Kayak with Orcas and Killer Whales - Northern Lights Expeditions - Since 1983

Sea Kayaking in the Realm of the Killer Whale, or Orca

Whales and Kayaking in British Columbia

There is no greater symbol of coastal wilderness than the wild killer whales, or orcas, who have lived in our waters for millions of years. Our passion to know more about them, see them in their natural habitat, and most importantly, to ultimately assure their survival, is one of the guiding forces in every sea kayaking tour we operate.

Like many of the kayakers who visit this area, all of our sea kayaking trips go out with the intention of seeing whales during our time in the wilderness. This section of the British Columbia coast is the No. 1 place in the world to have orca encounters. We have specialized in killer whale (orca) watching by kayak since 1983 and have set the standards for encountering these and other whales by kayak.

The Whales

Orca, minke and humpback whales are very common in our kayaking waters. Occasionally, both grey and finback whales have made brief forays into our waters in recent years.

Lots of additional information on British Columbia's whales is available online. You'll find fascinating information that can give you great insight into the whales of the British Columbia coast - especially the orcas we see in our Johnstone Strait and Blackfish Sound sea kayaking waters. We highly recommend you spend some time looking into these sites, especially as you anticipate your sea kayaking trip.

Kayaking With Whales

“Kayaking with Whales” is quite an expression and seems to be used with abandon recently. Here’s what we mean when we use it. All our kayaking waters are shared waters with all the wildlife that inhabits it. You simply aren’t likely to kayak for long here without encountering a lone humpback or minke whale or a family (“pod”) of orcas. And if you have the experience and intention of encountering them as we do, encounters with whales can be a focus of any day on the water here.

“Kayaking with Whales” shouldn’t imply that kayaks and whales are mixed in together and somehow relating to each other. If should simply describe a sense of kayaking in waters where frequent sightings of whales occur while kayaking. Sometimes whales pass at a distance and sometimes they simply approach or pass very closely by or even underneath us as they go about their own travels. If we find ourselves amid a pod of orcas, it will be because we are paddling in a place they are traveling through and they are comfortable passing very close to us. We’re very grateful for the regularity with which this occurs here.

Respect for the Whales

As our whale encounters can be such impressive aspects of our sea kayaking trips, each of our guides will do their best to add to your understanding and appreciation of their lives in the wild as well as the threats to survival they face. Importantly, we recognize that all of us yearn for close encounters. But we ask all our guests to respect that while we all want an intimate encounter, there are strict guidelines on the way we encounter whales that we all must follow so we don't interfere with the daily activities of the whales.

Northern Lights has advocated for and practiced conservative guidelines for all of its whale watching by kayak, We hope British Columbia will be a model – and we think it already is – that others can look to in forming guidelines in other areas. While research has shown that kayakers have negligible impact on whales even in very close proximity to them, we can never know exactly what the whales experience when encountering us.

So we will never breach the bounds of responsible whale watching by kayak in order to bring our guests closer than agreed upon guidelines. We won’t chase whales or disturb them while they are resting, cut off their traveling path or intentionally close in too closely. We won’t paddle near the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve, where their only boat-free area is.

Guarantees

There are few places in the world where you can expect to see whales virtually every day. This is one of them. Because this is such a surprising concept for many people to read or hear, we want to emphasize how true it is, So on some of our trips we “guarantee” you’ll see a whale or you can travel with us again at no cost. We will never tell you we “guarantee you will see whales,” only that we are so confident you’ll see them that in the rare instance you do not, we’ll give you another chance, on us.

Our guarantee is based solely on these factors: our camp sites are in the best possible locations to expect to experience whales passing closely by; our experience allows us to plan paddling routes that keep us in the areas most highly traveled by all three of our commonly seen whale species; even our water taxi rides between town and camp are through the best waters for all three whale species; and our guides are trained to help you see whales at a close but respectful distance as often as possible.

Safety

Many people ask about the possibility of any danger while kayaking in the same waters whales are found. To our knowledge a killer whale has never bumped a kayak or shown any aggression toward one. All whales are acutely aware of their surroundings, especially what they might be rising toward the surface to meet. From our many years and hundreds of encounters, we feel very safe in the presence of these wondrous animals.

Success

Our Inside Passage trips (Wildlife Discovery & Orca Humpback Odyssey) have over a 95% success rate for seeing whales in the six days we're out. Wild Orca Adventures success rate is about 98%.

We carry hydrophones to hear the underwater sounds of the whales, and spotting scopes and binoculars to see them better when they're at a distance. When those great moments come along and the whales pop up close enough for us to smell their breath, all you need is to enjoy the moment. There is truly nothing quite as awe-inspiring as being in a sea kayak in the midst of wild orcas.

Click here for our Reservations Page	Click here for our Trips Page	Click here for Dates & Prices

Northern Lights Expeditions: a tour and expedition outfitter of sea kayak adventures on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, since 1983. Our sea kayaking tour waters include Johnstone Strait, Robson Bight, Blackfish Sound and the Inside Passage. We specialize in close encounters sea kayaking with orcas, or killer whales, and other whales: humpback whales, minke whales, dolphins and porpoises, seals and sea lions. Killer Whale, orca, sightings are very common on our kayak tours. We also offer grizzly bear and whale watching tours. We offer Mothership sea kayaking as well. We provide all the sea kayaking equipment required: expedition-quality sea kayaks and paddles, life vests and other safety gear, tents and camping gear. Our Wild Orca sea kayak tours focus on sea kayaking and watching and encountering orcas (killer whales) in the Johnstone Strait and Robson Bight areas near Vancouver Island. Sea kayaking with whales tours are offered from June through September. ©Northern Lights Expeditions All Rights Reserved