No, those aren't beached whales on Vancouver's shoreline.

A Vancouver man with a deep affection for orcas spent most of his weekend carefully crafting nearly life-sized killer whales out of snow and sand on Jericho Beach.

"With this sudden snowfall, I thought I'm going to do it right now, while I have the chance, and see how it turns out," said Aaron Cambrin, 27, who started the sculptures Friday.

The spy-hopping orca was first, which took about five hours, he said.

The larger figure took another eight or more hours over the next two days, first to roll large balls for the body, then to craft the tall dorsal fin in thin layers for strength.

"I love killer whales with a passion from my childhood days," said Cambrin, who first fell for orcas as a kid visiting the Vancouver Aquarium, where he now volunteers.

Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the South Coast, calling for between 10 and 15 fresh centimetres of snow by Tuesday morning.