Gray Whales swim along coast of Vancouver Island during world's longest mammal migration

Vancouver Island, B.C. - Every year around between Marh and May more than 20,000 Gray Whales pass up the west coast shore of Vancouver Island, on their way from Mexico to Alaska. It's the longest migration of any mammal in the world (9,000 km). Some of the whales, which average 12-15 metres (40-50 ft) for an adult, choose to spend the whole summer in local areas such as Clayoquot Sound, rejoining the main group during the southern migration in the autumn. In the early spring it’s possible to spot some from shore, and loads of whale watching tours (which follow guidelines to keep a non-threatening distance from the whales) are available from communities such as Ucluelet and Tofino. Those communities, together with the Pacific Rim National Park Preserve, host the annual mid-March Pacific Rim Whale Festival - with parades, art shows, concerts, ‘chowder chow downs’, etc.

Where: The communities of Ucluelet, Tofino and Pacfific Rim National Park Reserve jointly host the Pacific Rim Whale Festival

In the News: The 2013 Pacific Rim Whale Festival will be held March 16 to 24. Check out the making of Vancouver Island's Wild Pacific Trail in a video narrated by actor Jason Priestly (who co-owns a resort in the region with his family).

Canada’s Coolest:

Welcome to a new feature on Canada Cool. I'll be presenting different 'Coolest' lists with my favorites and I encourage you to nominate suggestions from your own experiences. You can Twitter @CanadaCool or email [email protected]. Let me know what makes your suggestion exceptionally cool. Remember, by contributing your comments you are giving Canada Cool permission to quote you. Only a selection of submissions will be included, but all comments and submissions are greatly appreciated!

The first feature is: Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives

Here are some of my favorites...

The Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta - This 229 km (142 mi) Rocky Mountain route from Banff/Lake Louise to Jasper passes 100 frozen rivers and nudges the base of the Athabasca Glacier - the most accessible glacier in the world. You can stop and explore it. It spills down from the Columbia Icefield, an area of ice so massive that you could fit the entire population of North America on it with each person getting at least a square metre of space.

The Corridor, Algonquin Park, Ontario – this 56-km stretch of Hwy 60 cuts through the southwest section of Algonquin Park. Less than three hours north of Toronto the park is a nature-lover's paradise with 7,725 km of lakes, rivers, forest, trails, camping, comfortable lodges and 2000 km of canoe routes. Offers hiking trails to stop and enjoy, but what makes it really cool is that it’s one of the best places in North America to spot moose (especially in May and June). And, on Thursday nights in August up to 600 cars will gather to listen to wolves howl.

The Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – Driving this 303 km (187 mile) route is like riding a roller-coaster: the road snakes around hairpin turns, rises to heights over 365 metres (1200 ft), weaves around headlands revealing spectacular coastal scenery, and plunges down to sea level taking you into the heart of small fishing communities. The most dramatic scenery is between the Cape Breton Highlands National Park entrance near Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, so go slow. And, plan some flexibility into your schedule, so you can drive it on a clear day.

And here are some of your nominations for 'Canada's Coolest Single Day Scenic Drives'...

More from Canada’s Coolest

'Canada's Coolest' topics we'll be publishing in the future:

• Golf Course Features
• Haunted Hotels
• Hotel Special Services

Send your suggestions to [email protected]

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