Mackay Whale Watching

06/25/2026

June 19th and 20th were just SO full of wildlife… the 19th was a bouncy day, but conditions improved drastically on the 20th. We were able to spot Argonaut and Squiggle the humpbacks on the 19th, along with the Biggs family the T046Cs who were travelling with T065A5. We also had a surprise in spotting T011A, a lone male who has been around the area for a week or so. He’s such a huge whale, and his dorsal slicing through the whitecaps was an impressive sight! We watched sea otters rafted up, Steller sea lions, mama harbour seals with new pups, eagles, and many different bird species. The 20th found us up to the west with yet another family of Biggs (some of the T060s, but swell conditions were tough, so the rest of the family was likely nearby!), humpbacks Cutter, Nippy, and Cosmo… it was so great to see these whales, and to make it even more exciting, it was the first documentation of Cosmo back in BC for 2026! We love seeing each of these giant neighbours return from their migration each year.


All photographs taken with a telephoto lens and cropped for spacing; taken 200+ m from all wildlife. Care is taken in order to not disturb the wildlife we are viewing. Relevant photos are submitted for data and research purposes.

06/24/2026

June 18th went from overcast to stunning blue sky - and was on the blustery side of things for ocean conditions once again! We made the most of it, and went out for a visit with Yvonne Maximchuk, enjoying some magical time in the Broughtons. These images were during rare calmer moments for wind...

Two very different views from Captain Bill's "office"!

06/23/2026

June 17th and 18th found us out with an adventurous crew of visitors, and we travelled throughout the Broughtons with them for two days. We had blustery conditions, but Captain Bill found us so much to see anyway! We watched Ripple the humpback whale as she surfaced in a bouncy Blackfish Sound, visited with old friends in beautiful places, watched an eagle swim a salmon to shore, hung out with Squiggle the humpback whale, listened to roaring Steller sea lions, chilled out with sleeping sea otters… and so much more.

We are looking forward to sharing this place with many more people over the summer; and introducing guests from near and far to the place and wildlife we love.


All photographs taken with a telephoto lens and cropped for spacing; taken 200+ m from all wildlife. Care is taken in order to not disturb the wildlife we are viewing. Relevant photos are submitted for data and research purposes.

06/20/2026

It's that time! Our summer season is starting.

Stay tuned for the wildlife pictures and stories; but for now... This moment is from our blustery and busy trip on June 17th. Our guests, a tour group, were troopers - and Captain Bill skillfully kept us out of the really bouncy stuff. His skill and the Naiad's stability make for a great pairing! Whenever it's blowing hard we are extra thankful for a super safe vessel.

05/03/2026

Guardian has a new calf! Amazing

She's back and with a new baby!
News from TODAY thanks to ©OrcaLab. Documented from land.
Welcome back, Guardian. Welcome, little one. May you thrive here and learn the currents and prey of northeast Vancouver Island as well as your mother.

It's a big deal for our community. Guardian (BCZ00408) is such a recognizable whale and so well known to northeast Vancouver Island. Her fluke and dorsal fin are very distinct, and she has returned to feed in this area every year since 2011.

This is Guardian's second known calf. The first was in 2023 when she was more than 12 years old (birth year and mom not known). Breeding ground is Hawaii.
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Thank you Team OrcaLab! 💙

Babeis crossing!
May knowing that Humpback mothers and calves are returning to BC waters to feed give additional motivation to be Whale-Safe. www.whalesafeboating.org

The mothers' reserves are really low, and calves have a lot to learn.

May there be even more understanding of the need for boater vigilance and giving whales space. May we operate our vessels in the same way we would drive near a playground on land. Whale calves are nursing here. They may suddenly surface or become acrobatic. They have only ~1 year to learn from their mothers before being independent.

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05/02/2026

Welcome back to

Guess That Fin Friday!

If you are new to ID work you can download DFO's Northern Resident catalogue or there is an app for that called NRKW ID.

Shorter fins are either juvenile or female orcas and the big tall ones are males so that helps you narrow it down. Then look for any nicks or scratches on the dorsal or saddle patch (white bit behind the dorsal fin).

Each week this will get harder so have fun with it and try and tag someone who might not know how to ID and give them the resources to try.

04/30/2026

I love when we get this question! Johnstone Strait is one of those really special places not just for Robson Bight but for how this place was formed.

04/25/2026

Welcome to the first installment of Guess That Fin Friday!

Know who this is? Guess in the comments!

04/22/2026

🌏Happy Earth day 🌏

Each day small actions can lead to big impacts.

The ocean covers 70% of Earth's surface and holds 96.5% of its water which boasts the largest ecosystem on the planet.

Things we do at home can protect the planet as well as ocean. Be cautious of what goes down the drain and into the watershed, recycle and donate your time to local initiatives.

Post your favourite local groups that are making a big impact like Marine Education & Research Society (which are having a fundraiser at our local IGA!), Epic Exeo cleaning remote beaches with amazing volunteers and our local ROTARY CLUB OF PORT MCNEILL which does massive town clean ups and much more!