Join Dr. Paul Spong at OrcaLab, Hanson Island, British Columbia for three days immersed in research on wild orcas.
Travel to majestic Johnstone Strait and Hanson Island, BC, off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, and take part in the ground breaking land-based acoustic research of the Northern Resident Community of orcas. Join renowned research pioneers Dr. Paul Spong and Helena Symonds and their team as they collect data on this extraordinary population of orcas through one of the most expansive hydrophone networks in the world. Marvel from shore as the whales and a wide range of other marine animals pass OrcaLab. Whales and wildlife, ancient trees, critical conservation science - for orca enthusiasts; it is an experience unlike anything on Earth.
Dr. Spong is one of the foremost orcas researchers in the world, having conducted his research on Hanson Island for more than 40 years. He was one of the founding members of Greenpeace's anti-whaling campaign, and has spent years advocating for the protection of whales. This is a unique chance to get to know Paul and his wife Helena and their beautiful OrcaLab research center.
This package includes three days/two nights accommodation for up to four people (who know each other) in the guest house at OrcaLab, just steps away from the main lab. You’ll be picked up at Telegraph Cove on Vancouver Island, and then travel approximately 30 minutes across Johnstone Strait to Hanson Island. The forest adjacent to OrcaLab is thick with ancient cedars, fir and spruce trees; the surrounding waters are a home for Northern Resident orcas. Volunteer researchers make OrcaLab their home between July and October. It is one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
Meals, cooked on a wood stove, are plentiful and delicious. They eat a lot of salmon here, just like the orcas.
Main Photo Credit: Michael Nolan
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