"It was the whole experience!"

Today our passengers came off of the MV Seasmoke with starry eyes and big smiles. “It wasn’t just the whales, it was the whole experience, the sightseeing,” exclaimed one guest, “I have fallen in love with this place!” The feel of the wind, the smell of the salt water, the mountains, the waves, the currents - it all adds up to an unforgettable coastal experience, one that stays in people’s minds and hearts long after they return home, whether home is far away, or locally, here on Northern Vancouver Island.

The highlight of this morning’s tour was witnessing the feeding action of the humpbacks that are residing in our waters for this season. Large bait balls attracted swarms of sea birds from above, and from below, drew the massive humpbacks like magnets. We watched enthralled as they surfaced, ate, and even breached! This afternoon’s tour also had great humpback viewing; a highlight was seeing a mother and calf breaching.

This afternoon’s tour got to see northern resident orca from the A25, A42, and I4 clans. Pacific white-sided dolphins were in the mix, frolicking in and around the orca. What a treat to see these beautiful creatures as they interact with each other in ways that we can only imagine about.

Other sightings included seeing 40-50 Stellar sea lions, Dall’s porpoises, black-tailed deer, Pacific white-sided dolphins wake-riding, harbour seals, eagles, blue heron, marbled murrelet, red-necked phalarope, rhinoceros auklet, common murre, and pigeon guillemot. Passengers reiterated again and again that it was truly the whole experience that thrilled them today - simply being on the water, breathing the fresh air, and of course enjoying the show!