Environmental Stewardship for Paddlers Series – Wildlife Interaction

Wildlife encounters are truly magical and what make our paddling experiences extra special and memorable. However, we risk disturbing and interrupting the natural behaviours of the very wildlife we love, or worse harming them. As responsible paddlers, adopt the marine mammal and seabird viewing guidance that is underpinned by Canadian federal laws.

Maintain your distance:

• 100m from marine mammals (seals, sea lions, whales, dolphins and porpoises) and bird colonies
• 200m from all orcas in BC
• 400m from all orcas in BC south of line drawn between Campbell River and just north of Ucluelet

Observe respectfully:

• Don’t feed, touch, swim, dive or interact with them
• Don’t approach when they are resting
• Don’t encircle or approach head on or from behind, instead view parallel to them
• Don’t separate individuals from a group

Know when the sensitive breeding, nesting and pupping seasons are and employ extra caution around haul-outs and colonies during these times to prevent trampling or separation of pups and chicks from their mothers:

• Harbour seal pupping season – typically May to September
• Seabird/waterbird breeding and nesting season – typically March to September

For more information visit Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s “Watching Marine Wildlife” and Environment and Climate Change Canada’s “Guidelines to Avoid Disturbance to Seabird and Waterbird Colonies in Canada”.