The Main Human Threats
🔊 Noise Pollution
Orcas rely on echolocation to stay connected with their pod. Vessel engines, sonar, and industrial activity can mask or disrupt these sounds, making communication and hunting more difficult.
🚤 Vessel Traffic
Busy waterways increase stress for orcas and can lead to avoidance behaviors. Fast-moving or inattentive boats also create the risk of dangerous close encounters.
🧪 Pollution & Toxins
Chemical pollutants and plastics build up in the food chain and concentrate in top predators like orcas. These toxins can affect health, reproduction, and survival rates over time.
What You Can Do to Help
The good news is that each of us can make choices that reduce these risks:
✔️ Choose eco-certified operators — Book tours with companies (like Seabreeze Adventures) that follow federal marine mammal viewing guidelines and prioritize wildlife welfare.
✔️ Operate watercraft responsibly — If you’re boating, keep your speed down and maintain a safe distance from marine wildlife.
✔️ Support conservation policies — Add your voice to initiatives aimed at reducing ocean noise and protecting marine habitats.
✔️ Cut down on plastics — Reduce single-use plastic, recycle properly, and participate in shoreline cleanups to keep the Salish Sea clean.
Our Commitment at Seabreeze
At Seabreeze Adventures, conservation is at the heart of what we do. We strictly follow marine mammal regulations and respect safe distances. Our captains and naturalists are trained to minimize disturbance while helping guests understand the bigger picture of ocean stewardship.
Seeing Bigg’s killer whales in their natural environment is always a privilege, and we believe it comes with responsibility: to ensure that these encounters don’t just inspire awe, but also action.
Join Us on the Water
When you join a Seabreeze Adventures tour, you’re not just whale watching, you’re supporting responsible eco-tourism that helps protect the future of the Salish Sea. Every respectful sighting is a reminder that these waters are their home, and we are only visitors.
📍 Tours depart daily from Steveston, BC
