Canada: Paddle close to (and hear) orcas off Vancouver Island

See orcas up close and listen to them chatter underwater during a sea kayaking tour off the waters of Canada’s Vancouver Island. The six-day trip to British Columbia is in part inspired by the 2013 documentary “Blackfish,” which highlights the plight of orcas kept in captivity.

ROW Sea Kayak Adventures based in Idaho invites kayakers on a guided “Blackfish” tour to the Johnstone Strait, Vancouver’s inside passage and home to a sanctuary for the big black-and-white orcas, also known as killer whales.

The trip features six days of paddling and camping to watch orcas, humpbacks, porpoises, seals, eagles and other wildlife along the way. As part of the tour, guides also lower hydrophones into the water to listen to the “staccato snaps, click and pops” the whales make, according to the company’s website.

Participants stay at wilderness base camps on three islands and sleep in full-height canvas tents with cots. Meals are included, right down to a fresh salmon bake and daily happy hour. The trip is open to beginners, but participants should be in good physical shape for this active vacation.

When: Trips are offered from July to September. (Some summer dates are already sold out.)

Price: $1,545 for adults and $1,390 for children (minimum age is 14). It includes camping accommodations, meals, kayaks and more. International transportation to and from Canada is extra.

Info: ROW Sea Kayak Adventures, (800) 616-1943

Mary.Forgione@latimes.com
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