A big windy day in Tofino!

It was such a blustery day today that Keith and Jeff the captains of WASCO, West Coast Aquatic Safaris' vessel, decided to cancel trips. This decision was based on safety and the ability to see whales. However according to Environment Canada it appears the winds will die down tomorrow therefore the booked guests for today have been shifted to the 12:30 trip for tomorrow. There is only 4 seats left on our 12:30 trip so book now!!!

Thank you to our guests today who were understanding about the change in schedule. Looking forward to a great trip with whales, bald eagles, sea lions and a heated cabin!

13 Days of Grays!!!!

West Coast Aquatic Safaris is very excited as we are approaching two weeks of seeing Gray Whales from our vessel WASCO! Jeff and Keith have been out enjoying the adventurous spring weather and catching a few rays as they captain WASCO. We have just finished another fun year of the Pacific Rim Whale Festival but the whales don't stop marching by our coast line. Today is one day less than two weeks of seeing Gray Whales and we're hoping to make it two weeks straight! Our guests have been all smiles when coming back from a trip on WASCO with all of the great sightings of Gray Whales. Not only have we seen Gray Whales we are also seeing Bald Eagles, Stellar Sea Lions and Harbour Seals!

What WASCOS fans have to say....

It's another wet day up here in Tofino, British Columbia so this morning we are taking time to note some comments placed in the guest book. These comments were all made during the Pacific Rim Whale Festival and last years season... here's some highlights....

"Awesome, we saw a 13m long Gray Whale from the seaplane, nice tour...a must :) " - Sudbury, Ontario.

"Beartastic!" -Queenstown, New Zealand.

"Whale of a time! THANKS ALL CHEERS!"- Montreal, Quebec.

"Trop Beau!! merci" -Paris, France.

"Great Trip- Bears a' plenty" - Scotland.

"Fantastic. Knowledgeable! So glad we picked the 'BEST AND MORE ECO-COUNCIOUS TOUR!' " -Edmonton, Alberta.

"A beautiful trip and great remind of how beautiful the West Coast is! Thanks Keith!" -Ucluelet, British Columbia.

Wrapping up Whale Fest!

It's the last couple days of the Pacific Rim Whale Festival up here in Tofino, and everyone is excited for the "Annual Parade of Whales and Wonders" today! Local businesses and residents will be strutting their stuff starting at 10 am down Campbell Street through downtown. There has been lots happening in town, and the visitors from the mainland and beyond have started to arrive. So far this year West Coast Aquatic Safaris has had visitors from as far away as the other side of the world to as close as down the street. This always makes for interesting conversation aboard WASCO. Keith and passengers were out yesterday watching five gray whales out off of Cleland Island. Although they headed out in snowy flurries, they were welcomed back with beautiful sunny skies! The entire staff at West Coast Aquatic Safaris is eagerly awaiting the return of the office dog, Henry. He has been visiting with his Grandma (Keith's mom) on Galiano Island during the busy festival week!

First Day of the 23rd Pacific Rim Whale Festival

Today is the first day of the 23rd Pacific Rim Whale Festival!!! Down here at West Coast Aquatic Safaris we are very excited as the whales are here and big smiles keep coming off our boat, WASCO!

Here are a few comments that have been written in our Guest Book "WHALES, WHALES & LOTS of TAILS! thank you!!" "Amazing! Will never forget this"

We are now seeing today why they nickname this coast the "Wet Coast". However, with WASCO's inside seating and her heaters, our guests are not too worried. When it does come to getting outside on viewing decks to see the wildlife the complimentary Helly Hansen jackets and fleece gloves sure come in handy!

The Ocean Was Like "Whale Soup"

It was "Whale Soup" in Tofino's waters yesterday (just packed with whales)! One of West Coast Aquatic Safaris' captains, Keith spotted around 20 Gray Whales as he was piloting WASCO on a trip yesterday. A passenger aboard WASCO today counted 17 backs, 9 tails, and 6 blows of the North Pacific Gray Whale on the 12:30pm trip!

It's one day closer to the Pacific Rim Whale Festival and you can feel the energy in the air. The Pacific Rim Whale Fest magazine was delivered to the office. Feel free to swing by our office, 101A Fourth Street, Tofino, BC and grab a complimentary issue!

West Coast Aquatic Safaris received new photos by Jeremy Koreski and is excited to have them up. The new ones consist of surf of the west coast. However, other photographs taken by Jeremy shown at the office are of local wildlife.

Lots going on in the office!

It's a beautiful day in Tofino here today, sun, sun, sun! We had a hospitality cruise go out this afternoon with people working in local restaurants and resorts, and everyone had a great time. Keith and everyone else on WASCO cruised out around Vargas Island to watch a few different groups of Gray Whales, about a dozen eagles, and sea lions! They also got to go visit Lenard light, the lighthouse where our logo comes from. We are just waiting for our new stickers to come in the mail any day now, but we are happy to be completely Transport Canada Safety Certified. Everyone at West Coast Aquatic Safaris is getting super excited for The Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival, and all the festivities that come with it..chowder chow down, martini migration, and the tug-of-whale!

Orcas in the Harbour!!

West Coast Aquatic Safaris had the pleasure today of viewing three Orcas (killer whales) in the Tofino harbour!! They were spotted just outside our local marine fuel station. It's always super exciting to see Killer Whales in Tofino as they aren't resident, but do frequent our waters. We have been seeing Gray Whales really frequently lately also, and are getting really excited for Whale Fest. It's Tofino's way of welcoming the whales back to their feeding grounds after having spent the winter breeding in Baja, Mexico. We had a bit of crazy weather in Tofino, starting off with snow, and then hale, and now we are lucky enough to have a bit of sun poking through.

Happy to Have Jeff Back!

West Coast Aquatic Safaris is happy to have Jeff back from last season. Born and raised here, Jeff stayed on the coast for the winter,hanging out with his son, playing hockey, and enjoying the laid back island life. Jeff is a great person to ask any question relating to the coast, he knows it all! He is looking forward to shaking off the sleepy winter and diving head first into the busy season ahead. He took WASCO out for a spin yesterday, over to a small island where an eagles nest is visible, and had a great time being out and about on the water.

Welcome Back Morgan!

West Coast Aquatic Safaris is very happy to have Morgan back from last season, helping to set up the office and get things going again. Morgan has been with West Coast Aquatic Safaris from the beginning, and loves getting to talk to people from all over the world about Whales and Bears all day, and maybe even letting people in on a few local secrets! Morgan is happy to be back breathing that fresh Tofino air and re-appreciating the beauty of the coast, after spending her winter working, visiting family and friends, and being a city girl in Victoria. Keith and Morgan are busy hanging up art, and putting the finishing touches on the winter renovations, and getting excited for the big season ahead of them.