Wildlife Adventures, North East Vancouver Island

Wildlife Adventures, North East Vancouver Island Photos and videos documenting and promoting the amazing wildlife and people of North East Vancouver Island

04/19/2026

A Close Encounter with Three Humpback Whales....

This video was filmed in 2019 in the Strait of Georgia, a moment when two adult humpback whales and a calf appeared together and passed close to the boat. There is something striking about seeing a family group like this, especially when the calf rises between the adults. You notice the size difference, the timing, the way each whale moves in its own rhythm.

Encounters like this stay with you for different reasons. Sometimes it is the sound, sometimes the scale, sometimes just the feeling of being that close to them.

If you have ever been near humpback whales, I would like to know what the moment was like for you.
Humpback Whales North East Vancouver Island
Eagle Eye Adventures


04/19/2026

A moment with the Northern Residents...

This video was filmed in 2019, a calm day on the water when a group of Northern Resident Orcas moved through the area with that steady, unhurried rhythm they’re known for. It starts quietly, just the sound of the water and the whales passing by, but it is worth watching until the end. One of the orcas begins tail slapping again and again, each strike echoing across the surface.

Moments like this stay with you. They remind you how much power and personality these whales carry, even in the simplest movements.

If you have ever seen tail slapping in person, or had a moment with the Northern Residents that stayed with you, we would like to hear about it.

04/19/2026

Have you ever had a close encounter with Orcas?

This video was filmed in 2019, just outside Port McNeill harbour. A small group of Transient Orcas came in close, moving with that quiet confidence they’re known for. It is one thing to see them at a distance, but when they pass this close you feel it in a different way. The water changes, the air changes, and for a moment everything else fades into the background.

Encounters like this stay with you. They catch you off guard in the best possible way.

Have you ever had a close encounter with orcas, and how did it make you feel?

04/19/2026

Do you remember seeing Northern Resident Orca I76?

This short clip was filmed in 2019, a moment that feels even more important now. I76 was one of those Northern Resident males you always recognised, a very distinctive surfacing style and a tall dorsal fin that stood out the moment it broke the surface. In the background you can hear the captain describing him, pointing out that huge dorsal fin which was probably six feet in length as he moved through the water.

He passed away last August, just a week before we arrived on Vancouver Island. Watching this again brings back the feeling of seeing him in person, even if only for a few seconds at a time.

If you ever saw I76, or if you have memories of other Northern Residents that stayed with you, we would like to hear them.

We want to gently address something.On our Vancouver Island wildlife page, we created one AI-generated watercolor image....
04/18/2026

We want to gently address something.
On our Vancouver Island wildlife page, we created one AI-generated watercolor image. We chose to do that because we did not want to risk breaching copyright and we felt a soft watercolor style would sit beautifully alongside our words.

Since sharing it, we’ve received many comments about AI and pollution. Let’s be honest here, human beings contribute to pollution every single day in many different ways.

Before judging others so harshly, it may be worth asking whether any of us can truly say we have no impact on the Earth at all.

To be very clear, we do not use AI for our wildlife footage or our photographs. We are storytellers, we take pride in writing our posts from our heart. We share real experiences, real encounters and the people and moments that touch our lives.

This was one image. It was created to celebrate one person, with good intention behind it.

All we ask is this: before commenting on our page with unkindness, assumptions, or incorrect statements about who we are, please pause and reflect.

This page was created with kindness. It is not a place for judgment or nastiness. We are here to share the beauty of wildlife, connection and story and we hope that spirit of kindness is what people choose to bring here too. We welcome comments on posts and your views. We just dont like incorrect assumptions and people being rude.

Image is of I76 who passed in 2025.

Telegraph Cove, what are your memories of this place?Before it became one of the most iconic little harbours on the BC c...
04/18/2026

Telegraph Cove, what are your memories of this place?

Before it became one of the most iconic little harbours on the BC coast, Telegraph Cove was nothing more than a tiny indent in the shoreline, a place where the forest met the tide and a handful of people built a life on the edge of the wilderness.

Its story began in the early 1900s, when a telegraph line was pushed up the coast and a small station was built here. That’s where the name came from, a remote outpost connected to the rest of the world by a single wire.

Over the decades, the cove grew into a working community:
a sawmill, a boardwalk, a few homes perched on stilts above the water, and the steady rhythm of boats coming and going. Families lived here. Children grew up here. The smell of fresh‑cut cedar mixed with the salt air. Everything was built by hand, plank by plank.

By the late 20th century, Telegraph Cove had become something else entirely, a gateway to Johnstone Strait, a place where people came to explore the waters of the Northern Residents, the Bigg’s orcas, the humpbacks, and the wild coastline that surrounds them.

