Our marine Eco-tours are for those who wish see the "real" Vancouver Island . We take you into the pristine wilderness of the Island 's east coasts home to forested valleys, small communities and plentiful wildlife. Make sure you bring your camera and extra batteries.

Your guide will describe the area's unique flora and fauna and the traditional uses of the area's natural resources by the local first nations people/aboriginals.

Journeying along our coast, we will view rainforests and rugged west coast beaches and go bear watching, as low tides are best to see black bears, and grizzly bears. We may go bear watching in the morning or afternoon .Our bear watching tour explores the quiet waters of Blenkinsop bay , Jacksons Bay and other areas traveling along fjord inlets and stopping in sheltered bays. The bears come out of the rainforest to forage through the inter-tidal zone to feed on crunchy crab, clams and barnacles. Your knowledgeable guide will share information about black bears, grizzly bears, and other inlet wildlife, including seals, eagles, porpoise and heron. Blenkinsop Bay , famous for its population of grizzly bears. This area is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, steep-sided, forested cliffs and active marine life. On this adventure we drift, paddle and motor quietly around an estuary, looking to spot grizzly bears as they feed on the sedges and grasses at high tide. Low tide brings more bears out, and we may see them turn over large boulders in their search for crabs, isopods and beach barnacles.

In the morning may we head out harbour to go whale watching in Johnstone Strait, (depending on the tides) home to one of the largest populations of Orca (killer whale) in the world. Johnstone Strait whale watching >

You will be in awe seeing the whales/orcas breeching the waters, feeding on salmon, teaching the new calves to hunt, or if you’re really lucky see them ,‘Spy Hop” Other marine life spotting opportunities include Dahl Porpoises, Harbour Porpoises, Pacific White Sided Dolphins, sea lions, otters, and Minke whales.

Kayaking provides a true west coast experience in sheltered waters. Kayakers of all ability levels come to explore the many of tidal pools and observe marine life ranging from tiny plankton to Pacific gray whales. The Johnstone Strait and area islands offers endless opportunities being the home to whales, sea lions, bald eagles and a large variety and abundance of inter tidal sea life including sea arches, sea urchins, sea anemones, sea cucumbers, and sea stars.

Whales. Killer. Why are these whales called killer?

The scientific name of the killer whale is Orcinus orca, which is the source of their other common name, orca. The name "killer whale" causes many misconceptions about this noble beast. First, killer whales are not whales at all. They are, in fact, dolphins (the largest dolphins, actually). Second, they are not particularly violent creatures. Some are hunters, and prey on a variety of creatures, such as squid, shark, otters, sea lions, penguins, birds, octopus, dolphins, and salmon. However, there are no confirmed reports of an orca ever attacking a human being in the wild. This is, perhaps, quite surprising, given how badly the human race has treated them.

Orcas are mammals, like (hopefully) you and me. They do all of the normal mammal stuff like maintain a relatively warm blood temperature, bear their young live, and breathe air. They live together in groups (called pods) that consist of anywhere from two to forty members. These pods are close-knit and last from one generation to the next.

The killer whale can boast that it is among the fastest swimming marine mammals, traveling at speeds up to 30 miles per hour. Having no desire to gain a reputation for showing off, however, they usually restrict their swimming to a more sedate 2-6 miles per hour. They generally dive 100-200 feet below the surface, and remain there for approximately 4-5 minutes.

The lifespan of the mighty orca is not well known. Reported lifespans range between 25 and 90 years. They typically grow to approximately 20-30 feet in length and weigh 4-8 tons. Females have greater longevity than males, but males are usually larger than females.

In the wild they are able to travel 50-100 miles in a single day. Orcas are relatively intelligent creatures, and they are highly social. Killer whales have no natural predators, although sharks occasionally attack old or weak orcas. Human beings are the only animals that hunt them. These large, powerful creatures are at the top of their food chain. Owing to their great strength and size, as well as their tendency to hunt in groups, orcas are able to hunt creatures that are much larger than themselves. They have been observed hunting whales, which is the source of the name "killer whale". Originally they were referred to as "whale killers", but the words became reversed at some point. This has led to some bad PR for these poor animals.

Now you know why these whales are called killerwhale