OrcaLab Whale Lookout
Orcas and humpbacks in Johnstone Strait on a live webcam, from a research station listening since 1970.
About this view
OrcaLab has sat on Hanson Island since 1970, studying northern resident orcas without ever putting a boat in their way. The principle is observation from shore, backed by a network of hydrophones in the water. The view cycles between the lab's lookouts over Johnstone Strait and Blackfish Sound.
What crosses the frame is the point: orca dorsal fins in line, humpbacks lunging on herring, sea lions, eagles, and the shipping that shares the channel. Nothing is guaranteed on any given hour, this is a real strait, not an enclosure, which is exactly what makes a sighting worth the wait.
This live webcam runs 24/7; British Columbia is on Pacific Time, UTC−8 and UTC−7 in summer. The northern residents move through from roughly July to October, and that is the window to watch; they come for the salmon runs, and the nearby rubbing beaches at Robson Bight draw them close to shore.
