Victoria Whale Watch Tour: Majestic Salish Sea Wildlife

Embark on a thrilling 3-4 hour Victoria Whale Watch Tour and encounter majestic wildlife of the Salish Sea. Join expert naturalists for an educational experience and spot whales, seals, sea lions, and more!

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Juan de Fuca Marine Trail - Head to the Victoria wharf to board your 61-foot (19-meter) motor yacht, the Marauder IV, which holds up to 84 passengers and features comfortable seating and a smooth, quiet ride. Meet your naturalist guide and head out from the harbor, cruising into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the body of water separating Canada’s Vancouver Island from the United States.
  • SpringTide Whale Watching & Charters - As you cruise, your guide will help you spot the variety of whales that live in these Pacific waters, including orcas, gray whales, humpback whales and minke whales. Keep your eyes open for other marine life, too, like sea lions, elephant seals, harbor seals and sea birds. You may even catch sight of a bald eagle.

During your journey, listen to your guide’s informative, expert commentary about the biological and ecological features of the whales and their ocean environment. If you have any questions, ask away! And if the conditions are right, the boat’s hydrophones can pick up and amplify the beautiful sounds of the orcas as they communicate with each other, giving you the amazing opportunity to hear the song of the whales.

If you get chilly, head inside the spacious heated cabin and warm up with a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. You can keep watching for whales through the windows.

Your tour ends with return to the wharf.

What's Included
  • Tea and coffee
  • Washroom
  • All fees and/or taxes
  • Experienced and educational naturalists on board each trip
Additional Information

Encounter majestic wildlife of the Salish Sea onboard our Ocean Cruiser departing from downtown Victoria. Whether it is in the morning or the afternoon, 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!

  • For any additional information regarding accessibility, please contact SpringTide Whale Watching at (250) 384-4444
  • Must meet minimum passenger requirements to confirm.
Location
1119 Wharf St
Wharf Street
Check-in 30-45 minutes prior to your tour departure time. The check in office is located at 1119 Wharf St (at street level & not at dock).
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.8
(383 Ratings)
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Sara_m
Aug 9, 2024
Amazing Orcas - From beginning to end, the tour was well organized. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. While there is no guarantee to see wildlife, we were fortunate enough to see a group of orca whales! The group of whales swam right by our boat, it was amazing. Highly recommended this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Nickbm57ei
Aug 8, 2024
Great orca experience - Very good crew! Katie+Katie and Courtney were fantastic. We saw a family of Orca and hats off to the captain casper for getting us a close look. They ended up swimming right under our boat.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Linda_m
Aug 8, 2024
Wonderful Day! - An amazing adventure! It was a wonderful day, saw two different humpbacks (Fiesta & Neka), many seals, sea lions and Ollie the otter. The crew aboard the Maurader was amazing... special kudos to the two Katie's for the care and dedication to the experience and the animals.
Review provided by Viator
Linda_g
Aug 7, 2024
Nice boat ride on a sunny day. - The captain call before the trip to confirm which was nice. The boat was late but the staff keep use well informed on the situation which was nice. The crew was friendly and knowledgeable on the boat and in the lobby. We felt very safe. We were disappointed not to see any whales but they are wild animals. The captain looked very hard around and informed us after that other boats in the area didn’t see any whales. They offer a rain check which is good anytime, which is reassuring. Hopefully next time we’ll see some. We did see seagulls, seals, and lots of water. The offer warm beverages and had extra layers on the boat to stay warm. It was a nice ride and my husband didn’t get seasick, which was a first.
Review provided by Viator
Thevillagesdesoto
Aug 7, 2024
Good Weather Good Fun - 8/6 2 pm excursion with our GLOBUS group. Staff/mates friendly and professional. They have a photographer and will post photos so you can maximize your viewing pleasure. Had 3 Humpback sightings. Sea Lions were huge. Harbor Seals were stinky. The crew also provide additional warm clothing for the less than prepared. Head naturalist Katie was wonderful and knowledgeable. I can attest I am a Zoologist. Allie was great. She went around checking on us and helping with questions. Allie also was great with the young children helping them out by taking their minds off what was making them uncomfortable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
209alexah
Aug 5, 2024
Coolest Experience! - On Aug 4 I had the best time at Springtide Whale Watching on the Marauder 4! The experience was incredible right from the start watching the harbour seals right from the dock! The crew was super knowledgeable and gave lots of details about the whales we were able to see and what behaviour they were showing. I want to give a special shout out to Captain Jasper, Naturalists Katie and Molly, and Chief Mate Katie. They really made it a fun and exciting experience! It was awesome to see the humpbacks! Smiley’s calf of 2022 and Honu the whale really put on an amazing show!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Denise_h
Aug 3, 2024
It was a beautiful day. ... - It was a beautiful day. They were very knowledgeable. Wish we had seen Orca, but saw a beautiful humpback whale :)
Review provided by Viator
Shutterandsentence
Aug 2, 2024
Humpback Whales--Worth It! - On the day we went whale watching, the whales were quite far from the starting location in Victoria. This did not stop our intrepid guides from ensuring the best experience possible. It was a long, windy, and bumpy trip out to where the whales were, but the guides anticipated our need for extra clothing and provided everyone in the front of the boat with extra jackets (as well as lots of fascinating commentary on the local whales and their behaviors). Finally, we were able to locate a humpback whale and her calf! Even though we were running late for our return time, we still spent a good amount of time watching the whales (from a respectful distance, of course). We were able to see the breath from their spouts and their tales slapping the water! Meanwhile, the crew was very attentive to the physical needs of the passengers and passionate about sharing their knowledge! It was definitely worth the journey--just be prepared, dress warm, and bring medications for seasickness if needed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Claudiojr
Aug 7, 2024
The crew is super friendly, and professional - Everything was good, we were just unlucky. Were were unable to find any wale for a long time, in the end, yes we saw two for a couple minutes and that's it. The crew is super friendly, and professional and provided us with lots of information, I think we were just unlucky with the wales.
Review provided by Viator
Hj_y
Aug 4, 2024
USA $$ - Do not purchase from this website, if u a Canadian. This will charge u USA $ so way more expensive than what u see. Be careful. The tour was great so buys tickets from other website.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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