Leaving Campbell River, we found ourselves suddenly removed from all trappings of civilization. After a two-and-a-half hour drive on a two-lane road through a forested, mountainous landscape, we arrived at our destination: Telegraph Cove.
Charming And Rustic Telegraph Cove
Pulling into our site, we were delighted to find that despite the total lack of privacy in the wide-open RV park, we had a wonderful view of the Johnstone Strait. In mid-September, there were only a handful of other travelers.
Our site at Telegraph Cove Marina RV Park, with a view of the Johnstone Strait
The boardwalk town of Telegraph Cove is about a five-minute walk from the RV park. Fishing villages built on stilts and connected by boardwalks were once a common sight in western Canada. Telegraph Cove, with a year-round population of 20 hardy souls, is one of the last remaining. More than 120,000 people make the trek to Telegraph Cove each year, most of them during July and August. Which is why we came in September.
A view of Telegraph Cove from across the harbor
In 1912, the town began as the northern terminus of a telegraph line originating in Campbell River. Through the ensuing years, Telegraph Cove has seen a salmon saltery, sawmill, and the Royal Canadian Air Force come and go. Many of the original buildings still stand, now housing travelers accommodations, adventure tour operators, a restaurant, pub, and a fabulous whale museum.
The picturesque boardwalk village and harbor of Telegraph Cove
Exploring the Crayola-colored buildings of Telegraph Cove
Apparently it ran out of gas…a long time ago
Afternoon reflections
Orcas are the star attraction here
A commercial fishing boat arrives in Telegraph Cove
The pristine, wildlife-rich waters of the Johnstone Strait and the Broughton Archipelago sit at the doorstep of Telegraph Cove. This is home to more than 260 orcas, the largest resident pod of killer whales in the world. Oceanographer Jacques Cousteau named it as one of the best places in the world to view orcas in their natural environment.
A Whale Watching Birthday Celebration
From mid-July through mid-September, the orcas are attracted by the annual salmon run that funnels through the narrow glacier-carved channel between the Canadian mainland and northern Vancouver Island. We had a whale watching trip booked for Eric’s birthday, and I was hoping the whales would come by to wish him a happy birthday. And they did.
Our whale watching tour boat, the 60-foot Lukwa
The birthday boy ready to go find whales
A pod of orcas, such a magnificent sight!
For three hours that afternoon, we were in the company of orcas. It was glorious. They are magnificent creatures.
Getting closer; they move almost as one through the water
Learning More About Orcas
Although they’re called whales, orcas are actually dolphins—really big dolphins, up to 30 feet long and weighing up to 6 tons (about the size of a small school bus, but much sleeker). These glossy black-and-white creatures are intelligent and social. They hunt together, care for each other, and have a highly evolved, complex social network.
Orcas travel in family pods consisting of 5 to 30 whales. Each pod consists of the matriarch (the eldest female), her offspring, and her daughter’s offspring. Males leave the pod to mate, but return to their mothers and siblings. Family pods live within clans that share a common language. They have different accents, but they understand each other’s clicks, squeaks, and whistles.
Male orcas have straight dorsal fins up to five feet tall; females have curved fins
The shape of the dorsal fins and the saddle patches are unique to each individual orca
Each orca can be identified by the unique shape of their dorsal fin, their gray and white “saddle patch,” and telltale nicks and scars. Researchers use these identifying marks to track and study the whales.
Residents And Transients
Orcas are divided into two distinct groups: residents and transients. Residents eat only fish (primarily salmon), while transients hunt marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, dolphins, porpoises, and whales. Residents are very vocal and travel and hunt in larger groups, while transients travel in smaller groups and are stealthy, silent predators, which helps them sneak up on their larger and smarter prey.
We saw both residents and transients on our whale watching expedition. They moved gracefully, fins knifing through the water in a tightly choreographed water ballet. We were hoping to see the whales spyhopping, feeding, or tail slapping, but they just peacefully cruised along. “They’re resting,” explained the naturalist. Whales rest with one half of their brain awake, one eye open, while the other half of their brain sleeps.
