Eagle Wing Whale Watching Tours
Fisherman's Wharf, 1 Dallas Road V8V 0B2 Victoria, BC, Canada

Spring has finally sprung! This year more than ever you want to let loose with some fun, fresh air and adventure. Right? And you want to do it safely and responsibly. We can help youwith all of the above! This spring, we’re running whale and wildlife tours from Victoria twice daily on our semi-covered catamaran, 4 Ever Wild. What we’re seeing varies daily and by tour, but the possibilities include whales, seals, sea lions, elephant seals, eagles, sea otters, birds galore and... magnificent sceneryall in the big blue playground we call the Salish Sea. Sounds great so far, right? But wait. Is whale watching a safe thing to do right now? What COVID-19 safety measures does Eagle Wing have in place? Where can you learn more about those safety measures? These are all good questions that you should be askingand we’re happy to answer. http://ow.ly/CCGc50E8Y6m

VAL'S WILDLIFE WONDERS WEDNESDAY: Why do killer whale dorsal fins sometimes flop over? Movies such as Free Willy and images from marine parks may give you the impression that flopped over dorsal fins are common. But in the wild, they’re not. Those dorsal fins on males can be up to 1.8 metres or 6 ft. highfemales half the heightyet they don’t have any bone in them. They’re made up of dense, fibrous connective tissue called collagen. That’s a lot of weight, and normally the w...ater column does a fine job of keeping a fin healthy and upright. That’s if you’re a wild killer whale who routinely travels 100 miles or more a day. But if you’re a captive killer whale confined to a tank, you spend an unnatural amount of time at the surface. Gravity takes over, and the fin often collapses. The rare cases of buckled or collapsed fins in the wild are most likely due to injury, entanglement, genetic deformity, illness, nutritional stress or even age. One famous whale on the BC coast was an old male Bigg’s killer whale known as T40more affectionately named Captain Hook for obvious reasons! Captain Hook (T40) in 2013 Shorelines Photography #wild4whales #wildlifewonderswednesday #wildlifewednesday

They’re marathon travellers, expert bottom-feeders, fierce mothers and resilient survivors. Pacific grey whales are one of the four whale species we may encounter on our whale watching tours from Victoria, and we get very excited when we spot one! Right now, these slow-moving giants are heading north from the warm waters of their breeding lagoons in Baja Mexico to feeding grounds as far away as the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. That’s an epic round-trip journey of 16,000... to 20,000 kmone of the longest migrations of any mammal on Earth! Read more below! https://www.eaglewingtours.com//eight-things-that-may-sur/

A sad but important story to share. Wolf "management" policiesand lack of protectionin BC have to change. If this story makes you angry, please consider contacting your elected representatives and letting them know why this matters to you. Here's a start: Katrine Conroy Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development [email protected]... Phone: 250-387-6240 John Horgan [email protected] or [email protected] 250-387-1715 Leader, Green Party of BC Sonia Furstenau [email protected] 1-888-473-3686 Or 250-715-2792 MLA, Metchosin Mitzi Dean [email protected] 250-952-5885 Please share to help raise awareness about this important issue. https://www.focusonvictoria.ca/reporting/34/ #Wild4Whales #SaveBCWolves #StopTrophyHunting

Pacific Herring - The Life of the Coast #BIGLittleFish

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Takaya the wolf's senseless and cruel death. He was killed legally by a hunter at point-blank range as he stood staring at the man. This typifies BC's callous and outdated treatment of wolves in this province. In Takaya's memory, please take a few minutes to read this recent letter to the BC government by two of Canada's leading wolf scientists, and follow Pacific Wild's wolf campaign links to learn what you can do to help. http://ow.ly/IH7b50E6Ts6 #SaveBCWolves #Takaya #CoastalWolf

