Vancouver Island Hotel Blogs

At this time of the year, people from all over the world flock to Vancouver Island, BC to witness up close and personal the sheer beauty and majestic view of different species of whales. When visiting the area, Victoria and Nanaimo are among the ideal jump off point to getting in and around the whale watching locations.

If you want to make the best out of your travel, here is a complete guide on the different popular hotspots along with key information on whale watching activities.

Victoria & Gulf Islands Whale Watching

Among the different hotspots, this is the most famous location to go whale watching, especially the area around Juan de Fuca Strait and Haro Strait on the southern end of Vancouver Island. Tours and trips are just an easy excursion booking out of Victoria.

Whale Sightings. There are different types of whale species that frequent in these waters including gray whales, orcas (or killer whales), humpback whales and minke whales. Dall’s porpoises, California sea lions, Stellar’s sea lions, Pacific white-sided dolphins, elephant seals and harbour seals are also among the other animal species you will see. In addition, you can also discover hundreds of marine bird species around this area.

Best time to go. Starting from the end of April up to the end of October will be the peak viewing season. However, you can always visit and join a tour anytime the whole year round since there will always be a lot to view.

Northern Islands & Johnstone Straits Whale Watching

There are several prime whale-watching locations that exist at the northern tip of Vancouver Island. There are also a lot of small communities operating in whale-watching tours including the communities of Port Hardy, Alert Bay, Port McNeill, Sointula and Telegraph Cove.

Whale Sightings. Here you will discover transient orcas, entertaining humpback whales and migrating gray whales. A lot of these whale classes summer in the Strait. You will also be able to find Dall’s porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins, harbour seals and other types of seals. The Island also offers an important area for some of the greatest salmon fishing.

Best time to go. There are 19 pods enclosing more than 170 orcas that travel in the Strait. Thus, the best time to visit the area is between the months of April and October. At this time of the year, if you visit by the end of the peak view season, you might still view a number of whales and other animal species but your comfort might be compromised because the weather is quite temperamental.

Tofino, Pacific Rim & Ucluelet Whale Watching

This famous whale-watching area is located in the west coast and is popular for its migrating gray whales for each month of March and April. The location is wild and rugged, enclosing a lot of sounds filled with coves, bays, channels and inlets.

Whale Sightings. Although the most widely known species of whale you can see is the gray whale, occasionally you will also see humpback whales. Also, don’t miss the California sea lions, Pacific white-sided dolphins, sea otters and many bird species.

Best time to go. The most appropriate time to view the gray whale is during their yearly migration between the months of March and April. All throughout summer however, whale-watching happens on the Pacific Rim. There are about 40 to 50 gray whales do a stopover to spend the summer nourishing off this coast.

Accommodations

After of few nights of fun and pure revelry, you can look forward to spending a luxurious and relaxing stay at among some of the best hotels in Vancouver Island, including one of our sponsors, BEST WESTERN Northgate Inn:

BEST WESTERN Northgate Inn

6450 Metral Drive, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9T 2L8

Phone: 250-390-2222 | Fax: 250-390-2412

Conveniently located at the center of the northern end area of Nanaimo, the Northgate Inn provides tourists and traveling guests all the modern facilities to ensure a very comfortable stay for those family holiday vacations and weekend getaways. The hotel has been newly renovated and it features a wide collection of well-appointed guest rooms all decorated in contemporary designs.

The Northgate Inn is near some of the biggest shopping malls in Vancouver Island and as well as fine restaurants. Having maintained a flawless reputation of constantly providing top-rated accommodations and world-class quality and service, the hotel offers everything you need including those on business trips such as a conference centre and a meeting room.

For the different transportation options in getting around the different key whale watching areas, check out our Vancouver Island travel page.

Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to and a link to Amazing Vancouver Island.

Courtenay Kicked Off April With A Morning Serenade

Last April 2, Monday, pianist Sarah Hagen and cellist Ariel Barnes serenaded on stage to the delight of Courtenay locals and tourists for their finale concert of the 2011/2012 Mattina Musica season. The well-attended event was indeed one of the best ways to jumpstart a flurry of activities in Vancouver Island, BC for April this year.

The two came back due to popular demand as people flocked to watch them show off their intense, intricate fusion and unique brand of music. The pieces Beethoven’s final well profound Sonata and Debussy’s sublime Cello Sonata were among the highlight of the programme. These two pieces presented a magnificent and truly enthralling collaboration of piano and cello.

Mattina Musica, an Italian term for “Morning Music”, is a chain of 4 concerts, each happening every Monday morning. Supporters for this type of music are invited to proceed to the Sid lobby at 10 am for coffee, tea and conversations before the concert, which starts at exactly 10:30 am. What a better way to spend your Monday morning, right?

Ariel Barnes – Cello

Ariel Barnes is a cellist and was featured by the Vancouver Sun as a musician of real importance because of his technical prowess and luscious tone. He enjoys a different career as a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician. He has performed in major countries over the past few years including the United States, Canada and Mexico, from contemporary solo cello concerts to Mozart’s chamber music. Barnes is definitely comfortable in various types or genres of music ranging from the baroque to the modern era. Being a passionate chamber musician, he has performed and appeared at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, MusicFest Vancouver, Music at Port Milford, Northern Lights Music Festival and Mendocino Music Festival. He is also the present Vancouver Opera Orchestra’s Principal Cello.

