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Published: August 4th 2008
We arrived to a pleasant and sunny Vancouver evening and wandered down from our very basic, but conveniently located hostel to the waterfront in Gastown for something to eat and drink. With its seemingly friendly vibe, laid back pace of life and the surrounding water and mountains, Vancouver reminds us of a larger version of Queenstown, New Zealand.
We didn’t do much on the first day other than prepare ourselves for the Orca Camp trip, and during the afternoon of our second full day we were on the ferry to Vancouver Island where the Camp would be.
When we got outside the Nanaimo ferry terminal, we’d just missed the shuttle bus we needed to get in order to make the 150km journey up the coast to Campbell River, where our camping trip would start. Although a taxi driver with nothing else to do, reduced his price from $313 to $150, we decided to wait the four and a half hours for the next bus that would cost only $36 each.
We finally checked into our hotel in Campbell River at 10pm, hardly enough time to take advantage of the suite we’d been unknowingly upgraded to.
At our meeting point
at 9 in the morning we, along with the others on the trip, were ushered into a water-taxi that would first make a short journey across the water in order to pick up the supplies for the next 4 days, along with our two guides; Jesse and Bill. Our group consisted of an American couple, a young French couple, 2 Aussie couples (holidaying together) and us. One thing that we noticed about the American woman is that she put on her ipod as soon as we got on the boat, a very obvious unsociable statement in our opinion.
The journey to our remote camp started well, with sightings of large Bald Eagles before we were even out of the Campbell River area. We would be passing through an infamous stretch of water known as the Seymour Narrows, which apparently is the most turbulent stretch of water in the world, with its treacherous currents, swirling eddies and tidal rips.
Seymour Narrows has some interesting history with regards to a tooth-shaped rock that used to lay in wait just 9ft under the water at low tide. Ripple Rock, or ’Old Rip’ as it was called, would sink 120 vessels and
Our location in Johnstone Strait
Vancouver Island, British Columbia - Canadaclaim 114 lives before measures were taken to deal with the hidden menace.
In 1943 a barge was anchored to ’Old Rip’, but within 24 hours the strong currents had snapped one of the cables, and the project was abandoned almost as soon as it had begun. Another attempt failed two years later. But in 1958, after 27 months and approximately 5700ft of tunnelling under the ocean floor and up into the two peaks that made up Ripple Rock, 1,375 tonnes of explosives were packed in place to end the problem once and for all.
At 09:31 hours on the 5th of April the plunger was pushed, setting off the largest non-nuclear explosion to date. The blast pulverised 370,000 tonnes of rock, and displaced 320,000 tonnes of water, creating a 25ft tidal wave which fortunately quickly dissipated and caused no damage. The demolition operation was the largest project ever undertaken by the Department of Public Works and was a complete success, with ‘Old Rip’s’ highest pinnacle now 47ft below the surface.
After a fairly smooth passage through Seymour Narrows, the wind increased and proceeded to give us a 3 hour (normally 2) lumpy boat ride to our campsite,
Bald Eagle
In the centre of the picture - perched in a tree next to the camp with the final 20m transfer from water-taxi to shore made in a rowing boat.
Orca Camp sits on the boundary of the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve, which is an area of water that is protected specifically to safeguard the killer whales’ natural habitat. There are approximately 200 resident orca here, but the number increases as ‘transients’ (orca that don’t live here) come and go at different times.
Killer whales, as you may know, aren’t actually whales but are the largest species of dolphin, and are highly intelligent.
If you need any proof of this intelligence then have a look at some footage on ‘youtube‘:
Several orca visually identify (using a technique known as ‘spy bobbing’) a seal on a small mass of ice. After what can only be assumed as a conversation between them, the orca then swim in formation towards the ice, surfacing then diving at the last moment to create a wave large enough to wash the seal from its seemingly safe position, into the water. It shows communication, teamwork and problem solving…….just amazing.
Further to this, orca also live in a matriarchal society (like elephants) and do not interbreed, meaning that they’re family
Caption Contest
Answers on a postcard!! aware, and they have a complex form of communication that we do not understand. It would also appear that the residents have an agreement with the transients, as they eat the fish while the visitors hunt and feed on the mammals.
As well as being located next to the Orca Reserve, the camp is also set amongst the world’s largest temperate rainforest. Due to this prime spot, while kayaking we’re under constant scrutiny from the wardens who patrol the perimeter of the Reserve. We are an easy target for the wardens, but we are also the most ecofriendly way of viewing the orca, with no loud engine noise and no pollution. Our relative silence also goes along way in not disturbing other wildlife here, including seals, porpoise, bears, otters and minke whales to name a few.
We were surprised and a little concerned to learn that the group who were leaving as we were arriving, hadn’t seen any orca at all, and there were reports of the migrating salmon being late this year which is normally the catalyst for the killer whale move down the coast and past the camp.