VAL'S WILDLIFE WONDERS WEDNESDAY: What's the deepest diving seabird in the Salish Sea? And the winner isthe common murre, sometimes described as the flying penguin of the north. But this dapper black and white, duck-sized seabird is not related to penguins, even though it also stands upright like one! It’s a member of the auk family and is the deepest-diving bird in the northern hemisphereand the deepest-diving bird anywhere that can still fly! It uses its small wings to ...dive as far down as 150 ft. in search of fish, squid, crustaceans and marine worms. We often see them frantically paddling their feet along the surface to get airborne. This isn’t because they’re stuffed with food, although that might be a factor. Those slender wings are designed to reduce underwater drag so they can dive faster and deeper. The cost is that it takes more work to get lift at take-off. To support all that mad flapping, their breast muscles make up about a quarter of their body weight! Common murre Shorelines Photography #wild4whales #wildlifewonderswednesday #wildlifewednesday

It IS possible to have fun on the water during a pandemic and stay safe. We’ve proved that in the months since we reopened at the beginning of July. Thanks to you, we’ve had a tremendous summer and fall. Thousands of you have come out on a tour with us to enjoy the amazing wildlife, stunning scenery and abundant fresh air of the Salish Sea. Now, as we move through the winter months and more uncertain times, our extensive COVID-19 safety measures are more important than ever. At Eagle Wing, we take the health and safety of everyoneguests and staffVERY seriously. It is our highest priority. http://ow.ly/q5do50CvVCO

VAL'S WHALE WONDERS WEDNESDAY: HOW DO WHALES MAKE SOUNDS? The haunting whines, squeals and grunts of whales, dolphins and porpoises echo throughout the ocean. They use sound to navigate, find food and communicate with each other. And yetsurprise!they have no vocal cords! Nor do they speak out of their mouths, despite what movies and TV shows lead us to believe. So how do they do it? Toothed whales such as killer whales and all the dolphins and porpoises make their high-pi...tched whistles and squeaks by forcing air through special membranes known as phonic lips beneath the blowhole. Most of the resulting sound vibrations leave the head through the bulbous, fatty melon on their foreheads. Baleen whales such as humpbacks generate their low-pitched grunts and moans using vocal folds in their larynx. They don’t have melons, so the sounds are believed to radiate outwards through the throat tissue. Baleen whale vocalizations can travel a looooong way. The deep moans of blue whales can be heard hundreds, even thousands of kilometres away! Listen to a blue whale call here: http://ow.ly/ScWU50CGfBs Brendon Bissonnette Photography #wild4whales #whalewednesday #funfacts

We’ve crossed over into 2021 but we haven’t quite finished with 2020 yet. We had a few tours in Decemberdespite the grey and occasionally wet skies on some daysand still managed to find some whales! Here are some photos from our last tours of 2020 Many thanks to captains Rod, Pete and Dale! All images taken with a telephoto lens and cropped. #wild4whales #wearePWWA #restartbc #staycation #myvictoriamoment #myvictoriameeting Pacific Whale Watch Association News Destination Greater Victoria Destination BC Tourism Vancouver Island

Happy New Year everyone! Here’s part two of our favourite photo moments of 2020. We’re looking forward to creating new memories with you in 2021! As always, many thanks to all of our captains for putting us in the right place at the right time! All whale watching guidelines followed. All images taken with a telephoto lens and cropped.... #wild4whales #wearePWWA #restartbc #staycation #myvictoriamoment #myvictoriameeting Pacific Whale Watch Association News Destination Greater Victoria Destination British Columbia Explore Canada Tourism Vancouver Island

New adventures are just around the corner. Happy 2021! Shorelines Nature Photography . .... . #happynewyear #bye2020 #welcome2021 #wild4whales #explorebc #reachforthesky See more

WHALES OF 2020, Part 1 As we get ready to kick 2020 out the door and welcome 2021, it’s time for our photographers to look back at their best moments of the year on the water. We’ve asked each of them to pick their favourite whale photos, and to briefly tell us what makes each choice special to them. This is the first instalment. Watch for Part 2 on New Year's Day! As always, many thanks to all of our captains for putting us in the right place at the right time!... All whale watching guidelines followed. All images taken with a telephoto lens and cropped. #wild4whales #wearePWWA #restartbc #staycation #myvictoriamoment #myvictoriameeting Pacific Whale Watch Association News Destination BC Destination Greater Victoria Explore Canada Tourism Vancouver Island See more

