🌍🐾 World Animal Day: Honouring Every Creature 🐾🌍
Today, we celebrate the incredible diversity of life here off the coast of Northern Vancouver Island. Our tours are privileged to explore the Broughton Archipelago and Knight Inlet, witnessing British Columbia’s finest wildlife—from foraging coastal bears to breaching orcas. This truly is one of the best places to experience nature’s wonders. World Animal Day is a call to protect these creatures and safeguard their habitats; every step we take matters.
🌲🌊Photos taken in Broughton Archipelago, traditional territories of the Kwakwaka`wakw People, and Knight Inlet traditional territory of the Da’Naxda’xw Awaetlala First Nation, British Columbia, Canada.
📸 Photo Credit: @RolfHickerPhotography Shot with a 200-600mm lens on a Sony a7Riv, cropped.
A humpback whale makes a powerful statement with a tail slap in Queen Charlotte Strait 🐋 This dramatic behaviour creates thunderous sounds that can be heard from great distances. Whether it`s for communication, feeding, dominance, or pure play, the force behind each slap is a breath-taking reminder of their sheer power.
🌊Queen Charlotte Strait, off Northern Vancouver Island, First Nations Territory, Traditional Territories of the Kwakwaka`wakw People, British Columbia, Canada.
📸 Photo Credit: @RolfHickerPhotography Shot with a 200-600mm lens on a Sony a7Riv, cropped.
Golden moments with the A34 pod 🌅✨ With the sun dipping low came a golden light which illuminated the Northern Resident Orca blows, creating a mesmerising glow out on the water. This serene sight was captured in Weynton Passage off North Vancouver Island, First Nations Territory, Traditional Territories of the Kwakwaka`wakw People, British Columbia, Canada.
📸 Photo Credit: @RolfHickerPhotography Shot with a 200-600mm lens on a Sony a7Riv, cropped.
Bear bums! 🐻🍑 Usually, this rear view is the first thing we spot after long search along the coastlines of Knight Inlet. It`s slowly becoming our favourite sight—it means we`ve finally found them! And, let`s be honest, they`re pretty cute.
🌲Knight Inlet, Traditional Territory of the Da’Naxda’xw Awaetlala First Nation, British Columbia, Canada
📸 Photo Credit: @RolfHickerPhotography Shot with a 200-600mm lens on a Sony a7Riv, cropped.
Photographing marine life from the boat offers rare and unique opportunities, especially in fleeting, split-second moments like with this Orca and Pacific white-sided dolphin. Capturing them just below the surface, where a thin veil of water separates sea from air, perfectly reflects the tension and anticipation before the breach.
🌊Off northern Vancouver Island, First Nations Territory, Traditional Territories of the Kwakwaka`wakw People, British Columbia, Canada.
📸 Photo Credit: @RolfHickerPhotography Shot with a 200-600mm lens on a Sony a7Riv, cropped.
On our tours, we aim for more than just wildlife sightings—we strive to help our guests forge a connection with the region itself. The Broughton Archipelago and Knight Inlet, nestled within First Nation Territories, offer stunning landscapes. Being immersed in this natural beauty leaves you in awe, making the wait for wildlife an experience in itself 🌲🌄🌊🌤️
Photos captured are of Broughton Archipelago, Traditional Territories of the Kwakwaka`wakw First Nation, and Knight Inlet, Traditional territory of the Da’Naxda’xw Awaetlala First Nation, British Columbia, Canada
📸 Photo Credit: @RolfHickerPhotography Shot with a 200-600mm lens on a Sony a7Riv, cropped.
This glossy black bear stands out against the vibrant green backdrop, its reflection perfectly mirrored in the still water below. A quiet moment that captures the contrast and beauty of nature.
🌲Knight Inlet, Traditional territory of the Da’Naxda’xw Awaetlala First Nation, British Columbia, Canada.
📸 Photo Credit: @RolfHickerPhotography Shot with a 200-600mm lens on a Sony a7Riv, cropped.
As we approach the season`s final stretch, I’ve been out on the water since May and will keep going until October. It’s been a marathon of excitement and a bit of weariness, but each outing still fills me with anticipation.
I often get asked about the highlight or best picture of the season, but it`s tough to pinpoint just one. With so many incredible moments and sightings daily, it’s more 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.
Each day brings something special, whether it`s to me or to the wonderful guests I have the pleasure of hosting.
Being a guide for private, small-group tours (with a max of 4 guests) is both mentally and physically demanding, especially when conducting tours in three languages: German, English, and Bavarian😄.
Despite the challenges, the true highlight of this season has become clear:
It’s the people I meet and work with—my 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 I connect with daily in Knight Inlet and the Broughton Archipelago.
We’ve just wrapped up a long stretch of tours, and while every guest is unique and very much appreciated, some are especially memorable.
Some of you have returned for your second, third, or even fourth visit, showing your love and support for the area, the wildlife, us and our sustainability ideas. 🙏🤗
Your support means the world to us, as does the support of my beautiful partner, Sarah, who has been my rock through it all (thank you, my love ❤️😘).
𝐒𝐨, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭-𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭.
A special thank you to Nancy and Martin, Madelaine and Russ, Regula and Heinz, and Ian.
Your appreciation and companionship have made our days truly special, and your bookings have helped us a lot to survive and succeed.🥰
Looking forward to the next few weeks and more incredible experiences on the water! 🌊✨
I didn’t tag anyone for privacy reasons, but dear guests and guides, please feel free to tag yourself!
Join Rolf’s family-friendly small group adventure tours with maximum 4 guests / 5 for families with children.
He specializes in photo and wildlife experiences on board his safe, covered and certified boat.
With Rolf’s extensive expertise, you’ll gain invaluable insights, tips, and captivating stories to enrich your journey.