We had a brief orientation in our
new home, including the ecofriendly compost-crapper which was located just above and beyond our tents, which were all set in amongst the pine trees. No shiny white porcelain or flush, Ms Roberts, just a handful of compost thrown down the hole you were jut sat above, but the views were nice! Sat there, you were hidden from those in the camp area by a sheet of tarpaulin, and it would’ve been quite relaxing if it wasn’t for the nagging thought that a bear could turn up at any moment, drawn in by curiosity and the smell of food. Our camp also had a makeshift kitchen and seating area around a campfire, and lastly we even had a sauna that would be experienced later in the week.
We had a ‘getting to know one another’ session shortly after arrival at camp. The American woman openly told everyone that this trip was all about her, and that she’d originally booked it just for herself, leaving her partner to ask if he could come! I had it all to do not to ask her how long she’d been in her midlife crisis? Her partner was probably given strict instructions to be at
A lone boat passes our camp.....
...on the other side of the Strait at sunset her beck and call, and spoke to us twice in four days, although he seemed pleasant enough. The young French couple were very sweet, and Emmanuelle had dreamt of standing on the shores of Johnstone Strait to view orca ever since she was a little girl of eight, after seeing it on TV. Needless to say, sharing the same sense of humour ,we got on with the Aussies immediately.
Due to the rough conditions on the water, we wouldn’t kayak for the first day, and we got to know each other a little better, except for the Yanks who chose to distance themselves………well it was all about her!
Us and the Aussies kept the traditional ‘poms versus convict’ banter going. Jeff and Janice, Steve and Carol all lived in Sydney, and regularly kayaked on the waters back home. They’d left their kids at home and had all agreed to join Jeff for the first time in his quest for adventurous pursuits, on the agreement that they end their time in Canada with a cruise; it seemed like a perfect compromise.
The sea calmed as the day wore on and we were treated to fresh Pacific salmon for our
What do you call a group of kayaks?
A pod? A flock? A herd? If it was just the Aussies you could call them escapees!! first evening meal. As the sun set and the night drew in, our first day had produced no orca sightings. It’s not like we didn’t see anything, there were more bald eagles and porpoise, but the stars of the show were yet to make an appearance.
We awoke the next day to lakeside conditions - with little wind and a flat sea. After breakfast we had an instructional and safety briefing in the use of the sea kayaks. Even in the kayaks you are prevented from entering the reserve, which extended from just left of our campsite to 9km northwards up the coast, and this included a zone extending 1km from the shore and out into the Straight. So we had to head south along the coastline and hope the orca would come to us. Jesse and Bill would stop at various points of interest and talk about some of the marine life and land features. The setting was fantastic, and when the waterway was empty of boats, we felt a million miles from civilisation, and to a certain degree we were. Unfortunately, this wasn’t always the case, as cruise liners use the Strait to get to Vancouver.
Rubbing beach
Beached kayaks on a lunch stop We had snow capped mountains in the distance and behind our camp, with forest leading down to grey pebbled beaches. Some of these beaches are used by the orca as ’rubbing beaches’, where they beach themselves and wriggle back into the water in what is thought to be an exfoliating treatment. We too beached ourselves, and our kayaks, some way down the coast in order to stop for lunch before heading back; still not an orca in sight.
We arrived back and organised a campfire (it gets very cold here at night), while Jesse and Bill prepared dinner. Emmanuelle and Francois were down at the water’s edge as we were putting food on our plates, and that’s when the call came………”ORCA!!”… We thought it was fitting that she should see them first and fulfil her childhood dream. We all hurried down to the shore - Sam was so excited she brought her empty dinner plate instead of her camera - and we watched as a family of three passed by the camp. The calf breached a couple of times and then they turned and came back only 40m offshore. It was then that the calf did a bit of
showing off with a perfect backflip, and they hung around for 30 seconds or so before continuing on their way, with a final breach from the youngster. Jesse reckoned they were making contact with us and that the calf had brought the others in for a closer look. It was an emotional moment and a huge relief from the horrible thought of not seeing any. But, it was still from the shore, and (never satisfied) the ultimate experience would mean being on the water when/if they passed through again……
The third day started with another perfectly calm sea, and in the distance we saw a couple of whale watching boats in position offshore around the perimeter of the reserve. In our binoculars we could see the orca breaching, and furthermore, they were coming our way! We hastily prepared the kayaks and entered the water, and Jesse briefed us on our conduct when orca were around.
Rules prevent us from paddling towards the killer whales, and we must make an effort to move out of their way if they come towards us. Therefore, we positioned ourselves a little way offshore in order to give them some space between us and
the camp. As it was, even before getting within camera range, the orca turned and headed back the other way; it was very frustrating.
With calm conditions we headed out to the middle of the Strait. Whilst there, we took Jesse’s ’one minute challenge’, which meant dipping your hand into the cold waters of Johnstone Strait to see if you could last 60 seconds. Although cold, almost everyone managed it, but then it got competitive with the English (me) and Aussie (Carol) rivalry setting in as we reached twelve minutes…. Carol eventually conceded, somewhat reluctantly, under ‘husband pressure’; I’m glad she did, otherwise it may well have gone on into the night. Carol - we’ll call it a draw!