What an outstanding four months we’ve had! Your support has far exceeded our expectations in these uncertain times. In true Canadian spirit, you took support local to heart and you ran with it! To everyoneand especially our supporters in the Victoria regionthank you so much! As we head into November and beyond, give yourselves an unforgettable treat. Come out with us and meet the localsthe finned, furred and feathered kind! #supportlocal #staycation #yyjbusiness #wild4whales https://www.eaglewingtours.com//our-tours-are-continuing-/

The winter wildlife season is ramping up with great viewing of seals, sea lions and eagles. Oh and there are a few whales to throw into the mix too. Quite a few humpbacks are still here, getting in those last important mouthfuls before migration. And every now and then, Bigg’s killer whales pop in for a visit. Here are a few photo highlights from recent tours Many thanks to captains Dale and Rod! All images taken with a telephoto lens and cropped. #wild4whales #wearePWWA #restartbc #staycation #myvictoriamoment #myvictoriameeting Pacific Whale Watch Association News Destination British Columbia Destination Greater Victoria Explore Canada Tourism Vancouver Island

And now, by popular demandhere are some 2020 photo highlights of Ollie the sea otter, plus one or two extras thrown in! #wild4whales #wearePWWA #restartbc #staycation #myvictoriamoment #myvictoriameeting Pacific Whale Watch Association News Destination Greater Victoria Destination BC Tourism Vancouver Island

VAL'S WHALE WONDERS WEDNESDAY: HOW LONG DO WHALES LIVE? It depends on the species. The general trend is that the bigger you are, the longer you live. On one end of the spectrum are blue, fin and humpback whales which grow and reproduce slowly and may live 80-100 years or more. On the low end of the scale is the small but feisty harbour porpoise, which grows fast, pops out many babies and lives a short lifeonly eight to 10 years. If you’re a female killer whale your average l...ife expectancy is about 50 but you can live 80 years or more. Male killer whales aren’t so durableon average they live into their early 30s but can live as long as 60. But the true whale longevity champ is the bowhead, a large Arctic-dwelling baleen whale. Based on the recovery of 19th-century harpoon fragments, eye analysis and a DNA-based lifespan clock study, it’s believed they can live to 200 or more. That makes them the longest-living mammal on the planet! #wild4whales #whalewednesday #funfacts See more

Humpbacks, transients, humpbacks, transientssometimes it seems like whale ping pong out there! There are still quite a few humpback whales feeding out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, not far from Victoria. And on some tours, we’re also seeing transient (Bigg’s) killer whalessometimes multiple families at the same time! Here are a few recent photo highlights Many thanks to captains Rod, Dale and Brett! All images taken with a telephoto lens and cropped. cropped.... #wild4whales #wearePWWA #restartbc #staycation #myvictoriamoment #myvictoriameeting Pacific Whale Watch Association News Destination British Columbia Destination Greater Victoria Explore Canada Tourism Vancouver Island See more

A close look at chum salmon spawning near Squamish, British Columbia. http://ow.ly/COSe50CmbwZ

In this segment of Ask a Naturalist, Eagle Wing Tours marine biologist Sydney talks about the survival of killer whale, or orca, calves in the Salish Sea. She explains how there are two distinct ecotypes of killer whale in the region and how the prospects for calf survival in each ecotype is very different. One ecotype is thriving. The other is endangered. #wild4whales #askanaturalist

In this time of COVID-19 are you dreaming of the day you can travel safely to tourism destinations across Canada? Join Eagle Wing Tours as we go whale watching from Victoria. We're hosting Destination Canada’s GoMedia RoadShow, a delegation of media representatives from across the country witnessing first-hand how businesses such as ours are successfully providing safe experiences for their guests. We want to restore people’s confidence in how they can travel safely, says Destination Canada’s Gloria Loree. Businesses we’re going to have it all figured out. Tour highlights include Race Rocks Ecological Reserve andkiller whales!

