Unlike yesterday, the sun was shining for a morning stroll through the streets of Victoria and the Inner Harbour. This capital city is set on the waterfront with a pedestrian path to Fisherman's Wharf.
The Fairmont Empress Hotel
Maritime Museum
City dogs relaxing while Tom visits the Maritime Museum.
Waterfront
The path along the water
A pretty B & B
Fisherman's Wharf and water houses
Waiting for the harbor taxi to Fisherman's Wharf
Mini taxi
Millie was a bit nervous about the ride to Fisherman's Wharf.
Legislature Buildings
Fairmont Empress Hotel from the water
Our destination....yum!
Look at the blue sky...Wow! We had a great fish and chips lunch.
These houses are really "on the water".
Salty Sea Dog
And his dogs
Sammy the sea gull
On to the whale watching...better check the map first. We went on the Eagle Wing Tour. The company guaranteed seeing whales or an additional whale watching trip valid for a lifetime. Exciting.
Wear the right clothes
And take a good looking partner along.
First stop was Race Rocks where we saw Stellar sea lions, harbor seals, and California sea lions. The lighthouse has been automated for years, but still maintains a lighthouse keeper. How anyone could sleep with the barking and growling of the sea lions and seals is a mystery. Only the males return to Race Rocks each year, while the females stay along the coast of California with their pups.
There were huge swells.
We spotted a humpback whale near Race Rocks. See bottom picture below.
Brrr....it was cold.
Canadian aircraft carrier...ha!
Our guides took us to several spots. We saw over 25 Orca Killer Whales from Pods J, K, L. These whales have been identified and named over the years by a local university research program. The whales are identified by the shape of the dorsal fin and the saddle marks behind the fin. Several generations of a family stay together or life. We spotted Granny, the 100 year old matriarch of J Pod. The Orcas are a very social and family oriented species with some migrating to the coasts of Northern Caliorna and some staying in the waters of St. Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands.
At one point a whole pod was swimming toasted the boat. I wish I could share the video here. With a hydrophone, we could hear the whales communicating.
26 passenger boat - 1000 HP It was a smooth ride!
Our guides were so enthusiastic that our tour lasted an extra hour, and the sun began to set as we headed back to harbor. They both said it was one of the two best whale watching trips they had ever experienced. It was a whale of a time and a trip we will never forget!
Location:Victoria, BC, Canada
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