Grey whale makes a side trip en route to Alaska with a layover in Vancouver's False Creek

Living on Whidbey Island, it's common to see the grey whales who stop by my hometown of Langley in the springtime on their way north to Alaska for the summer.

Oh sure, Langley's a cool place to live and visit, but the greys come to feast on the abundant sand shrimp in Saratoga Passage.

The impressive mammals are so revered here on the island that Langley hosts a Welcome the Whales Day Festival & Parade each spring. And there's even a whale bell that gets clanged when a grey pays a visit.

But for folks in Vancouver, it was an unusual sighting indeed: a grey whale in False Creek. Here is some good info and images of the unexpected visitor to Vancouver on Wednesday from CTV British Columbia.

Grey whale off Vancouver Island near Race Rocks Lighthouse while on a Prince of Whales tour. Photo by Sue Frause.