Glad you enjoyed it. When I cut the photos and videos together and posted them as a moment of our trip of a lifetime I had no idea how many RU-vid views it was going to get. Im happy other people get to share and enjoy what was a trip of a lifetime for us. Coincidentally Ali and I are also down under at the moment. Spent 10 days in Sydney, Adelaide and Port Lincoln seeing mates and enjoying a close up with your great White sharks at the Neptune Islands. Now were if New Zealand for four weeks in a campervan. G'day to you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you... so many memories flooded my heart watching this video. I paddled the area numerous times years back. Enough to recognize all your campsites and to know the makeshift outhouse did not exist in my era. You really did have fortune on your side with respect to the animals. Was shocked to see the amount of boat traffic. Times change but beauty does not. With much appreciation; thank you.
What an extravagant adventure. Nature at it’s finest. But the Orcas are just the most incredible animal on the planet. You are so lucky to have seen them up close
If only reincarnation were real , I'd want to come back as an Orca more than anything. Ugh , with my luck I would be reborn in SeaWorld. I would then wait until all of the Corporate heads were outside of my tank and I would jump out and crush them all.
Wow, this brought me to tears - this is literally, my dream. We are going on an organised 4 day kayaking tour next year, with base camp on West Cracroft Island. If I could experience even half of your encounters, I would die happy. Beautiful videography and editing too. Thank you for sharing.
Kelly, Glad you enjoyed it. We hope you enjoy your trip next year. Base camp are sure to give you the best experiences. We are also going back there next year on the last week of August to paddle. Fingers crossed its good weather and full of animal encounters.
Glad you enjoyed it. Yes that Male Orca was huge. You can imagine our surprise having literally just launched the boats and having a Male Orca the size of a bus dive right underneath our kayak. It certainly made us gasp and it set the tone for what was an amazing trip
We stayed in Telegraph Cove and did the boat trip version (not the kayaks) before Covid on a long trip which including a month in Japan and then a month in British Columbia. It is incredible, definitelybucket ticking. Telegraph Cove is so pretty. We also hiked up the hill behind and saw black bears (scary for us as Aussies)
Glad you enjoyed the video Brooke, Yes indeed we could not believe our luck on that first day. This was my third trip kayaking at this location but my good friends Rob and Kasia had accompanied us on this trip on our promise that we would definitely see Orca. I was soo pleased to see the Whales waiting for us just after our launch from Telegraph Cove. I felt that any expectations Rob and Kasia had would have been met by that stage. Too my delight the Orca were already well fed and had time to be social and playful. Seriously one of th best days adventure I've had in my life. We all felt so lucky. :)
What a magical video. Thank you for sharing this experience. It was a joy to watch. It’s one I’ve wanted to do for some time and fingers crossed this may well be the year. Please do share more of your adventures if you go again this summer 😊
Glad you enjoyed it. I must say that when I cut the photos and videos together as a momento of our trip I had no idea how many other people would also watch it. Im happy to share it with you
This is amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing such an awesome experience with us!!! I would love to see an orca in person.... I may have went to SeaWorld when I was young, but I don't really remember it. I've been watching & learning a lot about orcas & other types of whales in the past few months! Anyways thank you so much!!!
Exactly how I felt! I think it felt as close to their experience because there wasn’t any human dialogue, just nature and the most lovely, relaxing music.
Cannot express enough how throughly I enjoyed this video. The photos and video were beyond spectacular, such a special experience. I hope to one day be able to go on such an adventure. Orcas make my soul sing and it’s my life long dream to get close to orca in the wild. Thank you so very much for taking the time to document and share your adventure with us all. So many wow moments. Best to you all!! -Brian
Brian, Thanks for taking the time to thank us. It was the trip of a lifetime for us which is why I spent the time putting it all together to share on RU-vid. I have shared your kind comments with Alison, Kasia and Rob the other paddlers who helped me to gather photos, videos etc. Chris
Beautiful video! Fabulous trip! Orca are so curious. I absolutely I’ve them. I’m so blessed to be living in the backyard of the orca and humpbacks. This is where they belong, not in a pool doing circus tricks for food. And I could listen to them vocalize all day. And such a beautiful encounter with humpbacks!! You must have some great photos!! Thanks for sharing your video. It was truly amazing 🐋
COMPLETELY GLORIOUS! I was in tears just watching your trip. Outstanding Beauty. I wish to go some day with my family. Blessings World Families and Earth
I've paddled the inside passage twice (10 week and 14 week trips) from Seattle to Skagway and the amount and variety of wildlife was amazing both trips. I'm going again this summer. I've paddled a lot of places, but you can't go wrong with a few months on the inside passage.
