'It was like National Geographic came to life': Incredible footage captures orcas off B.C. coast
Brittney Johnstone wanted to do something special for her mom on Mother’s Day.
"So I decided to take my mom on our first whale watching tour together," said Johnstone. "We went out there, it was cold so we got all suited up in the big suits."
After about 45 minutes cruising the waters off Vancouver Island, there was not one whale to be seen.
"I’m thinking, 'OK, we might not see one, that’s OK," said Johnstone.
Then their luck changed.
"So all of a sudden, a bunch of them," said Johnstone. "So it looks like we came into two to three pods."
Multiple pods of transient orcas were swimming off in the distance of the Haro Strait near Discovery Island.
"And that’s when it all started," said the ecstatic whale watcher.
The captain turned off the boat's motor and stayed at a safe distance away from the multiple pods.
"In this situation, when the whales started coming towards the vessel, the captain then shuts down and just lets the whales do what they want to do," said Rachael Merrett of Orca Spirit Adventures. "In this case it was a drive-by."
What happened next shocked everyone on board.
"It’s extremely rare to have whales come up and check out the boats," said Merrett.
That is exactly what happened, and fortunately one passenger had a GoPro camera, giving us the chance to see these curious majestic mammals up close.
"One stopped and looked right at that GoPro – and then yeah, they went right under the boat and just kind of stalled under there," said Johnstone. "It was wild."
The whales played, swam around the boat and visited. Some even breached, according to Johnstone, but that wasn’t caught on camera. After 45 minutes it was time for the tour to head back into Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
"I don’t know how to describe it," said Johnstone. "It was like National Geographic came to life right in front of me."
The encounter left her and her mother with an experience of a lifetime.
"A Mother’s Day to remember," said Johnstone. "I highly recommend it."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.