Pacific white-sided dolphins on a mission to annoy orcas
The Pacific white-sided dolphins put on a hilarious side-show act, zooming through the water and taunting the orcas. The lightning-fast little dolphins are preyed upon by transient orcas, so of course, they’re not fond of the whales. Gangs of little dolphins mobbed the resident whales, chasing and bugging them, just like a flock of small birds will mob a hawk.
The dolphins are hilarious and relentless
Pacific white-sided dolphins travel in large numbers and are insanely fast
Other Creatures Of The Johnstone Strait
The Johnstone Strait is also the summer home to humpback whales, gentle toothless giants that filter seawater to feed on plankton, krill, and small fish. They spend 90 percent of their time underwater, surfacing just enough to take a breath every 10 to 15 minutes. The blows of the humpbacks surrounded us as we ran from one side of the boat to the other, each time capturing just the rounded back, the tiny dorsal fin, and the mist of the blow lingering in the sunlight.
A humpback whale spout
The mist from the spout hangs in the air long after the humpback submerges
Large colonies of Stellar sea lions haul out on rocky prominences in the Johnstone Strait. These guys are huge and strong and are near the top of the marine food chain—their closest land relative is the grizzly bear. But they’re no match for a hungry orca.
Large numbers of Stellar sea lions haul out on rocks
These guys are noisy! And stinky.
A bald eagle observes the activity from shore
We enjoyed excellent educational talks on our whale watching expedition
The Whale Museum
Back on shore, we continued our marine education the following day with a couple of hours at the Whale Museum. Lots of whale and other marine mammal skeletons here, and lots of information that’s well presented. The museum guides are wonderful—when they offer to give you a personal tour, take them up on it!
At the Whale Museum on the boardwalk with a replica of an orca dorsal fin
Lots of marine mammal skeletons and interesting information
Charting the orca community
Our delightful tour guide sharing songs of the whales
Our visit to Telegraph Cove was all we had hoped for, and more. We’ll definitely return. On our wish list: additional whale watching cruises (the best option for photography), and an overnight kayak trip, because it would be extraordinary to kayak with the whales!
Where We Stayed
The views and location are terrific at Telegraph Cove Marina RV Park. Full hookups, concrete patios, level sites, and decent internet for a small fee. Stock up on groceries before making the trek here. There’s a general store with a random assortment of stuff; the books and souvenirs looked more appealing than the grocery items. Note: There are two campgrounds in Telegraph Cove and it’s easy to confuse the two. The other campground is deep in the forest and about a half-mile from the harbor.
We highly recommend Stubbs Island Whale Watching. The first whale watching outfit in BC, they’ve been around since 1980 and are ethical and passionate about protecting the orcas and other wildlife. We learned a tremendous amount and had a fantastic time on our tour.
Telegraph Cove Marina RV Park
Thank you so much for sharing this. I was in Friday Harbor last summer, where they have a similar museum, and went on a similar watching expedition then. It was an incredible experience, and you brought the memories of that experience back…plus your pictures are MUCH better than mine. These animals are a miracle of nature and should be carefully protected. Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving; your fan, Amy.
Amy, thank you so much for commenting and sharing your experience. It truly is awe-inspiring to be in the company of whales. I agree they should be protected, and there’s still work to be done in that arena. Although orcas are no longer being captured in North America, they’re still taken into captivity in Russia and other parts of the world to sell to aquatic theme parks, mostly in China. :-(
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
Really enjoyed reading that! Informative and entertaining. Some birthday treat, Eric! We whale watched off Santa Barbara last summer. I visited Vancouver Island as a child many years ago. I don’t remember much but Qualicum beach sticks in my mind. Did you visit there? We’re just ‘recovering’ from an epic 5,550 mile US road trip last month!
Thanks, Angela! Eric definitely enjoyed his birthday party with the whales. :-) We did spend some time at Qualicum Beach and will share about it in the blog. Wow, 5,500 miles in a month! Would love to know where you traveled!