Chris, I hope you still check your RU-vid. I watched this entire video today, and was I ever amazed. Obviously, it helps that I was raised on the island, but this truly shows and puts on display why the Island is the most beautiful place on earth. I would love to chat with you about your experiences and learnings you gained during this journey. I'm simply a curious guy who loves his home, and everything that comes with it! I would personally love to recreate your trip, hopefully with similar luck!
Hi Venay, Glad you enjoyed the video. This was my 4th trip out into the Johnstone Straits to paddle and camp. With each trip I learn a little more about the area and its wild inhabitants which explains why this one was jam packed with amazing sights. Plus it really helps we had a week of good weather. We are already planning to return for another paddle trip in 2024 and hope the weather is as kind to us. As for re creating the trip yourself I have attached links or the names of the paddle resources I used at the end of the RU-vid video but they need to be accompanied by proper training, experience, decent equipment and good mates to keep you company. If you dont have the training or experience you could get a similar experience by taking one of the organised sea kayak trips out of Telegraph cove with North Island Kayak. We did one of their 4 day guided trips in 2012 and it was a great introduction which could cater for people of all levels of experience. Good luck
Awesome video! I did a seakayak expedition from Campbell River to desolation sound in 2013, island hopping all the way camping in utmost beauty 😍 I got pretty close to a humpback one day off of Mary's point southeast Cortez island ...it was such a powerful experience. Campbell River was my home for 9 years. I miss the island its gods country
Glad you enjoyed the vid Jonny. If you lived in CR for 9 years you will know what an awesome destination that part of the world is. Im sure Ive got another big BC sea kayak adventure in me once travel is back to normal. Thanks for watching
I am actually understanding the difference of orcas in different areas and dialects... Residents look to be larger than Transients but that male looks a lot like Mal from the southern hemisphere that does beach runs on the Patagonia islands hunting seals... a YACHT SIZE ORCA... BIG MALE LOOKING LIKE A SMALL SUBMARINE.. 30 FOOTER 4 SURE.. BEAUTIFUL VIDEO..
The south American orcas don't venture this far north. The transients orcas are actually a little larger than the northern and southern resident orcas found most of the year in our BC waters. The residents don't hunt sea mammals, and are pretty much exclusive salmon hunters, even more specific as to the species of salmon they go for over the other various kinds of salmon. Chinook salmon are their preferred ones. They are the largest salmon species found on the Pacific coast.
I watch this video quite often because ORCA ARE THE SEA KINGS AND THEIR PRESENCE IS RESPECTED ON ALL FRONTS OF THE ECOSYSTEM... LAND AIR AND SEA CREATURES ARE AT THEIR WILL TO EXIST...
You may have brought closure to a trip to the same location my wife and I took in 2010. What was missing were the Orca as our trip was just outside their migration in that area. We had hoped to see one of the Resident Pods, but alas it wasn't to be. We wouldn't trade our 2010 for the world, but your video added the finishing touches over a decade later, Thank-you (big smiles).
Doggone Dean, So glad you enjoyed the video and it filled a small gap in your own 2010 adventure. This was my 3rd trip to that destination over a number of years. On each trip I was able to learn more about the environment, weather and the wildlife behaviour patterns. This video was a result of that combined experience and a LOT of planning. Our friends Rob and Kasia who accompanied us were on their first trip and were delighted to experience all the area could offer as far as wildlife, nature and luckily the weather which was very good to us. Good luck with your future travels. Chris & Ali
Hi CJS, Your right Vancouver is a long way to go but when you can fly your personal expedition and paddling kit to Canada then rent big items like Kayaks, PFD's and paddles in Vancouver it makes the trip very accessible. In the UK we paddle West coast Highlands, Isle of Skye, Mull etc. West coast Wales like Pembrokeshire and then sometimes Cornwall, Isles of Scilly and South Coast Devon and Dorset. All world class paddling destinations but somehow they can't quite compete with Orcas popping up next to you, Humpbacks jumping nearby or the odd random Grizzly bear. Enjoy your next trip. Chris
Simply stunning video & a very nice way to spend Sunday morning, thank you. You mentioned this is filmed in Autumn, but can you be more specific please? Early Sept, mid Oct?????