The boardwalk still creaks under your feet.
The old buildings still lean in that familiar way.
And the cove holds decades of stories, from the people who lived here, worked here, and discovered the magic of this coastline for the first time.

And woven into that history is a moment no one forgets:
the devastating fire that destroyed part of the boardwark. For a place this small, it was a huge loss, but it wasn’t the end. The boardwark is in the process of being rebuilt with the same determination that shaped its earliest days, restoring the boardwalk and preserving the character that makes Telegraph Cove what it is today.

Telegraph Cove isn’t just a place. It’s a memory shared by thousands.
What’s your memory of Telegraph Cove?
Please share in the comments.

04/18/2026

What’s the wildest mix of ocean life you’ve ever seen in one place?
There are moments on the BC coast where the senses hit you all at once, sight, sound, even smell, and this was one of them.

In this clip from 2023, a couple of Humpback Whales glide past an area packed with Steller Sea Lions. Some are hauled out on the rocks, others are splashing in the water, and the whole scene feels alive with movement.

And the noise…
If you’ve ever been near a big group of Steller Sea Lions, you know exactly what it’s like, that deep, chaotic chorus echoing across the water.

And then there’s the smell that hits you the moment you see them.
It’s part of the experience.
Part of the coastline.
Part of what makes these encounters so real.

The whales move through it all with complete calm, their slow, steady presence cutting through the sea lions’ restless energy. It’s a contrast you only get in places like this.

The video is just over a minute, watch the whole thing to feel the atmosphere of the moment.

2023. Northern Vancouver Island. Humpbacks passing through a noisy, unforgettable stretch of shoreline.

What’s the most surprising wildlife combination you’ve ever witnessed?
Humpback Whales North East Vancouver Island


04/18/2026

Some moments are so quiet, you almost miss them…
This was filmed from our Kayaking Base Camp at dusk in 2023, long after the light had faded and the colours of the coast slipped into shadow. It was far too dark for a photo, and the video is grainy, but the feeling of the moment is still there.

Have you ever had a wildlife moment where you heard something before you saw it? Please reply in the comments.

A group of Transient (Bigg’s) orcas passed our kayaking camp in near‑silence.
We could barely see them…
and the only thing we heard was a faint blow drifting across the water.

Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just a soft exhale in the stillness of the evening, the kind of sound that tells you something wild is close, even when the ocean is almost completely dark.

Watch the full clip.
It’s subtle, but that’s exactly what made the moment unforgettable.

Encounters like this remind you that not every wildlife experience is about clear visuals or perfect light. Sometimes it’s about the quietest details, the ones you only notice when you’re fully present.

2023. Dusk on the BC coast. A quiet passing in the dark.

Larry Roy is a Canadian wilderness guide, educator, and long‑time sea kayaking operator based on northern Vancouver Isla...
04/17/2026

Larry Roy is a Canadian wilderness guide, educator, and long‑time sea kayaking operator based on northern Vancouver Island. He is the founder and owner of Discovery Kayaking Ltd. / Discovery Expeditions, a small, experience‑driven sea kayaking company operating out of Telegraph Cove, Port McNeill, Johnstone Strait, and the Broughton Archipelago.

He has over 25 years of guiding experience, and has been active on the coast since 1986, making him one of the longest‑standing figures in the region’s kayaking and wilderness‑tourism community.

His Background and Early Career
Before becoming a full‑time guide, Larry began his career in education, teaching youth in the BC public school system. This foundation shaped his approach to guiding: he treats every trip as both an adventure and a learning experience, helping guests understand the marine ecosystems, wildlife behaviour, and cultural history of the coast.

He also has a long history in whitewater kayaking, outdoor leadership, and physical education, with formal training from the University of British Columbia.

Discovery Kayaking / Discovery Expeditions
Larry’s company has always remained intentionally small and personal, prioritising:

High‑quality wilderness experiences

Small group sizes

Experienced, safety‑focused guides

Respect for wildlife and First Nations territories

Leave No Trace principles

His tours include:

Day trips

Multi‑day expeditions (3‑day, 4‑day, 6‑day)

Routes through Johnstone Strait, Blackney Passage, Blackfish Sound, and the Broughton Archipelago

Larry is widely regarded as a lifelong paddler, a “lifer” in the industry, and a respected member of the broader kayaking and research community on northern Vancouver Island.

His Role in the Community
Beyond guiding, Larry also volunteers with BC Parks, assisting Senior Rangers during the fire season and supporting stewardship efforts in the North Island region.