I’ll look forward to hearing about your visit there!
Our trip started in Seattle, we spent time walking in Mt Ranier NP, then on to Cascades NP – Cascades Pass and a late afternoon walk to Sauk Mtn being highlights there. Then onto Glacier – we got up to Many Glacier before the snow closed in! Unfortunately the raging forest fires stopped us seeing more there … next was Yellowstone, which we loved! Did several hikes, then on to Grand Teton, hiked near Jenny Lake and up to Grand View Point. We even got up at dawn to get a great shot of T A Moulton Barn! Over to Badlands – again with some great walks,via Devil’s Tower, Mt Rushmore, Jewel Caves. Next up the Rockies, then Santa Fe (lovely place) Albuquerque (including a visit to sky city, have you been there?) … Sand Dunes NP, White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe NP, (McKinny Canyon walk). San Antonio – interesting and vibrant city – and then Houston to fly home. Via a little trip to Galveston for a dip in the sea and so we could say we’d been from the NW Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico. These were the highlights, I’ve missed out dozens of fabulous little sidetrips we found en route! Sounds crazy but we might not have a chance to come back for a while. We had very early starts to the day to make sure there was time to hike as much as possible! Tiring but fabulous …
That’s an incredible journey! Thanks for the ideas…although I think we’ll take it a bit slower. :-)
Loving your charmed life!
xoxo
Kim, we’re loving it, too. We’re grateful for these adventures. oxoxo
Wow! Totally love it! Tell Eric he looks great in his old age! Lol.
Brenda, he does look good, doesn’t he? It’s all that fresh air and healthy living, haha!! You guys would love Telegraph Cove!
Yes, he does. I think we really would. Morey is doing a chemo chemical treatment on his face currently. He should be healed in a couple of months. We are starting to plan our trip for next year. So much to see, almost don’t know where to start.
Brenda, I know what you mean — it’s hard to decide which direction to head! As long as you go south in the winter and north in the summer you can’t go too far wrong. :-) Hope all goes well with Morey’s treatment. Hope to see you guys on the road in the next year.
I see the whales and I want to yell out…..free shamu, free shamu!!!
Beautiful photos as always.
Christine
Christine, I agree!!! After learning more about the whales, I think they all need to be freed. And those that can’t be freed, should be able to live out their lives in peace without having to perform tricks. So sad for them to live such unnatural lives in captivity.
That whale watching cruise was a great birthday present! You got some excellent photos.
Thanks Gayle! Eric loved his birthday present. I’m glad the whales showed up. :-))
WOW, that’s a whole lotta whales!! An unforgettable birthday indeed. Cheers to you, and all the creatures that grace your path…. xox D
Dia, it was indeed a memorable birthday party. :-) Thanks for your good wishes, darlin’. oxox
Wow! Awesome photos, and so much interesting information. I would think it would be the whales that hunted in larger groups that would catch the bigger prizes, while the smaller groups would be eating plain ole salmon. Interesting that it’s the complete opposite. I’ve gone whale watching twice (once on a sightseeing boat and once on a kayaking trip) and both times didn’t see any whales… so I am living vicariously through you until we can try attempt number 3. Hopefully the third time really will be the charm!
Laura, I can’t tell you how many times we’ve gone in search of whales and not found any! And that’s with spending our summers in the San Juan Islands, home to a community of resident orcas. I still want to see them breaching, doing cartwheels, and all of the other cool stuff they do.
Oh, my!!! What an amazing stop this was and a terrific birthday gift. The whales/dolphins are so spectacular. I really enjoyed learning about the orca. Resting half of their brain at a time…that’s crazy! Gee, maybe I should try that…haha! The museum would be the perfect place to visit after the whale watching trip. Thanks so much for sharing this neat little town:)
Pam, I think I’m going to have a hard time topping this birthday gift. Good thing the whales showed up. ;-) They’re such fascinating creatures — wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to sleep and still function? I could get so much more done!
