Over the past three decades the Borrowman family has been committed to providing a unique experience for each of their clients. To broaden these experiences, your hosts, Jim and Mary Borrowman offer multi-day expeditions that will captivate not only your heart but also your soul. Orcella Expeditions has been established due to the popularity of these multi-day tours.

Seasoned veterans in the charter boat business, Jim and Mary are devoted to the preservation, safeguarding and well being of the marine mammals that frequent the Blackfish Archipelago and surrounding areas. They are indeed British Columbia's premier marine mammal specialists!

Captain Jim Borrowman, Owner

Jim’s love of the ocean started at the age of 2 when he went fishing off Victoria with his father.  His first encounter with killer whales was at age 11 in his 4 metre boat.  He is a licensed captain and has been scuba diving for over 35 years.  Jim is a pioneer in the whale watching industry having started British Columbia’s first whale watching company in 1980. Jim’s love of killer whales started in 1977 and has carried on to today.  He has been involved with many committees that are committed to saving the environment and killer whale habitat.  His cooperation with researchers and scientist worldwide with acoustic recordings of marine mammals with concentration in the Blackfish Archipelago / Johnstone Srait area and the photo identification programme in collaboration with the University of British Columbia and Fisheries and Oceans Canada is ongoing.  Jim has been recognized with many awards, the latest being Conservation Champion of British Columbia for 2008.

Mary Borrowman, Owner

Mary is the behind the scenes coordinator.  She has a strong background in business and the retail market.  Her love for the North Island has been reflected in the years of volunteer public service – President of the Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Heritage Society, Chair of the Community Resource Board, Director Tourism Vancouver Island.  She is currently a director for the Whale Interpretive Centre and treasurer for NIMMSA (North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association).  Her love of the culinary arts delights many a guest.

Christie McMillan, Head Naturalist

Christie was introduced to northern Vancouver Island’s incredible diversity of marine life when she worked as a Naturalist for us in 2005 and 2006, having just graduated with a degree in Marine Biology from the University of British Columbia.  Working for Stubbs Island Whale Watching gave her the passion and experience to continue on in marine mammal research, and she has been involved in the study and conservation of whales since then, both here in BC and in the eastern United States.  Most recently, she spent two years working for the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies in Cape Cod, where she studied humpback whales and worked as a member of the Large Whale Disentanglement Team, rescuing whales that were caught in fishing gear. 
But she just couldn’t stay away from the west coast for long, and she is thrilled to be back on-board with us, and to have the opportunity to share her experience, energy, and conservation ethic with our guests.  Her love and enthusiasm for all wildlife above, on, and below the water’s surface is contagious, and her strong background in research makes her a knowledgeable and effective educator.

The 60-foot vessel, the M.V. Gikumi, is integrally linked with the rich history of Telegraph Cove and the surrounding area. Initially, the Gikumi was built to tow logs for the Telegraph Cove sawmill. She also served as a coastal pilot boat and cargo vessel all along British Columbia’s rugged coastline before becoming B.C.’s first whale watching vessel in 1980.

The Gikumi offers a great sense of history and romance in addition to providing an ideal vantage point for viewing wildlife. The Gikumi has an inside heated galley and washroom. She is equipped with a hydrophone (underwater microphone) that allows for the possibility of hearing live Orca vocalizations.

The M.V. Gikumi is part of the Borrowman family and has been lovingly restored by master shipwright Gary Kollmuss.  The vessel is fully certified and undergoes Coast Guard and Transport Canada inspection every year.