Holiday Recap Post 1 – Whale Watching out of Cowichan Bay

As Summer begins to fade, and Autumn bursts in full splendor, I figured it was time I told you about the Summer I spent trekking around the Island. We visited some old favorites, and discovered new ones to add to our “must return” list. This will take a few posts, so I am going to do one a day until I’m caught up.

First up was a whale watching excursions out of Cowichan Bay with Ocean Ec oventures. I have to admit I was nervous. Although we’d been whale watching before, we’d never done it in a zodiac boat. Would I fall out by just getting in? Would I look silly in the orange suit they give you to protect you from the spray? What if we fell overboard in the middle of the ocean? I can’t swim. Needless to say, this post proves I survived. We had an amazing time. The staff was very encouraging and supportive despite my constant list of questions and concerns. Before I knew it was dressed in this tremendously heavy orange suit with a not so flattering match of baby blue sea goggles over my eyes, zipping across the ocean waves in search of Orcas! It wasn’t easy keeping the camera dry, and the ride was a little bumpy, but the experience was once in a lifetime. As our luck would have it the whales (technically large dolphins) were out near Sooke that afternoon, so we had a long ride ahead of us. The captain did stop to allow us a little wildlife viewing on the way. Finally — THE moment arrived. Majestic black fins protruding out of the water in front of us, a remote lighthouse and snow capped mountains as our backdrop. We watched in awe. It is an experience every Islander and visitor should have. We definitely plan on going back for another go!