Nanaimo Whale Watching: Immersive BC Wildlife Tour

Embark on an immersive BC wildlife tour in Nanaimo and witness killer whales, humpbacks, sea lions, and more. Guaranteed whale sightings or your next trip is free!

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • 90 Front St #5 - Your day begins by checking in at our office 45 minutes before your departure time and then you’ll head down to the boat as a group.

You’ll then be introduced to the Salish Sea ecosystem and wildlife as you cruise through the Gulf Islands archipelago in search of whales and other marine life. You’ll learn about the different types of whales that use the Salish Sea, including their natural history, and their roles in the marine food web.

Throughout your adventure, your captain will be in touch with other whale watching companies over VHF radio and will plan your route to maximize the area covered between vessels.

You’ll spend a full hour viewing whales, and your marine naturalist will provide real-time insights into their behaviors. Onboard catalogues are used to identify individual whales, and this data will be collected throughout the season and sent to the Centre for Whale Research, Keta Coastal Conservation, and the BC Cetacean Sightings Network.

Your tour will wrap up with an educational talk on marine conservation focusing on threats to BC orca, and conservation initiatives will be discussed.

What's Included
  • Toilets onboard
  • Binoculars onboard (shared between guests)
  • Anti-exposure suit provided
  • Sunscreen available
  • Captain is certified by Transport Canada
  • Professional guide with academic background in marine biology
What's Not Included
  • The listed price does not include parking, which costs around 7-8 dollars CAD for the day.
  • Lunch is not included.
  • Gratuities
  • Transportation to/from office
Additional Information

Dive into the rich coastal wildlife of BC while navigating through the chain of Gulf Islands to spot killer whales (orcas), humpbacks, sea lions, porpoises, eagles, and more. Your guide, with a scholarly background in biology and a deep-seated love for marine life, ensures a sighting of whales on your trip, else your next trip is on us. Step aboard our zodiac-style vessel designed for 12 passengers to get a firsthand experience of whales and different marine species right from the water level! Your safety and comfort is our priority, so we provide anti-exposure suits to ensure your warmth and protection from the sea elements.

  • Subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled due to poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund.
  • Not suitable for pregnant women.
  • Minimum numbers apply. If there are not enough passengers to meet requirements, there is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation, in which case an alternative date or full refund will be offered.
Location
90 Front St #5
Front Street
Our office is located on Front Street, the seawall along downtown Nanaimo's waterfront.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(154 Ratings)
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Abbia271
Aug 18, 2024
Don’t hesitate, book! You won’t be disappointed - We cannot rate this experience highly enough. Booking and checking in was easy, staff are super friendly and go the extra mile to make your experience 100%. Always happy and knowledgable to answer any query, and we were super impressed with their professionalism and mindfulness of ensuring we could enjoy the experience without impacting on the wildlife. A huge shout out to Hayleigh our expert naturalist, who we couldn’t believe came from our own home town in the UK! And our Captain Joseph, who I was thrilled to see photobombed my last video ha ha! Hope to see you both next time we visit!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Justinsz9174jo
Aug 17, 2024
Fantastic Outing and an Educational Experience - This was our first time on an open boat for this kind of outing and were a little hesitant at first. But the team and crew put us to ease very quickly, got us comfortable with the suits and safety, and had us on our way quickly. The open boat experience was amazing. Gave you the true experience of being in the environment but yet felt completely comfortable. We could not believe the number of humpbacks that we saw, including a male/female pair and a mother w/calf, several others at a distance. And to top it off we saw a brother/sister pair of orcas. The naturalist, Val, was incredibly knowledgable and ensured that we were both safe and getting the most out of the experience. Captain Rodrigo had a talent for getting and keeping us in the right place while maintaining protocols. We came away with this amazing experience while also feeling like our presence was not disturbing these awesome animals. Strong work, Vancouver Island Whale Watch!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Louise_m
Aug 11, 2024
Whale of a Time - Exhilarating! So lucky to see 4 humpbacks in 2 different locations as well as seals, bald eagle, nesting birds. The ride was awesome (bumpy and fast but not scary) Brilliant skipper and very knowledgeable fun guide. A real highlight of our trip to Vancouver Island.
Review provided by Viator
Sharonsd3717iz
Aug 10, 2024
Humpback Soup! - This was a fantastic and exhilarating trip out with Captain Dave and Hayleigh! We felt so lucky to see so many humpback whales. Hayleigh shared so much knowledge about their behaviour as well as the other wildlife we saw like the sea lions and turkey vultures. We would absolutely recommend doing this trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roger
Aug 10, 2024
Whale soup! - We had a fantastic experience visiting the humpback whales in what they described as a whale soup, there were so many of the fantastic beasts
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cynthiagd6514av
Aug 8, 2024
Amazing day on the Whale Watching Tour out of Nanaimo Harbour !! - Went with my Dad , who also ALWAYS wanted to do this . We had a great time . Saw many humpbacks , Was very cool and magical for sure . Did not see orcas , wich was disappointing , but no ones fault of course . But it was a great experience for sure . Saw many seals and sealions , some with babys . Also saw the Gabriola Bluffs , wich ive never seen before . It was amazing . So glad we did this , and Ill take my Hubby and Grandson soon as well . 5 star experience ! Staff was wonderful and very inviting and warm.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Corskiehill
Aug 8, 2024
A “whaley” good time… - This is absolutely worth signing up for! We were a bit doubtful about the exposure suits to start with on a hot day, but grateful for them in an open boat doing 50km/hr+. The guides were really knowledgeable, and safety was clearly a priority so that we all felt very safe. It’s a beautiful location to spend a morning out on the water even without any company, but we were blessed with fabulous weather and a couple of playful hump backs who came to visit within touching distance of our boat (although of course, no touching allowed!). We saw 5 whales in total plus many grumpy sea lions, seals, cormorants, a bald eagle and a couple of hungry vultures. Definitely would recommend - even our teenage son said it was lots of fun!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brenda_p
Aug 4, 2024
Loved the knowledge of... - Loved the knowledge of the crew…fun ride and saw 5 Humpback whales. It was amazing, thank you all for a great adventure.
Review provided by Viator
Anekristin_r
Aug 3, 2024
Lifetime remembered experience - Great experience. saw a lot of animals (humpback whales, sea lions, eagles); enjoyed it very much. Where about 3,5 to 4 hours out. Guide was able to answer all out Questions.
Review provided by Viator
Christab962
Aug 2, 2024
Incredible experience! - Hailey, our guide, and Sylvan, our Captain were amazing! They found the humpback whales and when the first one wasn’t very active they found us another set of whales and they were stunning. Then we were on our way back quickly moving through the water and somehow they spotted another one who breached right in front of us. It was a once in a lifetime experience and the zodiac style boat was so fun. My son enjoyed the boat so much he said he didn’t care if he saw a whale because he was so happy with the boat ride in itself. Thank you Haley and Sylvan!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 12 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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