Photograph Whales out of Telegraph Cove

To get to Telegraph Cove it is about 2 hours north of Campbell River. Head north as if you are driving to Port Hardy, the road is paved and in good condition. Just follow the highway signs to Telegraph Cove, they are hard to miss.

There is a great boat charter, Stubbs Island Whale Watching, that is very informative and takes people on a 3.5 hour tour around the waters near Telegraph Cove. This whale watching company is also very reasonably priced and their staff is super friendly and helpful. 

Telegraph Cove is a cute little coastal town right on the water in a picturesque part of Vancouver Island. The boat charter takes you out towards Hanson Island and then into Blackfish Sound, and then around Hanson Island and then back up Johnson Strait towards Telegraph Cove. The ocean waters are clear and blue with lots of jellyfish swimming in them. The coastal islands are rugged and beautiful, some have quaint little fishing cabins on them too. The fresh coastal air can't really be described, you just have to sit on the boat and breath it in for yourself, then you'll know what I am talking about. Even though getting to see whales was a highlight of the tour, being able to see a stunning part of coastal Northern Vancouver Island is also quite  amazing. 

To get some good photos of the wildlife, I recommend bringing a good telephoto lens, and it doesn't have to be a $4000 one either. The lens I used was an 18-250 Sigma lens with a Nikon D7000 body. I had my settings on Shutter Priority, which made it easier to take lots of photos instead of worrying too much about my settings. Just be sure to have your shutter speed at least to 1/1000th of a second or higher, and then the camera does the rest.