Best Place For Seeing Orcas?

[MontiD]

Anyone with some suggestions on best places to see Orcas in late June? We are going southbound from Seward to Vancouver with stops in Juneau, Ketchikan, Point Icy Straight, Skagway. I'd love to see any whales, but especially wanting to see Orcas if possible. Right now, I have 3 tentitive whale watching excursions planned, but wanting to narrow it down to one so I can trade whale watching for other types of excursions. Thanks!!:D

[jrask]

Juneau gives you guaranteed humpbacks and I think Icy Straights is similarly situated. Orcas are much more of a long shot in the inside passage. Your shot at seeing orcas is much better at the two endpoints of your trip.

 

In Seward, you can take a tour of Kenai Fjords National Park. These go on routes but try to track down whales as much as they can. In mid-August, we saw a super-pod (10-15 orcas) including a couple of calfs and a juvenile male who was showing off for us and eventually gave us a full breach. We also saw a few humpbacks (1 breach), seals, sea lions, otters, and puffins. [From one orca lover to another, the orcas were much more fun than the humpbacks.]

 

In Vancouver, take a trip out to Victoria and catch a whale watching trip that will focus on orcas. I think there are a lot of resident pods there so this is the surest thing. Plus, you'll have an excuse to spend time in Victoria, which is never a bad thing.

 

(Someone else can check me on timing issues.)

[Budget Queen]

Orcas- best place for tours is out of Victoria BC or Friday Harbor Wa. I have seen them MANY times however inside Vancouver Island- southbound- be out on a front open deck by late afternoon and be willing to invest several hours with a good pair of wide angle binoculars. Northbound trips go this route at night- but I did last year see them, because I was up and stayed up from before dawn. These sightings are brief however. As for Kenai Fjords- not a given and probably at most orcas are seen on 50% of the trips, even less on average out of Juneau.

[jlb49]

We went on a WW out of Victoria last summer and were within a few yards of three orcas. Our boat had stopped, as per their regulations and we were just waiting, when three went right past us. It was a pod of about 15 and they were having a wonderful time. Many were breaching and poking their nose out of the water. It was really an amazing trip. We went with Pacific Great Adventures, who were great. http://www.greatpacificadventures.com/

 

Have Fun!