Conditions in the Strait are subject to unpredictable and rapid weather change, and the forecast for the afternoon was for strong winds, so crossing the body of water to the other side was wisely decided against. Within minutes of turning back towards camp, the pond-like conditions had already started to change, and within ten minutes we were being hampered by waves. We arrived back with aching shoulders and arms, and wet clothes.
That afternoon Jesse and Bill lit
Amongst the kelp
During a kayak on Johnstone Strait a large fire, placing huge pebbles in the middle that would gradually heat up until they were glowing orange and perfect for the sauna. Five of us spent the best part of 40 minutes in the sauna, but Jesse was the only one brave enough to jump into the glacier fed creek next to the camp afterwards; although the outside shower wasn’t much warmer…..
After the sauna, and a bit of persistence from Emmanuelle and Francois, Bill offered an evening kayak for those that were willing, so some of us took a slow paddle down the coast. During the short kayak we saw an otter, and when Sam and I dropped behind the group we were scrutinised by a curious sea lion, as it surfaced in front and then behind us. We ended the paddle heading back to camp into a truly beautiful sunset - the best of the week………..but no orca!
We often hinted to the guides about an early morning kayak, as the water was always really calm and the chance of seeing wildlife (namely bears) on the shores would increase. This, unfortunately, never materialised, and after breakfast on our last morning, with the taxi-boat coming
to pick us up at midday, one last paddle seemed unlikely. However, with yet more French influence, Jesse asked if anyone wanted to go out on the water for just a half hour. This particular morning, although calm, was very cold and damp, and half an hour hardly seemed worth it. On that basis, the Aussies decided against the idea, and for us it was a decision we made with the narrowest of margins, but we went.
We stayed between the kelp and the rocks as we made our way down the now familiar stretch of coastline. After a while Jesse suggested we’d better head back due to time. On turning our kayak around, I could see the whale watching boats were in view beyond the camp, and said to Sam about making a hasty return. We set off in good rhythm and were quite a way ahead of the rest. The Aussies were down on the shore of the camp and were calling to us that there were orca coming our way! We called back to the others to let them know, and once they had reached us, Jesse held us together as a tight group and once
Paddling into the sunset
Sam was in the front of the kayak, and couldn't see me; handy for taking a rest. again explained that all eyes would be on us and how we conducted ourselves. As the killer whales neared the edge of the Reserve, they were headed straight for us!
Jesse instructed us to gently paddle further away from the shore to give the pod some space, although that decision was then taken out of our hands as the orca split and left us with no choice but to sit there in the middle. We can’t begin to describe how exciting it was, as we looked to our left with our kayaks pointing away from shore and the killer whales surfaced about 50m away and then disappeared under the water………
It’s quite unnerving when a mammal of this size, intelligence and ability to hunt is beneath you, while you’re sat, completely vulnerable, in a small plastic shell - what a thrill!!
If you look at this other clip on ‘you tube’ before continuing you’ll understand our nervousness….
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=iig-Eq2biK4
We had know idea where to point our cameras, which, amidst the excitement, I was surprised I’d remembered to grab out of the dry bag. The first two orca came up just in front of us, although still about
Sunset over Johnstone Strait
The best sunset at the camp - saved for our evening kayak 40m away, and it was while we snapped away at those, that the big one surfaced with a loud blast from it’s blow hole right behind us - only about 15m away. Needless to say, the photo opportunity was missed due to almost jumping out of our skin, but the experience was fantastic.
The strict rules forbid us to follow the orca, so we sat and watched as they continued on their way down the coast.
On our four day trip, the ultimate experience we’d been hoping for materialised within the last half an hour, and as we paddled back to shore we could see the water taxi that was on its way to pick us up.
So we’d been on the water with killer whale surrounding us, and even though there’s been no recorded attack on a human, there was no doubting that this adrenaline experience exceeded the cage diving with Great Whites in South Africa. Having said that, you wouldn’t catch us kayaking off the coast of Gaansbai where we did the cage dive!!
Making our way back to Campbell River, the ride was a lot smoother, and most of us were dozing off when Janice
Dead Calm
Janice and Carol in their kayak on the morning of the third day called out and woke us all, realising that she’d just seen a bear swimming in the water. The rest of us had missed it……….our bear continues to elude us.
That night we walked down from our hotel in Campbell River to meet up with the Aussies for a drink at a local bar. Thanks for your company guys, it was good to meet you all, and we hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip.
For us it was back to mainland Vancouver which took us (with shuttles, ferries and buses) from 9am to 6pm the following day. Orca Camp had been another great adventure in our year away and we left wanting more. It’s something we would both consider doing again in the future. A message to Torsen who we met in China, and anyone else - if you’re interested in the trip, drop us an email and we’ll give you some more details and useful information to improve the experience.
Oh, and just before we bring this particular blog to an end, the clip of the killer whale jumping onto the kayak that hopefully you’ve looked at already, is in fact a fake, but quite
Star of the show
None of the breaches captured with a camera unfortunately a good one don’t ya think...?
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