Victoria whale watching company blasts navy over loud training exercises

Whale watching companies in Victoria are upset with the Royal Canadian Navy, claiming loud training exerciseswent ahead even though a pod of endangered southern resident killer whales was nearby.

Navy ships from CFBEsquimaltoften conduct exercises with explosives atBentinckIsland in the Strait of Juan deFuca and follow protocols to stop blastingif boats or whales breach a one-kilometre buffer zone.

Mark Williams withSpringTideWhale Watching says that protocol wasn't followedon Thursday when he was with a group of tourists near the Race Rocks ecological reserve watching nearby killer whales.

"All of a sudden there was a huge blast or a number of blasts fromBentinckIsland," he said.

"We were obviously very shocked and scared and weren't sure what was happening at first. It was a really huge bang. We actually felt it in our chest on the boat. So imagine what the whales would have felt."

• VIDEO | Watch as SpringTide Whale Watching operators argue between vessels with navy sailors:

B.C. whale watching rage at Royal Canadian Navy

7 years ago

Duration 0:44

Operators with SpringTide Whale Watching allege the navy did not cease blasting exercises when killer whales were nearby Bentinck Island off Victoria B.C.

The whale watching industry is hoping to set up better communication with the navy around the location of whales.

Security procedures followed: navy

But the navy says it has looked into the incident and disagrees that the whales were too close.

It says the whales were outside of the one-kilometre buffer zone; asentry boat keeps watch and advises range operators if marine mammals are detected nearby.

"We are confident after hearing the exchange between the parties involved offBentinckIsland ...that safety and security procedures were properly followed,' said Lt. Tony Wright in a statement.

"At no point were any persons or marine wildlife in danger.We advise all marine operators to respect safety distances when operating in the vicinity of naval operations, exercises or training."

Still, Dan Kukat, who owns SpringTide and is theliasonto the navy for the Pacific Whale Watch Association, wants to meet with navy officials.

"Our whole purpose in this whole exercise is only to do whatever we can to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again here or elsewhere."

The navy says it"is extremely conscious of our environmental impact and we go to great lengths to ensure that our operating procedures are in-line with government policy and create the smallest impact."

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With files from Megan Thomas.