Sunsets and Whales – Best Orcas

Mt. Baker

Best time for Orcas

We often get asked what time of day is best to see whales, and we explain that there isn’t really a “best time” to see whales. Everyday differs from the last and one day’s morning cruise may turn up super active whales but in the afternoon we find them sleeping. The whale watching companies work so well together to ensure that all of our guests are provided with the best experience possible on that day, but as one guest said, “every time you go out, it is a risk.”  That being said this summer has been so great for us  with the combination of great weather and Resident and Transient Orcas, Humpbacks, Minkes, and all the other marine wild life that we see. Now is the best time to see whales!

Sunsets and Whales

Enjoying the sunset with J Pod

So there isn’t really a “best” time to see whales, but we do have a favourite time of day to get out on the water. Whether we are doing a tour or just out in our own boat, going out for a cruise during the evening is our favourite time to be on the water. At this time it tends to be a little quieter (less boats), the lighting is great for photography, and it’s a beautiful sight as you catch the sun setting as you cruise back into Sidney.

Supermoon, Sunset and Whales

Supermoon Sunday, we were able to take the night off of work and head out on the water about an hour before sunset. We left Sidney and had a nice cruise through Boundary Pass and ended up with the whales just off of Saturna Island. We tried our best to will the whales to swim past us with the sun in the background to get some good pictures, but apparently these animals have minds of their own! We stayed out until the sun was almost completely down and the water was being lit up by the moom. It was an amazing sight to see. Even with the bright light of the moon, after the sun had set the whales were extremely hard to spot. We sat with our motors off, not speaking, just listening. All around us we could hear the blows of travelling orcas. It was incredible to just sit and listen to the passing whales without being able to see them, but also a bit eerie. We have been lucky enough to see orcas and humpbacks breaching, tail slapping, spy hopping, and doing all they amazing stuff they do, but Sunday evening may have been the best orca experience we have had since we started doing this.