Victoria Whale Watch Tour
- 3 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Encounter majestic wildlife of the Salish Sea onboard our Ocean Cruiser departing from downtown Victoria's scenic inner harbour. No matter the time of day, be prepared for the adventure of a lifetime! The 61-foot comfortable Ocean Cruiser - Marauder IV is fast, quiet, stable and suitable for all ages. Relax as you sit inside, outside, or on the top deck with the Captain – the viewing options are all terrific! Especially unique are the side decks running the whole length of the boat. There is lots of room to move around, view wildlife and take that perfect picture. Your expert naturalists are on board to ensure a memorable and educational experience. Sit back and tune into our narration about wildlife and the natural history of the Vancouver Island Coast. Keep on the lookout for whales and other marine life like porpoises, elephant seals, harbour seals, sea lions and a variety of marine birds!
Inclusions
What's included
- Expert marine naturalists
- Complimentary coffee, tea & hot chocolate
- Washroom
- All Fees and Taxes
- Photo package
Itinerary
As you cruise, our experienced crew will help you spot a variety of whales and other marine wildlife that live in the Salish Sea, including orcas, humpback whales, sea lions, seal, otters and eagles. Throughout the tour, our crew will share fascinating insights into the whales’ biology and their ocean habitat. Curious about something? Feel free to ask questions along the way! If you start to feel chilly, step inside the spacious, heated cabin and warm up with a complimentary cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. You’ll still be able to enjoy the view through large windows as you continue your search for marine life. Your adventure concludes back at Victoria's inner harbour.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.8
- 5508
- 441
- 313
- 26
- 19
Ratings come from 577 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Showing reviews written in English.
5Amazing experience- lots of humpbacks
It was amazing experience, very well organized, and informative. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. I can’t remember the name of one of the crew members but the Katie and her team were awesome. Jasper our captain knew exactly where to find the whales. They all knew the whales by name had a book that helped identify them. We saw 5 different humpbacks and one in a lifetime sighting where a baby and mom whale breached together. The crew shared pictures via email and information about the whales. If you forget jackets, they had jackets to borrow and hot drinks to keep warm. Definitely would recommend this company
5Exhilarating
Great experience saw humpback mother with calf and some others as humpbacks and sea Lions and seals
5A great day on the water!
A beautiful, sunny Saturday morning started with our check in at the SpringTide office on Wharf Street. The process was as smooth as the water was when we headed out into the Salish Sea. My wife and I boarded the Marauder IV with about 30 others and were pleased with the amount of space we had. We were introduced to Captain Jasper and the two naturalists, Karie and Amanda. As we left the inner harbour we were impressed with the number of birds we saw. We saw Rhinoceros Auklet, California Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pelagic Cormorant and hundreds of Common Murre. Our first contact with a Humpback Whale came about 15 minutes into the trip but it was short as the whale sounded within a minute of our arrival. Capt. Jasper found us another Humpback about 5 minutes later and everyone got a good look at it. The cameras were humming. As the morning progressed we moved towards Canada's 2nd oldest lighthouse on Race Rocks. Here we hit the pot of gold. We had contact with 5 more Humpback's and several of them were lunge feeding on the surface. Spectacular! We spent almost an hour watching the whales as well as seeing the California Sea Lion, Steller Sea Lions and Harbour Seals on Race Rocks. Jasper and Karie also found us a very rare bird for this area, a Red-footed Booby! As we left Race Rocks we encountered a female Humpback with a young calf and the calf was breeching (jumping) for the 20 minutes we stayed to watch. Wow! We finished our trip by spending 10 minutes with a Bigg's Orca. Jasper found a solitary adult male hunting along the shore. An incredible day!
4Fall was perfect time.
Wonderful experience and saw many whales. Disappointed we didn’t get to the sea lions but as I mentioned, followed a few pods of orcas. Guides were great.
5Whale of a time!
A solid three hours of education. Amanda and Katie the guides were excellent. Each has a degree in the Biology field, one a zoologist and the other a marine biologist and both involved in research in their fields. They were full of interesting information that enhanced the experience. Ian the pilot drove a steady, calm race and clearly knew where to find the whales. I lost count of how many we saw but the girls through their research gave intimate details of the whales we saw. We also saw sea lions and many marine birds. A thoroughly worthwhile trip that was great value for money. You also get access to photos that the guides took during the trip for free.
5Fun whale watch
Had a wonderful whale watching trip. Saw many whales. Katie was a fantastic guide with so much information and enthusiasm. Jasper did a great job as our captain, getting us to great spots to see whales and sea lions. Overall, a great 3 hours. A really nice feature is that Katie will upload her photos to a website so we could enjoy without worrying about getting the best shot.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Check-in 30 minutes prior to your tour departure time. The check in office is located at 1119 Wharf St (at street level ¬t water level).
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 65 travellers
- Operated by
- SpringTide Whale Watching Tours
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- For any additional information regarding accessibility, please contact us
- Must meet minimum passenger requirements to confirm.
How it compares in Victoria
- Its from-price is 15% below the median of the 104 experiences we list in Victoria.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 8 of 104.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Victoria
Victoria, capital of British Columbia, is a harbour city at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, known for gardens, old stone buildings and afternoon tea.
The Inner Harbour is the centre of Victoria, ringed by the copper-domed Parliament Buildings, the Royal BC Museum and a château-style hotel, with floatplanes landing on the water and street performers along the causeway. Behind it, narrow lanes lead to Chinatown, the oldest in Canada, and to Bastion Square. Craigdarroch Castle, a Victorian mansion on a hill, has stained glass and carved woodwork, and Beacon Hill Park runs down to bluffs above the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Top-ranked sights in Victoria: Butchart Gardens, Victoria Inner Harbour, Government Street.
Special offers in Victoria
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
