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: 24 hours
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…
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…

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
(161 Ratings)
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Tluch2023
Oct 17, 2024
A tour of a lifetime. - This was a trip of a lifetime. Our naturalist/tour guide Vanessa and boat captain Joseph made a great team. Vanessa's enthusiasm is infectious and we learned a lot about the whales, orcas, sealions, and more that we saw. I would highly recommend this outing to anyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roadtripjunkie12018
Oct 7, 2024
Amazing 5+/5 - What an amazing afternoon on the ocean Val was so much more than a tour guide. As a marine biologist the knowledge we learnt from her and the excitement when we could find out what whale we had just spotted Our adventure saw sea lions/ harbour seals and at least 8 humpback whales I have no hesitation giving this company a 5+ score Just amazing memories thank u ☺️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gretchen00
Sep 28, 2024
Great experience whale watching...the best company! - I had a fantastic experience! Our guide Val was so knowledgeable (she has a Masters in Marine Biology) and shared great info during our cruise. She was open to questions. I could tell that she loves what she does. The boat was comfortable, and I felt safe the entire time. The type and number of marine life you are able to see will obviously vary by trip, but we were able to see 9 different humpback whales (Val knows these specific animals by name, history, etc.), harbor seals, and stellar sea lions. I highly, highly recommend Vancouver Island Whale Watching in Nanaimo! I could not have been more pleased with the entire experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joanne_d
Sep 18, 2024
Spectacular day of whale watching! - Incredible afternoon on the water. Spent 4 hours with an excellent captain/naturalist and saw 5 or 6 whales. We lucked out when two of the whales swam right up to our boat—their choice—our engine was off! Terrifying and thrilling all at once! Beautiful creatures that delighted us with their antics. It was a windy wavy day and I was glad for my scopolamine patch but the other 9 people in our open zodiac boat seemed to have no issues. If you’re prone to motion sickness I’d recommend something just in case. The views in the “islands” were breathtaking. The whales were amazing. It was a spectacular day!
Review provided by Viator
John_h
Sep 18, 2024
Amazing! - Scenery, whales and wonderful guide and captain. Made the trip up from Victoria totally worth it. Highly recommended this company
Review provided by Viator
Thepik
Sep 6, 2024
Amazing experience. Worth every penny! - We went as a group of 5 on an open air boat. Hayleigh was very knowledgeable and passionate about the whales we saw during our trip. Her energy was infectious and made the entire trip enjoyable. Darcy was a master captain and found us new pods quickly. During our trip we saw Orcas, multiple Humpback Whales and even had Kai (a Humpback Whale) become curious with us and spent some time immediately under the boat which highlighted his enormous size. After that, Kai breached the water and put on a show. Overall, 10/10 from both the staff and the whales!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laura_g
Sep 5, 2024
Best time ever!! - 5 humpback whales! Slapping the pectoral fin on the water. Absolutely the most wonderful thing i have seen in my life!! Highly recommend this. Tons of fun!!
Review provided by Viator
Exploration756756
Sep 5, 2024
These Guys are Good. We saw Whales! - These guys are good! Captain Darcy and our naturalist Hayleigh took us to areas where we watched orcas, humpbacks, sea lions, harbour seals, cormorants and turkey vultures. Captain Darcy maneuvered the boat so that ample photography opportunities were available, including a humpback breach. The knowledge Hayleigh shared was fun and informative. Thanks you guys. What an awesome day!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Coastal557058
Sep 3, 2024
Great captain and Naturalist expert - worthwhile tour - Hayleigh and Tino were both amazing! They were both had a lot of expertise and experience between them and knew the surroundings and animals very well. Hayleigh was able to answer a LOT of questions that our group had she was very good. We saw humpback whales and orcas. I liked that they took photographs on a professional camera that we can use later too. The tour was worth every penny.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jennifer_b
Sep 15, 2024
Lots of Whales! - We had a great time! We saw Humpback and Orca, seals and sea lions. We wasn’t warned that I would get drenched. The front of the boat takes on waves. I was completely soaked. I would have dressed differently had I known this. But we got to see lots of marine wildlife and our guide was knowledgeable and enjoyed sharing her knowledge and love of animals.
Review provided by Viator
From $157
up to 12 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).