Seeing Orcas in he wild is an unforgettable experience. Fist you spot the blows, or steamy exhalations, or orcas surfacing in the distance. As they near your boat or vice versa, their sleek, gleaming dorsal fins can be seen jutting from the water like black sails. As the whales get closer, you can make out their black-and-white markings and hear the creatures spout.

Johnstone Strait and vicinity is one of the best places in the world to view orcas. Tucked into the lee of Vancouver Island, this narrow channel lies in the protected waters of the Inside Passage, making for comfortable orca-watching. Nearby Robson Bight Ecological Reserve is a sheltered bay whose seafloor is covered with gravel, pebbles, and barnacle-encrusted rocks; apparently the orcas take a singular delight in rubbing themselves upon these each summer.

A number of operators offer boat trips into Johnstone Strait, usually with naturalist guides aboard. Some vessels are fitted with hydrophones; these let passengers listen to the whales’ complex vocalizations as they echolocate and communicate with one another.