Hello, Glad you enjoyed the video. It was between 26th August and 1st September. Ive been several times at roughly that time of year and its always good for Whale sightings.
Hi Chris I was wondering how much does this vacation package costs its always been my dream 2 c orcas in person ever since seeing the movie orca as a kid I think they r just so beautiful can watch them all day
Hi Christine, Glad you enjoyed the video. The trip featured on this video only cost me the rental fee for the kayaks as we planned and led it ourself. We already owned the clothing, camping and safety equipment which we shipped over from the UK. We arranged to rent the two double kayaks, paddles and bouyancy aids locally for one week at a total cost of $1366CAD. I do not recommend planning and leading your own trip unless you have relevant experience or the correct qualifications as the tidal currents can be very strong in that area and it requires caution. There are some VERY GOOD organised tours and expeditions that you can go on as a novice or new paddler. I highly recommend looking up North Island kayak based in Telegraph Cove kayakbc.ca/ who offer a wide range of day trips or longer camping tours into the Johnston Straits and surrounding wilderness. We did our first multi day Canadian paddle trip with them back in 2012. It was a great trip with a guide and 3 other people. You can sample it in the you tube clip below. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2Gw_Qs8U4OY.html Its a stunning location and well worth making the effort to get out there. Enjoy, Chris and Ali
Hey Machine head. Thanks for that but I'm not that brave - Just REALLY Really curious..... Plus my wife assured me that the resident orca pod just eat fish ;)
This is a lovely video. It is my dream to do this one day! I wonder about the safety of tent camping in grizzly country. I am not sure that I would sleep at night. :) Thanks for sharing.
Great video, the addition of the whale sounds really enhanced the video, thanks for posting. Was getting there, hiring the kayaks straight forward and can you hire tents etc to save taking your own?
Glad you enjoyed the video. It was an amazing trip to plan and be part of. We took all our own camping and base camp kit. The larger stuff like kayaks, paddles, bouyancy aids or PFDs, and other kayak kit like bilge pumps etc we rented as a package frpm Comox valley kayaks. If you run the youtube video to the end I list all the resources I used, maps, websites for tidal planning etc.
This is lovely and looks familiar. I live near Victoria BC. You had an amazing trip with all the sightings including the Orca! I get spoiled the sky and the fog are frequent features and make for fabulous sunsets. Do you know which pods they were?
Hello Pikemaster, glad you enjoyed the video. If you watch the last few mins of the upload it lists all the BC Gov sites and Canadian fisheries websites where I got the tide and current info from. It also lists the company I hired the boats from and the maps etc. good luck with your next adventures 👍
What an incredible experience you’ve had and what a brilliant video. Extremely envious! I’ve been wanting to do a trip like this for a few years now. I see in previous comments you’ve stated you went in august, do you think this is the best month to see the humpbacks and orca? And what tour company would you propose as I have seen a few different ones? I’d love to do it myself however I don’t have enough experience at this point. Thank you so much for such a beautiful inspiring video. Many thanks, Lance
Hello Lance, Glad you enjoyed the video. Regarding your questions. I have always visit at end of August or early September and have had lots of Orca and Humpback sightings on each occasion. Regarding tour operators. I would highly recommend North Island Kayak based in Telegraph Cove www.kayakbc.ca They have many years experience running trips for people of all abilities. For a fully immersive experience I recommend one of their 4-5 day long guided camping kayak trips. That will give you a great experience and maximise your chances of seeing all the local wild life. Good luck and Enjoy
Hi Squamishfish hall - I know we were also very surprised to see a Male Grizzly bear there as well. Everyone told us that there are NO GRIZZLIES on Vancouver Island. Well technically this one was on Star Island, Swanson Islands but not very far away from Vancouver Island. You will see from the pictures and video there is no doubt its a Grizzly. Even the 'Prince of Whales' tourist boat had to make a few diversions during the day to check out the grizzly this close to Vancouver Island.