We have both good news and sad news to share with you from the latest quarterly update on the Bigg’s (transient) killer whale population, released on Oct. 15. The good news is that three new calves have been born! The new additions are in the T069D, T038A and T068C families! Butas an update to the Ask a Naturalist video we posted earlier this weekwe’re saddened to report the probable passing of a favourite male, Beardslee (T102). He was last seen with his family near Cam...pbell River further up the east coast of Vancouver Island on Sept. 15, 2020, and he was not looking well. His tall dorsal fin was buckling and he was surfacing sideways with a lean to the right. More telling, his family has been spotted several times since without him. It’s always difficult with Bigg’s killer whales to declare definitively that a whale has diedespecially adult males who sometimes disperse from their family unitbut Beardslee was inseparable from his presumed mother Reef (T101) and two brothers Rush (T101A) and Lagoon (T101B). He was in his mid-thirties. If he’s truly gone, we’ll miss the sight of that distinctive and magnificent dorsal fin! Brendon Bissonnette Photography

It’s November and sometimes the weather seems uninviting. But once we’re out there in the Salish Sea, it can be head-spinning wildlife heaven, with humpbacks, killer whales, seals, sea lions, eagles, a sea otterthe list goes on. It’s another world out there and a wonderful antidote to the stresses of life on land! Here are a few photo highlights from the past week Many thanks to captains Dale and Rod! All images taken with a telephoto lens and cropped. #wild4whales #wearePWWA #restartbc #staycation #myvictoriamoment #myvictoriameeting Pacific Whale Watch Association News Destination BC Destination Greater Victoria Explore Canada Tourism Vancouver Island

Dreaming of travelling somewhere far away? Planning a staycation and finally exploring your own city or town? Thinking of visiting Vancouver Island and going whale watching? What can you do safely, and how can you find out what the different protocols are for different businesses? Check out our latest blog post to find out the answers to these questions and learn about the World Travel & Tourism Council's Safe Travels certification. http://ow.ly/Wf4H50C1GwC... Destination Greater Victoria Destination British Columbia Tourism Vancouver Island Canada Keep Exploring

VAL'S WHALE WONDERS WEDNESDAY: HOW CAN WE TELL WHETHER A WHALE IS A MALE OR A FEMALE? While ultimately the answer is only really important to another whale, it’s fun for us to try and figure it out. All whales are mammals, which means that the babies suckle milk from their mother. She has two mammary slits on her lower belly, inside which are the milk-producing mammary glands. If a whalecalf or adultshows us its belly by rolling over, breaching or tail-lobbing, we look for ...those mammary slits. No slits = male. However, wild whales aren’t always obliging. So there are other things we look for. If it’s a killer whale, the white markings on its lower belly are slightly different between the sexes. Or we can wait until the whale is around 13 years old to see if the dorsal fin starts to grow tall. That would be a boy! Humpbacks are trickier because the mammary slits are hard to see. It’s often easier to see a mysterious bump called the hemispherical lobe just before the tail. Lobe = female. Off course, the appearance of a baby removes all doubt! Brendon Bissonnette Photography @brendonbissonnette #wild4whales #whalewednesday #funfacts

Taking a moment to remember and be thankful. #Lestweforget

VAL'S WHALE WONDERS WEDNESDAY: HOW DEEP CAN WHALES DIVE? It’s no surprise that whales are accomplished divers. After all, the ocean is their world and down below is where the food is! But what may surprise you is how deep some of them go and for how long. Most of the baleen whalessuch as humpbacks, blues and fins may dive to up to 300 metres for as long as 30 minutes, although the foraging dives we see by humpbacks in the Salish Sea usually last less than 10 minutes. Killer... whales typically dive no deeper than 300 metres for under four minutes. But they’re able to go much deeper and longer. One tagged killer whale in the southern Atlantic dove to 1,087 metres, a world record for her species! That’s impressive, but routine for a sperm whale, which can descend more than 2,000 metres for an hour or more at a time. But the true diving champion is the Cuvier’s beaked whale. This oceanic species can plunge to 3,000 metres (roughly 32 football field lengths!) andhere’s the really astonishing partstay down for almost four hours. Think about that next time you watch two back-to-back full-length movies! Brendon Bissonnette See more

