Summer is the best time for whale-watching on Canada's coasts from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island. Even though I had the pleasure of watching whales in the St. Lawrence stream at sunrise and the next evening at sunset, just walking along the shore.
The best whale-watching tours are more than a boat trip with a photo op — they can provide a meaningful learning experience, especially when led by an experienced local guide. Many expert guides in the whale-watching community also consider themselves citizen scientists, conducting ongoing research on the animals that frequent their coastal villages. Here are some of the best places:
- Maritimes
- St. Lawrence River in Quebec
- Hudson´s Bay in Manitoba
- Salish Sea in British Columbia
Maritimes
Around Trinity, New Foundland, explore the waters around the Bonavista Peninsula between May and October. Whales feast on capelin (a small, silver fish) and squid. In May or June icebergs add to the jaw-dropping experience.
Around Saint Andrews, New Brunswick: As the warm weather arrives, so do the migratory whales who summer off the coast, gathering to feast in the nutrient-rich waters in the Bay of Fundy until September. Brier Island in Nova Scotia is another spot near the Bay of Fundy where you can book whale-watching tours.
St. Lawrence River
More than 2,200 species inhabit the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park. Belugas and blue whales mingle in the St. Lawrence Estuary in Quebec making it a particularly special whale-watching locale, especially around Tadoussac or nearby Les Bergeronnes.
Pacific Coast
The Salish Sea may be British Columbia's best under-the-radar whale-watching destination. Sandwiched between the mainland and Vancouver Island and stretching from Campbell River down to Washington state. Northern resident orcas tend to live year-round in the Salish Sea while orcas, humpbacks, and grey whales are spotted seasonally. Nanaimo, Parksville or Campbell River are the best bases for whale-watching tours. Book Indigenous-owned and operated tours from May to September.
Hudson’s Bay
During the summer months, thousands of the almost 50,000 Beluga whales travel to the warmer waters of the Churchill River to feed and give birth. The beluga capital of the world, Churchill, Manitoba, is the go-to destination for encounters with the "canaries of the sea”. Whale-watching tours start in July once the ice has fully melted off the bay, and the colors of the subarctic are at their most stunning in late July and early August as wildflowers begin to bloom. Some of the tour boats have even underwater picture windows designed for marine life viewing.
Read more and get whale-watching tour operators:
https://www.cbc.ca/life/travel/whale-watching-in-canada-where-to-spot-them-1.6866274
