Active Pursuits in Port McNeill and Alert Bay

Orcas, dolphins, and eagles all gather along Johnstone Strait to snack on fish that converge at this narrows between Vancouver Island and a series of tightly clustered islands.

From Port McNeill, Mackay Whale Watching Ltd., 1514 Broughton Blvd. (tel. 877/663-6722 or 250/956-9865; www.whaletime.com), offers daily tours to Johnstone Strait on a 17m (56-ft.) passenger cruiser with hydrophone. A 4- to 5-hour trip costs C$105.

Seasmoke Tours/Sea Orca Expeditions (tel. 800/668-6722 in B.C., or 250/974-5225; www.seaorca.com) offers whale-watching sailing trips from Alert Bay from June to September. You can also arrange to be picked up from the Alder Bay Resort on Vancouver Island (tel. 250/956-4117; www.alderbayresort.com), convenient if you don't want to make the ferry crossing to Alert Bay. Excursions aboard a 13m (43-ft.), hydrophone-equipped sailboat include tea and scones. Five-hour tours cost C$95. Seasmoke also offers tour/lodging packages at two bungalows on Alert Bay.