There's something about the first tours of the year that feels different. The air has that crisp early-season bite, everyone on board is a little giddy, and there's always that unspoken question hanging over the boat: will we find whales today?
Spoiler: we absolutely did.
We set out from Richmond, BC, heading down along the Steveston Jetty, and right away the wildlife didn't disappoint. We found both Steller and California Sea lions hauled out and lounging — a classic Pacific coast welcome. But the real show was watching a group of Steller sea lions actively hunting in the water. These are big, powerful animals, and seeing their agility in the water is absolutely beautiful.
Then came the moment we'd been hoping for.
Just off the Steveston Jetty, a grey whale surfaced and one of our tour guests saw it first. Our first whale sighting of 2026 — and not just any whale. Thanks to our friends at Cascadia Research, we know it was CRC2383, a whale with quite the history in these waters.
CRC2383 was first documented in the Salish Sea back in 2019, and has been reliably showing up every single year through 2024 — and now here in 2026, right on cue. This whale clearly knows a good spot. Most sightings have been around Vancouver, the Strait of Georgia, and the San Juan Islands, so in many ways, we're on this whale's home turf.
There's something genuinely moving about that. Somewhere out in the vast Pacific, this whale made a decision — and it brought them right past the Steveston Jetty, right in front of our boat full of people who couldn't stop smiling.
It's going to be a good season. We can feel it already.
Want to join us on the water? Check our schedule for winter eco tours departing on weekends.
Photos by our naturalist Uwe Zimmermann.