Eagle Wing Tours is proud to be recognized by World Travel & Tourism Council's #SafeTravels certification. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8echu2lny5k&feature=youtu.be Destination Greater Victoria Destination British Columbia Tourism Vancouver Island Canada Keep Exploring

VAL'S WHALE WONDERS WEDNESDAY: HOW DO WHALES SLEEP? Just like us, whales need their rest. But there’s a big difference between us. We breathe automatically when we enter our unconscious sleep. But whales are conscious breathers which means they have to think about each breath they take. So how do they rest without drowning? They sleep a half a brain at a time! Research on dolphins shows that half of the brain does indeed shut down, while the other half remains active to... regulate breathing and stay aware of their surroundings. They can even alternate which side is sleeping! What do resting whales look like? Killer whales often huddle tightly together, swimming slowly forward and occasionally surfacing to breathe. Humpback whales quietly float or log at or near the surface, breathing every now and then. Whales can rest like this for minutes, or even hours! Zzzzzzzzzz! Shorelines Photography #whalewednesday #wild4whales

#AskANaturalist Any updates on Bigg's killer whale T102?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OUR CANADIAN FOLLOWERS! Life at the top of the food chain is pretty goodif you’re a Bigg’s killer whale. Not so much if you’re a seal, sea lion or porpoise. We saw that in action this past week, with two incredible predation interactions right in front of us! We’ve also seen some spectacular lunge-feeding by humpback whalesnot far from Victoria! Here are a few photo highlights Many thanks to captains Rod, Dale, Pete and Brett! All images taken wi...th a telephoto lens and cropped. #wild4whales #wearePWWA #restartbc #staycation #myvictoriamoment #myvictoriameeting Pacific Whale Watch Association News Destination British Columbia Destination Greater Victoria Explore Canada Tourism Vancouver Island

We had a great time with this fun group last weekend! A little rain doesn't stop us from having fun

Humpback whales owned this past week, as more of them gather in the food-rich waters just west of Victoria. Over the next few weeks, they’ll be getting their last enormous mouthfuls of small fish and krill before they head south to the breeding groundswhere they don’t eat for months! In this highlight package we’re also throwing in a few more photos from an unforgettable encounter with Bigg’s killer whales earlier this month. And we start off with one of your furry favourites! Many thanks to captains Rod, Dale, Pete and Brett! All images taken with a telephoto lens and cropped. #wild4whales #wearePWWA #restartbc #staycation #myvictoriamoment #myvictoriameeting Pacific Whale Watch Association News Destination British Columbia Destination Greater Victoria Explore Canada Tourism Vancouver Island

Killer whale, orca, blackfish, sea wolf... What's in a name? Check out our newest blog post to learn the origins ofand meanings behindtheir many names. Are you team #killerwhale or team #orca? http://ow.ly/QEa650BOvkp... #wild4whales

Learn more about the bufflehead, a punctual little migratory bird that begins to appear in Greater Victoria on October 15.

As we head toward the Thanksgiving weekend, the team at Eagle Wing Tours takes a moment to reflect on all of the things for which we are so thankful. #wild4whales #supportlocal #thankful

It's #WorldOctopusDay! Let's celebrate these amazing critters by looking at 8 (of course!) fun facts about the Giant Pacific Octopus. http://ow.ly/kxNF50BNtBQ #wild4whales #gpo #pacificnorthwest

