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Kayak tour photos from 2008

This male Orca swam under the water taxi that takes us to our Base Camp. This was very memorable because when this Orca surfaced he let out a loud vocalization as if to say hello.ca vocalizations watc h the beginning of this video.

This is a very rare photo of an Orca with what looks to be a Pink Salmon in it's mouth. The salmon is the favorite food of the Orca. It is therefore critical that we do all we can to keep our salmon stocks healthy.

Orcas in the Mist

The Sea Anemone is a favorite of the intertidal zone. This organism is our largest anemone and can grow to a diameter of 10 inches. Anemones use their long tentacles to catch passing prey. Anemones sting and paralyze their victims. If you are brave enough to stick your finger into this mass of green worms you might feel a tingling sensation.

This group of kayakers from our Johnstone Strait Expedition have pulled there kayaks up on Village Island. The white beach you see here is made up of midden. Midden is an extensive rubbish heap consisting largely of shells discarded after the removal of the soft edible body portion, the result of many years of exploitation of marine resources as a main or supplementary food source. Shell middens are found in many different parts of the Pacific North West.

These lucky kayakers are watching a breaching Orca. There are few sights as spectacular as an orca breaching. Breaching is just the whale-word for jumping. In the wild, orcas typically breach and fall on their back or side. No one knows why orcas breach-some scientists say to communicate, some say to get rid of unwanted parasites on the skin. But, since breaching occurs most when the orcas are socializing, most think they just do it for fun!

This unusually large amount of sea foam occurred on the West Coast of Vancouver Island during our 6 day Nuchatlitz trip. This wild coast, although protected from the large outside swell is still very near the crashing surf.

The Breaching Humpback Whale. A breaching Humpback Whale is one of the most spectacular sights that can be witnessed on one of our kayaking trips. The Humpback Whale population in our area has increased dramatically. We were able to see Humpback Whales on most of our Johnstone Strait Expeditions as we pass through Blackney Pass on our way to the Broughton Archipelago.

Our colorful kayaks pulled up on a beach. Sandy beaches are a rare find in some parts of the coast.

Passing by a Sea lion Haul out in the Broughton Archipelago. Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) are known to have occupied the same terrestrial haul-out and rookery sites across the North Pacific Rim for centuries. You can usually hear the sea lions before you see them as they are quite a vociferous bunch.

Paddling into the sunset.

This tight group of gulls is feeding on a Herring Ball. A herring ball occurs when a school of herring gets attacked by a predator (like salmon or white-sided dolphins), creating an all-you-can eat feeding frenzy for the hungry fish. On the surface, the water seems to be boiling with activity — you see fish jumping and eagles and gulls dive-bombing just to get a piece.

A Steller Sea Lion passing by our camp in Johnstone Strait. Stellers are the largest of all sea lions and they have an appetite to match. These giant pinnipeds hunt fish, squid, octopus and, rarely, smaller seals. They are found off northern Pacific coasts from Japan to California.

Sea kayaking with Sea Otters in the Nuchatlitz Marine park. The Nuchatlitz is home to one of the largest Sea Otter populations on the Coast. Once driven to near extinction during the fur lucrative fur trade, the Sea Otters have rebounded and are now a common sight in many West Coast areas.

One of our long time guides, Steve, taking a post season paddle down the Kway River Estuary. A few hundred meters further along the estuary, Steve came upon 2 large Grizzlies foraging for salmon.

Sunset in Johnstone Strait.

Our Johnstone Strait Expedition begins and ends its tour at Telegraph Cove. In 1912, Telegraph Cove was a one-room station, the northern terminus of a telegraph line that began in Campbell River and stretched from tree to tree along Vancouver Island's east coast. Today, Telegraph Cove is one Northern Vancouver Island's favorite places to visit and home to whale and Bear watching companies. As well as the Whale interpretive center.

Tube Worms, earn a living by filtering the water through their fan to collect small foods to eat. Growth and proliferation of fan worms indicates that there is enough floating particles in the water to support them. The bountiful Broughton Archipelago is place Tube Worms can thrive.

The Nuchatlitz Marine Park is home to many waterfalls cascading into the ocean.