His decades of experience on the water have made him a trusted figure among:

Local researchers

Wildlife observers

Conservation‑minded operators

Visitors seeking authentic, respectful encounters with the coast

Why Larry Roy Matters
Larry represents a generation of coastal guides who built the foundation of responsible, small‑scale wilderness tourism on northern Vancouver Island. His work has helped thousands of visitors experience the region’s wildlife and waterways safely, respectfully, and with a deeper understanding of the ecosystem.

He is one of the few operators who has remained committed to intimate, low‑impact, education‑driven kayaking experiences for nearly four decades.


Alexandra Morton — From Captive Orcas to Protecting Wild Salmon on the BC CoastAlexandra Morton’s path into marine conse...
04/17/2026

Alexandra Morton — From Captive Orcas to Protecting Wild Salmon on the BC Coast
Alexandra Morton’s path into marine conservation began far from the remote inlets of British Columbia. In the 1970s and early 1980s, she worked at Marineland of the Pacific in California, studying the behaviour and communication of captive orcas. Two whales in particular shaped her early career: Orky and Corky. She recorded their calls, documented their social bonds, and witnessed the emotional strain captivity placed on them, especially Corky, who lost multiple calves.

Those experiences changed her. Alexandra realised that to truly understand orcas, she needed to study them in the wild, in the waters where Corky’s family still lived.

Driven by that purpose, Alexandra travelled north and eventually settled in Echo Bay in the Broughton Archipelago, one of the most remote communities on the coast. She lived in a float house, surrounded by forest, ocean, and the quiet of the inlets. It was here that she began documenting the whales that passed through the region.

What began as a research trip became a lifelong commitment to the coast.

Once established in the Broughton Archipelago, Alexandra began long‑term field research on the Northern Resident killer whales, the salmon‑eating families that return to these waters year after year.

Her work included:

Recording their vocal dialects and family‑specific calls

Documenting their seasonal movements through the inlets

Observing their feeding and social behaviour

Noting how industrial noise and activity affected their presence

Identifying the importance of the region as habitat for families like the A5s

Her early recordings remain some of the most detailed long‑term acoustic observations of Northern Resident orcas.

Alexandra’s focus changed in the 1990s when she noticed something alarming:
The wild salmon the Northern Residents depended on were declining.

She began investigating the growing number of open‑net salmon farms placed directly in migration routes. Her research uncovered:

Sea lice infestations spreading from farms to wild juvenile salmon

Disease transmission between farmed and wild fish

Viral outbreaks associated with industrial aquaculture

Behavioural changes in wild salmon near farm sites

Displacement of whales from traditional feeding areas due to noise and activity

Alexandra published scientific papers, collaborated with First Nations, and brought global attention to the ecological risks of open‑net farming.

Today, Alexandra Morton is one of the most influential voices in the fight to protect wild salmon on the Pacific coast. Her work includes:

Conducting independent field research on salmon health

Testing for viruses and pathogens associated with farmed fish

Working with Indigenous communities to restore salmon runs

Documenting the ecological impacts of aquaculture

Advocating for the transition from open‑net farms to land‑based systems

Pressuring government agencies to enforce stronger environmental protections

Her book Not on My Watch details the political, scientific, and personal battles behind this work.

Alexandra’s mission now is clear:
protect wild salmon, because the entire coastal ecosystem, including the Northern Resident killer whales, depends on them.

04/17/2026

2025 was a year filled with moments that reminded us just how alive the BC coast really is.
Before you dive into this two‑minute highlights reel, make sure you watch it in full. It captures some of the incredible wildlife we were lucky enough to encounter throughout the season, moments that shaped our year on the water.

Every season out here has its own rhythm. Some days are calm, some are wild, and some offer those rare pauses where the Pacific Northwest feels almost timeless. This reel brings together a few of those moments, nothing staged, nothing planned, just the coast being itself.

It’s a small window into what makes this place so special, and why we keep returning to these waters year after year.

What was your favourite moment from your own time on the water?


04/17/2026

Watch to the end to see the orcas pass close to the kayaks.
Have you ever kayaked on the wild Pacific?

There’s something different about travelling by kayak on the BC coast. You’re close to the water, close to the shoreline, and close to the wildlife that defines this place. The ocean feels bigger from this angle, and somehow more honest.

Sometimes the first thing you meet is a burst of movement beneath the surface as Pacific White‑Sided Dolphins sweep past, quick and effortless, turning the whole sea into motion.

Then the shoreline shifts, and a black bear and its cub steps out onto the beach, moving with the quiet confidence of an animal completely at home.

Further out, the deep breath of a humpback whale rolls across the water, that sound you feel before you fully hear it, echoing across the Pacific Northwest.

And if you stay with the moment… the ocean offers one more gift.

Right at the end of this video, orcas pass close to the kayaks, one of those encounters you never forget.

So we are curious,
Have you ever been kayaking, and what wildlife did you meet out there?



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