Join us aboard a covered vessel tour lead by marine naturalists whose knowledge and passion for Vancouver Island's marine wildlife is unequaled. You can look for humpback whales, resident and transient orcas and other magnificent marine wildlife.

About this activity

Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
Covid-19 precautions: Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
Reserve now & pay later: Keep your travel plans flexible—book your spot and pay nothing today. Learn more
Duration 3 hours: Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide: English

Highlights

Sail the Pacific Ocean around Vancouver Island
Learn about the vast west coast wildlife including: resident and transient orcas, humpback whales, seals, eagles, and sea lions
Enjoy complimentary hot beverages and both indoor and outdoor viewing areas

Full description

After meeting at the pier or being collected from your Victoria hotel or accommodation, you will begin your carbon-neutral tour led by certified marine naturalists whose knowledge and passion for Vancouver Island’s marine wildlife is unequaled in the industry. Come aboard to experience the wild! All tours are three hours in length and peak whale watching season is April through October. In this peak season, there is a greater than 95% success rate of spotting whales, including both transient and resident orcas, humpbacks, minke, and gray whales.

Other wildlife you may encounter include Dall’s and harbor porpoises, harbor and elephant seals, otters and marine birds such as cormorants and bald eagles.

Whilst onboard the boat you will also be offered complimentary coffee and tea, onboard bathrooms, certified marine naturalists, and indoor and outdoor viewing areas. In the event of an unlucky tour, you will be invited to join again for a complimentary second whale watching tour to bring your dreams of seeing these magnificent animals to life.

Includes

3-hour whale watching tour
Complimentary pick-up and drop off from downtown Victoria hotels
Complimentary hot beverages
Marine naturalist guides
Whale guarantee
4 wildlife conservation fee for 4 different no-profit organizations that help marine animals in the Salish Sea

Covid-19 precautions

Safety measures in place

All required protective equipment is provided
All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
You must keep social distance while in vehicles
The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds

Meeting point

Meet at the Marina Level behind the Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA.

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Important information

Know before you go

Remember to dress warmly as it is always cool out on the water

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.6 /5

based on 143 reviews

Review summary

Guide
5/5
Transportation
4.7/5
Value for money
4.4/5
Safety
4.7/5

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Captain Evan made every effort for to ensure that we were able to experience the whales, which we certainly did. As well, he was willing to share his extensive knowledge with all of us and was open to answering all of our questions. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone and everyone.

July 11, 2021

Great whale watching experience in Victoria BC

We went on this tour in October and saw a number of humpback whales and large numbers of two types of Sea Lions. The naturalist taking the tour, Leah, was knowledgeable, was able to identify the individual whales that we saw, and provided information about the all the different species including the birds we could see. Above all she was friendly, approachable and clearly loved her job and enjoyed sharing her knowledge of the wildlife with us. The type of boat (covered with an upstairs viewing platform) was perfect for this type of activity and guests could shelter from the elements as we moved from spot to spot.

October 19, 2019

Comfortable boat, knowledgeable staff, overall great experience!

Comfortable boat with options to sit inside and out, not overly booked so enough room to move around. The staff was pleasant and informing, clearly quite knowledgeable. Because it is a bigger boat, you get less close to the animals than in e.g. a zodiac. But bring a good camera or binoculars and you'll still get to see as much as the others :-)

July 28, 2019

From Victoria: Whale Watching 3-Hour Trip on Covered Boat

From Victoria: Whale Watching 3-Hour Trip on Covered Boat

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Great whale watching experience in Victoria BC

Comfortable boat, knowledgeable staff, overall great experience!