VAL'S WHALE WONDERS WEDNESDAY: HOW MANY KILLER WHALES ARE THERE IN THE WORLD? It may surprise you to know that there are an estimated 50,000 or more killer whales around the world. Next to humans, they’re one of the most widespread mammals on the planet! So why, you may be wondering, is there so much concern about the endangered southern resident killer whales? Won’t other killer whales come in to boost their numbers? No, they won’t. That’s because killer whales around the wo...rld are divided into separate populations, each with its own geographical range, diet, language, social structure and slight physical variations. Studies suggest that global killer whale populations began to divergeas in, breed apart from each otheras long as 700,000 years ago. Over time, this has led to very strong cultural barriers that inhibit interbreeding between wild populations. We see this in the Salish Sea, with Bigg’s (also known as transients) and residents never mingling. They look different, sound different and eat differently. This means that a small population such as the southern residentswhich currently number only 73is genetically and culturally irreplaceable. If we lose them, their entire gene pool and all the unique knowledge, behaviours and adaptations accumulated over millennia will be gone forever. It’s up to all of us to make sure that doesn’t happen! Find out how you can help: https://www.eaglewingtours.com/conservatio/save-the-whales/ Shorelines Photography #wild4whales #SalishSea #WhaleWednesday

#AskANaturalist Any updates on Bigg's killer whale T102?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OUR CANADIAN FOLLOWERS! Life at the top of the food chain is pretty goodif you’re a Bigg’s killer whale. Not so much if you’re a seal, sea lion or porpoise. We saw that in action this past week, with two incredible predation interactions right in front of us! We’ve also seen some spectacular lunge-feeding by humpback whalesnot far from Victoria! Here are a few photo highlights Many thanks to captains Rod, Dale, Pete and Brett! All images taken wi...th a telephoto lens and cropped. #wild4whales #wearePWWA #restartbc #staycation #myvictoriamoment #myvictoriameeting Pacific Whale Watch Association News Destination British Columbia Destination Greater Victoria Explore Canada Tourism Vancouver Island

Take a dive into the Salish Sea and learn about kelp forests with Marine Biologist Sydney. These important ecosystems, rich in biodiversity, are filled with a variety of animals from fuzzy marine mammals to microscopic invertebrates. #AskANaturalist #wild4whales #SalishSea

Update on the dead humpback found on one of our tours last week.

The days are getting coolerbe sure to layer up if you’re planning to come out with usbut the wildlife carries on, well-insulated by their blubber, fur or feathers! We’ve seen an incredible variety of animals on our tours over the last week or so, as you’ll see in this selection of photos. Enjoy! Many thanks to captains Rod, Dale, Pete and Brett! All images taken with a telephoto lens and cropped. #wild4whales #wearePWWA #restartbc #staycation #myvictoriamoment #myvictoriameeting Pacific Whale Watch Association News Destination British Columbia Destination Greater Victoria Explore Canada Tourism Vancouver Island

For today's #StaffSaturday, meet Captain Chris Bane (aka 5-0). Chris has been with Eagle Wing for 8 years, and is a veteran mariner with more than 400,000 nautical miles logged on the ocean as a skipper, including more than 20 years in marine ecotourism off Hawaii. When he’s not leading an Eagle Wing tour he’s driving tug boats in the Salish Sea! FAVOURITE SALISH SEA CRITTER: It's hard to say I have a favourite, but the red-necked phalarope is most fascinating. One reason i...s their migrationfrom the high Arctic in summer to Peru in the winter. It's amazing that such a small bird can fly such long distances in open ocean! FAVOURITE WHALE BEHAVIOUR: Humpbacks, when they’re fending off killer whales to protect other species. It’s incredible to see. I also love seeing humpbacks playing with kelp because it shows that such a massive animal can have a curious and playful side. MOST SURPRISING/COOLEST THING YOU'VE SEEN ON THE WATER: Most surprisinga group of killer whales attack, kill and eat a small humpback off Hawaii. Coolest was an adult male false killer whale (also off Hawaii) include me in a group-feeding by offering me a large yellow-fin tuna. He tried three times before he gave up and swam away. WHY YOU LOVE YOUR JOB: I've been on the water since I was too young to remember. I get stressed when I'm more than a few miles from the ocean. To be where I feel most at home while seeing such incredible natural beauty has been a blessing over the past 35+ years. I love to talk with people from all over, hearing their stories allows me to virtually travel every time I get on the boat. WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM THEIR TOUR: An appreciation or deeper understanding of our local and global environment while having fun doing it. FUN FACT: I can tie knots with my feet. I like to surf in the winter. #wild4whales #meettheteam #ilovemyjob

A sad discovery on one of our recent tours.