoria Wildlife Watching

Victoria Wildlife Watching

Tofino Wildlife Watching

Tofino Wildlife Watching

Humpback Whale Watching FAQs

Yes, since 1966, right after commercial whaling was prohibited all over British Columbia, humpback whales start emerging again and now have shown themselves to the eyes of people on the shores of Vancouver Island.
Share Your Humpback Whale Watching Experiences and Questions
Jimmy
April 15, 2022, 14:30

Are humpback whales around vancouver island?

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Admin in reply Jimmy
April 17, 2022, 07:16

Hi,
Yes definitely, provided that you pay visit to the island after they've come back from their migration, humpback sightings are guaranteed.

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Johnny Doggs
April 14, 2022, 08:02

Can we see humpback whales migrate on our whale watching tours?

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Admin in reply Johnny Doggs
April 17, 2022, 07:03

Hi,
Yes it's possible. However, it depends on the time you choose to book a Vancouver Island whale watching.

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