Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fewer than 20 people live here year-round, but the population swells enormously dur-
inglatespringandsummerwhenwhale-watching,diving,andfishingchartersdoaroaring
trade, canoeists and kayakers arrive to paddle along Johnstone Strait, and the campground
opens for the season. Walk along the boardwalk, passing cabins, kayak rentals, an art gal-
lery, a small interpretive center, the
Killer Whale Café,
the Old Saltery Pub, and a store
selling groceries and fishing tackle.
Across Johnstone Strait from Telegraph Cove is
Knight Inlet,
home to a large pop-
ulation of brown bears.
Tide Rip Grizzly Tours
(250/339-5320 or 888/643-9319,
www.tiderip.com
) has bear-watching tours departing Telegraph Cove daily mid-May to
September. For the first two months, when the bears come down to the waterline to feed,
the boat doesn't dock, but from mid-August onward, when bears are feeding on salmon,
the tour includes two hours spent in a specially built bear-viewing platform. The tour cost
is $299 per person.
MM
Whale-Watching
More than 50 whale-watching operations have sprung up around Vancouver Island in re-
cent years, but the opportunity to view orcas (killer whales) close up in Johnstone Strait
is unparalleled. These magnificent, intelligent mammals spend the summer in the waters
aroundTelegraphCoveandaremostconcentratedin
Robson Bight,
wheretheyrubonthe
gravel beaches near the mouth of the Tsitka River, an area that has been established as a
sanctuary for the whales.
Stubbs Island Whale Watching
(250/928-3185 or 800/665-3066,
www.stubbs-is-
land.com
)wastheprovince'sfirstwhale-watchingcompanyandcontinuestoleadtheway
in responsible whale-watching. The company's two boats,
Lukwa
and
Kuluta,
depart daily
fromTelegraphCoveon3-to3.5-hourcruisesfrommid-JunetoearlyOctober.Theexper-
ienced crewtakesyououttoviewthewhales intheirnatural habitat andtoheartheirmys-
terious and beautiful sounds through a hydrophone (underwater microphone). Both boats
are comfortable, with covered areas and bathrooms.
The cost of the most popular whale-watching cruise, which departs up to three times
daily, is $99 per person. Reservations are required and you should call ahead as far as pos-
sible to ensure a spot. Dress warmly and don't forget your camera for this experience of a
lifetime.