How wonderful to see so many whales and learn about them at the same time. Such a beautiful place, I can feel how much you enjoyed your stay. The park looks like a perfect spot!!
Jodee, we loved it! This is one of our favorite places we’ve been. But that list is really long, as you know. :-) The RV park really was perfect and the whales were awesome!
Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow…… And wow. I had no idea there were resident pods and transients! And I don’t understand why locals find it unnecessary or undesirable to eat the locals (dolphins, etc). That is so weird! Did they explain why? Just an amazing journey and such a gorgeous, special place. Whew!!!!!
Janet, I’m not sure why the residents and transients have different diets (fish versus mammals). But the mother whales teach their children and the information just keeps getting passed down. The little dolphins don’t care if the whales are residents or transients, though — they’ll annoy any and all of them!
This looks absolutely incredible! I’ve always wanted to go whale watching and you sure seemed to have picked one of the best places on the continent! What a crack up that the dolphins taunt the whales!
Lisa, it truly was an incredible experience. We want to return! One of my favorite parts of the expedition was watching those hilarious little dolphins bugging the whales. They were absolutely relentless.
Such a beautiful place that seems so peaceful. You are tempting us. It seems like a perfect birthday.
Debbie, it’s worth the effort of ferrying to the island and driving to the north end! Telegraph Cove is beautiful, peaceful, and filled with wildlife. But I’d say avoid July and August if you want a more laid-back experience.
“Removed from all trappings of civilization” sounds like music to my ears. This sounds like the perfect time to go. I’d love to see a village on stilts and amazed that this town only has 20 year round residents. How can they possibly have the goods and services they need? And how do they possibly deal with 120,000 tourists. I’m assuming there are lots of “summer time” only businesses. Where people from outside come in and make all the money and then take it with them. Or am I just being cynical? I am just astounded at the number of whales you saw. And Orcas no less. I didn’t know they were really dolphins. Killer dolphin doesn’t sound right somehow. What interesting information about them. We so underestimate the intelligence and all around understanding of other species. Wouldn’t we like to have that sleeping with one eye open ability. What a birthday present! Fantastic pictures. Happy Happy Birthday Eric!
Sherry, I’m not sure how they manage 120,000 tourists….most people come here to see whales or bears, or to fish for salmon. I imagine it’s pretty busy in July and August. But we were happy to be here in mid-September, with few other people around! It was a great birthday — and turned out to be just as much of a gift for me as for Eric. :-))
Laurel,
I’m going to send this to Bruce and suggest we go there next summer.
Great photos as usual.
Thanks, Sheila. I think you and Bruce would love it! But probably not in the height of tourist season. We’ll go with you. :-)
What a memorable place, more whales than people sounds just perfect to me! I’m so jealous that you could see so many creatures during your stay….not just whales but dolphin, eagles, even stinky sea lions.
You’re wonderful tour guides!
Sue, I like that — “more whales than people!” It’s true! We are thrilled that we saw not only orcas and humpbacks, but also those adorable dolphins and even the big stinky sea lions. I’m so glad you enjoyed the tour. :-)
The perfect birthday present! Your photos are amazing! I have read much about Telegraph Cove and it seems it lives up to its descriptions. Thanks so much for the information on how orcas are identified and how they travel together in their pods. I always find it fascinating how animals communicate with one another.
LuAnn, Telegraph Cove is well worth visiting! It’s so picturesque, and the wildlife, of course, is fabulous. Our adventure brought back fond memories of our San Juan Island whale watching expedition with you two. :-))
You had a bonanza on whales, what a whale birthday party you’ve got!
MonaLiza, it was a whale of a birthday party (haha!). Eric loved it, and so did I. :-)
Absolutely magnificent! How lucky are you both to witness such a spectacle. Perfect birthday no doubt. love the photos, descriptions and interesting information. The scenery is pretty spectacular as well.
Peta
Peta, we absolutely felt lucky to be there, and to be in the company of the whales and other wildlife. It’s a place you and Ben would love!