Glad you enjoyed the video and having seen Orca in the wild a few times now I fully support your views that they are too intelligent and family orientated to live in captivity. The exception I would make to that statement is if its part of larger conservation effort or to rescue and rehabilitate a wounded Orca. Be reassured that there are a lot of people working passionately to study and understand these animals in the Johnstone straits to ensure their survival and prosperity. Visit Telegraph cove yourself to see the great work of the Orca lab research staff and their volunteers who study, protect and report on the whales all year round
Glad you enjoyed the video. We are going back to the same place for another trip later this month. Local reports tell me there is now a pack of wolves on the islands. The DECK BAG was Robs that he kept his SLR camera and lens in. It was a bag designed to strap on top of a Stand up paddle board. The company that makes it is called RED and it was advertised as water resistant. You could also use a kayak deck back by company called sea to summit
This is an incredible video and I am planning a sea kayaking trip to the area as a result. Chris, would you be available to answer a few questions I have? Thanks so much, Simon
Simon, Yes happy to assist. I would only recommend it if you have previous experience or relevant training in planning & leading sea kayak expeditions. This is because there are very strong tidal currents and very few places to go for re supply or aid. If you review the title section at the end of the video I have listed where I hired the boats from and the online resources for tides, current flow and map/charts.
They look amazing with fins stuck up somthing must be wrong his fin is pointed up .imagin in wild keko and tilikum would of had fin like that id say this is better than any sea world trip
❤️❤️👍🏼👍🏼🥰🥰💞💕🚣🚣🏻♀️🐳🐋🐬 that's very amazing adventure love it so much... it might you can tell about prices all stuff and food you take, and how many.. 😃😁🥰👍🏼🙏🏼 Thaank you so much for sharing, God Bless you all 👍🏼🥰🤗🥰😍🤩😇😇
Hi Maria, Glad you enjoyed the video. This trip only cost me the rental fee for the kayaks as we did all th planning ourself. We already owned the clothing, camping and safety equipment which we shipped over from the UK. We arranged to rent the two double kayaks, paddles and bouyancy aids locally for one week at a total cost of $1366CAD. Our food and water was a large part of the packing. Water was 3-4 litres per day per person. Our food was breakfast cereals, high calorie pre packaged expedition meals, packets of cous cous, packet soups, nuts and snacks, cereal bars and snack bars for during the day. When I go next time I will definitely take more fresh fruit or canned fruit as we really missed fresh stuff....... I do not recommend planning and leading your own trip unless you have relevant experience or the correct qualifications as the tidal currents can be very strong in that area and it requires caution. There are some VERY GOOD organised tours and expeditions that you can go on as a novice or new paddler. I highly recommend looking up North Island kayak based in Telegraph Cove @t who offer a wide range of day trips or longer camping tours into the Johnston Straits and surrounding wilderness. We did our first multi day Canadian paddle trip with them back in 2012. It was a great trip with a guide and 3 other people. You can sample it in the you tube clip below. @ Its a stunning location and well worth making the effort to get out there. Enjoy, Chris and Ali
Thank goodness - Can you imagine how nervous we were anyway having to go to bed in tents on Flower island with that big grizzly bear on Swanson island right next to us.... If we had a Sasquatch to contend with as well we would never have got to sleep - LOL
Im glad you enjoyed the video. The expedition set off from a small town called Telegraph Cove on the North Eastern edge of Vancouver Island. We chose the end of August as its a good time of year to see the Whales and we had hoped the weather would be good.
Hi Julie, We planned and led this trip ourselves but only after the proper training with kayaks, VHF radio and planning expeditions. We had also previously been on a guided trip in the same area a few years earlier with 'North Island Kayak' based at telegraph cove so I felt comfortable running my own trip. See attached video for the earlier trip with the tour company. Enjoy Chris and Ali ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2Gw_Qs8U4OY.html
@@juliemacnaughton4088 You are most welcome - I already mentioned them but North Island Kayak would give you an awesome experience when your ready to take your trip. They offer a variety of trips for all experience levels.
There is no verifiable record of an orca attacking a human in the ocean. That only happens when an orca is in captivity because being kept in a pool makes them crazy.
