Johnstone Strait between Vancouver Island's north shore and
the mainland is world famous as superb salmon fishing and
orca watching
waters. This area offers excellent opportunities to observe
orcas, also
known as killer
whales in their natural habitant. Nineteen pods, totalling
approximately 170 orcas
summer in Johnstone Strait, feeding on the migrating salmon
and other fish.
Observe
these magnificent black and white mammals almost daily as
they spyhop, breach and dive. Robson Bight, a B.C. Ecological
Reserve, is a bay along Johnstone Sound that has "rubbing
beaches." Here orcas come in close to shore and rub themselves
against the underwater pebble beach. Scientists and marine
biologists are studying the reason why, but they might never
learn the answer.
Near by are the towns of Port
McNeill, Telegraph
Cove and Alert
Bay that serve as bases for whale-watching guided
tours. These communities are also popular with kayakers and
canoeists as a base for self guided trips.
