Whale Watching Tofino
by Dean Unger
John Forde has been a whale guide for more than thirty years, rescued whales, and has a small whale museum in Tofino, British Columbia. Located on the far-west coast of Vancouver Island, John's Whale Centre, has become a hub of wildlife Eco-touring and education. Bear observation, bird watching and a rain-forest hot springs in the remote wilderness of Clayoquot Sound are the backbone of any respectable RV tour to the Island. Eco-adventure tours at the Whale Centre combine a learning atmosphere and profound personal encounters with coastal wildlife in its natural habitat, including grey whales, humpbacks, Orcas, sea otters, black bears, eagles and many other land and marine species.
“What sets us apart from other outfitters is our staff,” John says. “Our team is made up of experienced local guides and naturalists - people who were raised here on the coast and have, for the most part, spent their lives in Clayoquot Sound. It's important that the clients we bring out on wilderness adventures feel confident and secure with our team. We have a solid understanding of the local environment and ensure safe yet fulfilling viewing experience aboard sturdy 30 foot Boston Whalers.
“Pacific grey whales, humpback whales, and Orca all habitate the waters around Tofino throughout the season,” Forde says. “Though there is generally excellent whale watching all summer long, grey whales begin their southern migration in March when the world population of Pacific greys migrate along the west-coast of Vancouver Island.” An estimated 19,000 whales make this 16,000 km pilgrimage annually, setting out from their mating and calving lagoons on the Baja peninsula of northern Mexico to their summer feeding grounds in the Berlin and Chukchi seas off Alaska and Siberia.
For the better part of thirty years, Forde has been working with whales. His journey led him from the world of academia to the remote coast. “When I was at the University of Victoria I landed a summer job up at Tofino interviewing tourists on their perception of clear-cut logging. There was a company here at the time called Jamie's Whale Watching. He'd (Jamie) converted his salmon boat into a whale watching boat and was doing a good turn. I approached him asking if he thought he needed a deck-hand. I explained to him that, on the boat, I could lend a hand while interviewing his passengers. After that I was a deck hand and crab fisherman for some time before I got my own business off and running.
We're pretty fortunate to start of season with the grey whale migration in March and April; and we have humpbacks here as well.” Forde says there is also a resident population that feeds through the summer months, and as many as three to five individuals hanging around through some of the winter months too – a relatively recent development. “Whale's hanging around that late into the season is fairly new,” Forde says. “They are quite probably elderly whales that don't have a reason to head down to breeding grounds.”
The intelligence of the whales becomes evident over time. Their behaviour interacting in social units is one thing but, Forde explains, you really get a sense of how intelligent these animals are in the way they interact with the people and the boats. “The Orcas are far more cagey at times. They choose to be be seen and to interact or not. The grey whales are generally very placid creatures who – although they are likely very aware - almost seem to forget we're there.”
Forde explains that there are three types of characteristic Orca whale populations: transient, residence and off-shores: the ones we deal with on the coast are usually smaller groups of anywhere from one to five whales that feed off marine mammals as opposed to Chinook Salmon, which is the preferred diet on the inside passage. Each of these sub species are unique and have different physical features as well as different behaviours. They do not mix. Greys distinguish between resident (which means they stay and feed off of Vancouver Island all Summer) or migrating (travel to Alaska to feed and summer there) but are still physically, and behaviourally the same. Humpbacks haven't been broken down into sub categories.
“When you've had enough of the boats, there are thermal hot springs located an hour and a half north of Tofino in Hot Springs Cove,” John explains. “This entails a 20-minute trek on a cedar boardwalk through old growth rainforest to the hot pools and waterfall.” He points out that wildlife sightings of another kind are a distinct possibility on this six to seven hour excursion.
Almost all of the campgrounds in around Tofino cater to RVs and there is a shuttle service from campsites that are on the outskirts of town as well.