Telegraph Cove

Telegraph Cove began in 1912 as the end of a telegraph line, then ran a saltery and a sawmill, and the whole settlement, about twenty buildings, stands on wooden pilings around a small bay with a boardwalk linking them; each house carries a plaque naming the family who lived in it. It is now the main departure point for Johnstone Strait, where northern resident orcas gather in summer to feed on returning salmon and to rub themselves on the pebble beaches at Robson Bight, a reserve closed to boats. Humpbacks have returned in growing numbers. The Whale Interpretive Centre holds articulated skeletons including a fin whale.

What you actually see

• The boardwalk village - about twenty buildings on pilings with family plaques.
• The orca trips - Johnstone Strait tours in summer by boat or kayak.
• The Whale Interpretive Centre - assembled skeletons including a fin whale.
• The humpbacks - a recovering population feeding in the strait.

When to go

July to September for orcas, when the salmon run; sightings drop sharply outside that window. The village largely closes from October to April. Book tours and lodging well ahead.

Honest expectations

Sightings are never guaranteed even in peak season. Robson Bight itself is closed to boats, so viewing is from a distance. The village has very limited accommodation and books out months ahead.

Nearby

Alert Bay lies across the water; Port McNeill is the ferry town.