For anyone interested in #2 on the list, I highly recommend taking a Zodiac tour from Victoria, BC's Inner Harbour. I think you haven't lived until you've been thisclose to an Orca. It's pretty cool when they glide past your raft and go "pshoof."
Here's a link to
one tour operator ; I can't recall the name of the outfit I used but they seemed fairly fungible.
Plus, the setting off Victoria is just gorgeous. The day I went, (in late August) the fog hung low over the water, about 20 feet above the surface, giving it an eerie quality that was punctuated by the various sounds of the orca.
Gentlemen are at an advantage as they can (and may) pee off the back of the zodiac. Ladies, I recommend you avoid drinking anything beforehand, as it is a 3 hour tour