Ariel Barnes is also a member of the Vancouver-based string trio – the Trio Accord. His colleagues are Andrew Brown and Mary Sokol-Brown. Their trio has been acclaimed for its “extremely moving,” “exhilarating,” and “enchanting” performances. The Trio Accord’s debut album which was out in the fall of 2008 was nominated for Classical Record of the Year. This was done at the Western Canadian Music Awards.

Sarah Hagen – Piano

Sarah Hagen is a pianist, chamber musician and a sought-after soloist. She has performed in various concerts across Canada and also France, the United States, Germany, Sweden and Italy. Her type of music is critically acclaimed with technical ease, tonal purity and with a rarity of musical excellence. Sarah’s interpretations have been labeled as “outstandingly inventive,” and done with “infinite skill.”

Since Sarah is an idealist and a visionary, her shows are usually conceptually innovative which involves dance, theatre and photography. She has been motivated with the belief that regardless of knowledge or age, music is the instrument to be a window into our souls. Sarah is also expected to perform this upcoming season in Spain, Sweden and northern BC and also a show with the Victoria Symphony on Beethoven’s Piano Concert No. 1. Back in 2009, her solo album, Glass House Dancing was nominated at the Western Canadian Music Awards for Classical Recording of the Year.

Accommodations:

If you are planning to stay in Courtenay, make sure to have your accommodations reserved beforehand. This is to avoid any hassles. In Vancouver Island, you will be able to discover several great places to stay including one of the sponsors, BEST WESTERN PLUS The Westerly Hotel & Convention Centre:

BEST WESTERN PLUS The Westerly Hotel & Convention Centre

1590 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay, British Columbia V9N 2K4

Phone: 250/338-7741 | Fax: 250/338-5442

Whether you are travelling for leisure of business, you will find out that the Westerly Hotel is totally equipped to satisfy your expectations from a premium hotel with all of its modern conveniences. Located at the center of Comox Valley, you can experience a full-service accommodation at its best.

For the different transportation options in getting around Courtenay and its neighboring regions, check out our Vancouver Island travel page.

Creative Commons Attribution: Permission is granted to repost this article in its entirety with credit to Amazing Vancouver Island and a clickable link back to this page.

Back in 1991, the very first Brant Wildlife Festival was organized by volunteers from the Mid Island Wildlife and was established to be held every April. This happens when the Pacific Geese stop in the area to feed and rest before going to their Artic breeding areas. This is where the Pacific Brant Carving and Art Show got its roots from, in the Parksville/Qualicum area in Vancouver Island.

A wildlife woodcarving contest is one of the attractions at the Brant Festival, which is sponsored by the Vancouver Island Woodcarvers Club. The Nature Trust of British Columbia took over this event in 2006 and was moved to Victoria back in 2010. It was then that the name of the festival was changed to Pacific Brant Carving and Art Show.

Over the past three years, the festival has been one of Vancouver Island, BC's popular wildlife woodcarving contests and has been featured in a US publication, “Wildfowl Carving Magazine”. The show also expanded in having a woodturning contest and has also included commercial booths showcasing the Island’s well-known wildlife artists. It has attracted a lot of popular BC wildlife artists, sculptors, photographers and as well as giving talented turners and carvers from Canada and across the Pacific Northwest a place to feature their work and compete against each other for cash prizes and ribbons.

Hoping that the fabulous venue will become the new haven for the show, this year’s festival will be held in Sidney, BC, at the Mary Winspear Centre. This will be the grandest festival to date and will showcase the Island’s popular wildlife photographers and artists. Woodcarvers from the US and from across Canada will compete for cash awards and recognition and most of their carving will be for sale. Another event that also attracted top wood turners last year was the wood turning competition.

A wood turning contest, carvings and photographs, fish carvings, wildlife art, door prizes, live and silent auctions and free seminars by the carvers and artists are among the activities of the show. Completing the show is a Saturday night “meet and greet” by the artists and carvers with refreshments and as well as a live auction of wildlife art.

Accommodations

At this time of the year, It is absolutely advisable to book ahead of time when visiting one of the beautiful places and sought after Vancouver Island travel destination in order to avoid the tourist crowd.

There are a lot of amazing places for you to stay in Sidney and one of the established ones include our sponsor, BEST WESTERN PLUS Emerald Isle Motor Inn:

BEST WESTERN PLUS Emerald Isle Motor Inn

2306 Beacon Avenue, Sidney, British Columbia V8L 1X2

Phone: 250/656-4441 | Fax: 250/655-1351

The Emerald Isle Motor Inn provides you with convenient and comfortable accommodations at reasonable rates. It is a great place for you stay, presenting an ideal option for accommodating families and other large groups.

This wonderful place is just about five minutes away when driving from the Victoria International Airport and aside from other terminals and ports, the Emerald Isle Motor Inn is absolutely very easy to locate, making it highly accessible. Known for its hospitality and premium service, the Emerald Motor Inn is your budget friendly home away from home.

Re-published from www.amazingvancouverisland.com under creative commons license.