Friday, June 24, 2016

Whale Watching in Canada


My family and I are on a vacay in beautiful
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
So far, it has been a wonderful trip and the entire family is in awe of the cleanliness of the city.
We are also awed by the natural beauty of the surrounding area - the sea, mountains, and trees.
For a special treat, we took an incredible daytrip to Victoria on Vancouver Island.
The day included a 4-hour whale watching boat tour, lunch in downtown Victoria, a tour of the world renowned Butchart Gardens, and a 3-hour sunset cruise back to downtown Vancouver.  It was a BIG day - and absolutely amazing.


Even though it's June, the day started off cold and rainy.
The residents of Vancouver refer to this season as 
"June-uary".  Ha Ha!
We popped into Starbies to start the day with my usual latte (and some other breakfast goodies) - bien sur - and then headed to our meeting point.


We walked to the dock and loaded on the boat.
Then we headed under the Lion's Gate Bridge, out of the harbor, and onto the open ocean.


Fortunately, it wasn't too long before we saw some orcas.
A huge "oooohhhh" escaped from everyone's mouth when one of the orcas surfaced close to the side of our boat.


The male killer whale had a large, black dorsal fin which made it easier to keep track of him in the water.


In addition to the "friendly" male,
we saw a mother and her two children.
They were more difficult to see, but we had some good sightings nevertheless.


It was C-H-I-L-L-Y... but soooo fun!


Along the way,
we also saw a variety of other wildlife -
including several majestic bald eagles (of which I couldn't get a  good photo) and some adorable seals.



After seeing Victoria and the Butchart Gardens (more about that in a separate post),
we hopped back on the boat.
By that time, the sun had come out a bit -
so we had a sunset cruise back to the mainland and downtown Vancouver.





Have you ever been to Vancouver or Victoria?
If so, what was your favorite thing to do?

Random fact about me:
I regularly have dreams about whales - mostly orcas.
I wonder if that means something.

Linking up over at:
The Charm of Home - Home Sweet Home
http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=4949364419&blog=2418446

Share Your Style
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Feathered Nest Friday
http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=4949559865&blog=4009465


13 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos! What wonderful experiences despite the cold. Whale watching has its rewards along with some iffy weather at times. Years ago when we went we could barely see the whales for the huge waves! Visiting from Share Your Style Linda @ bushelandapickle.com

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    1. A few years ago, I went whale watching in Monterey, California. It was a ton of fun, but it was extremely stormy and it was hard for my family. I, for one, don't get sea sick. Still, this experience was even BETTER. Thanks for stopping by!
      Hugs,
      Michelle

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  2. A trip to British Columbia is on my wish list. It looks like you are having such a great time. Thank you for taking us along with you on your whale watch. :) xo Lidy

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    1. I hope your wish comes true - as BC is spectacular. It has a great mix of an American and European feel to make it incredibly unique.
      Best,
      Michelle

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  3. I have not been there but it looks like a wonderful trip, Michelle. Your pictures are beautiful and you were definitely meant to see those whales!

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    1. Thanks, JoAnne! It was a highlight for me!
      Hugs,
      Michelle

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  4. What a fabulous vacation that must have been.

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  5. Your pics are just beautiful! What a fabulous trip you got to take. I've never been to Vancouver. The whale watching tour looked like so much fun. Hard to believe how cold it was there when it's so hot everywhere else!

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    1. It was so nice to escape the heat wave we were having in Santa Barbara and get some colder weather. A few days into our trip, the sun popped out and we enjoyed mild sunshine. It was spectacular.
      Hugs,
      Michelle

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  6. I have never been to Vancouver or Victoria but your beautiful photos make me want to go! It looks like your whale-watching trip was a success. I have been on one in San Diego and was just as lucky. What an amazing experience it was. Now I want to try it in Vancouver!

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