Vancouver: Half-Day Whale-Watching Tour with Optional Shuttle
Recommended by 91% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Vancouver, Canada
- 3 to 5 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Scout for an incredible array of marine life during this half-day Vancouver whale-watching cruise. Once on-board the comfortable vessel, you can look out for orcas, humpback whales, seals, porpoises, and eagles. The region is renowned for attracting whales, offering a 95% success rate with sightings. Best of all, enjoy spectacular scenery set amidst the Gulf and San Juan Islands, and see views many other visitors to the region miss.
- Have the best chance of spotting whales and other marine wildlife
- See some of the region's most spectacular coastal scenery
- This tour makes exploring beyond city limits hassle-free
- Shuttle option for round-trip transportation from downtown Vancouver
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Restroom on board
- Granola Bar
- Yellow windbreaker jackets
- Naturalist guide
- Live commentary
- Orca Ranger activity book (receive a special badge, become an Orca Ranger)
- Our whale guarantee (if we don't see whales, come back for free - does not expire, non-transferable)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Vancouver Whale Watch12240 Second Ave #210, Richmond, BC V7E 3L8, Canada
Arrival at our office is required one hour before your tour. Check in at our office to receive your boarding pass. Boats depart promptly on time. #210-12240 Second Avenue Richmond BC V7E 3L8
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Explore the incredible marine life near Vancouver during this half-day whale watching cruise in search of orcas and much more. If you’re a nature lover or simply looking for a way to immerse yourself in the scenic beautiful of the western coast of Canada, this excursion is a great option.
Start your whale watching trip with pickup from select Vancouver hotels (if option selected) or by meeting at Steveston, where your boat departs. A shuttle transports guests from convenient hotel locations in Vancouver, and free parking is available for those arriving by car.
Then, climb aboard your sleek, modern whale-watching vessel. This tour travels out into the waters of coastal British Columbia. The area for your excursion is renowned for the orca pods that come to feed on marine mammals throughout the year, and humpback whales that visit during the summer months to feed in the temperate-rich waters. During your tour, you can also look out for porpoises, bald eagles, shore birds, seals, and sea lions.
Finally, the tour ends when you return to shore and your original departure point.
Start your whale watching trip with pickup from select Vancouver hotels (if option selected) or by meeting at Steveston, where your boat departs. A shuttle transports guests from convenient hotel locations in Vancouver, and free parking is available for those arriving by car.
Then, climb aboard your sleek, modern whale-watching vessel. This tour travels out into the waters of coastal British Columbia. The area for your excursion is renowned for the orca pods that come to feed on marine mammals throughout the year, and humpback whales that visit during the summer months to feed in the temperate-rich waters. During your tour, you can also look out for porpoises, bald eagles, shore birds, seals, and sea lions.
Finally, the tour ends when you return to shore and your original departure point.
1
Vancouver Whale Watch
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- 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 wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Joyce_A
What a phenomenal tour. Captain James and James, the naturalist, were just great. So knowledgable and professional. Saw lots of humpbacks as well as Orcas. And as an added bonus seal lions, seals and even a stork. James, the naturalist, was very informative and welcomed any and all questions. I highly recommend this tour.
Reviews
4.6
based on 1,572 reviews
Ipshita_R, Dec 2025
I have been to several wildlife watching experiences and this one has the most action I could imagine. Highly recommend
Johanne_A, Oct 2025
We saw 2 types of whales at 2 separate locations.
The crew was great.
The ride was safe and ppretty smooth.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank so much for joining us! We're really glad you got to see both orcas and humpbacks! That's always such a special day out on the water. It's great to hear you felt safe and enjoyed the smooth ride too!
I'll make sure to share your kind words with the crew. We hope we get to welcome you back out with us again one day!
Gina_G, Oct 2025
Our experience was amazing. Our guide and captain were excellent, friendly and knowledgeable. We saw 3 humpback whales, Orcas, sea lions and eagles. This tour was everything I hoped for and more. The little town was adorable too. Plan some time to explore and get something to eat before or after your tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you Gina,
We're thrilled you had such an amazing experience and got to see so much wildlife, 3 humpbacks and orcas, what a day! Our crew really do love sharing these moments and we're glad you had time to explore and enjoy the town too.
Hope to see you again for another great adventure!
Jude_K, Oct 2025
Such a good trip ! Well worth the money . We were lucky enough to see the Killer whales , Humpback whales , Seals and the bald eagle .
Would imagine if you weren’t lucky enough you who’s be very disappointed !
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hi Jude,
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. Wow, you definitely got to see so much wildlife! How amazing! We're sure glad to hear the tour did not disappoint and hope to welcome you back out on the water again in the future!
Laura_M, Oct 2025
It was an amazing experience and the group size was not to big. Perfect to be able to take pictures and video of the whales. We were the only boat in the area; which was nice.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hello Laura,
We're thrilled you had a great time on the tour! We hope you got some wonderful photos and videos of the tour.
We hope to get to welcome you back out with us on the water again next season!
Kathryn_H, Oct 2025
We had an absolutely amazing whale watching trip. We saw humpbacks, orcas, sea lions, harbor seals, bald eagle plus many other marine birds.
The vessel was comfortable even though the weather was a bit wet. Captain and crew were great. I highly recommend this outstanding company.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hello Kathryn,
Thank you for your kind review! We are so happy to hear you had such an amazing tour filled with the many varieties of wildlife that our BC coast has to offer!
We do hope to welcome you back out with us on the water in the future.
Tara_F, Sep 2025
Great relaxing day! Saw a lot of wildlife! If I had one complaint it would be that the top deck only allowed 12 people and there were at least 10 that camped out the entire time which made it difficult for anyone else to go up. Our tour guide was great very knowledgeable and we got to see some amazing whales and sea lions! Must do when you visit the area and Steveston Village is a great coastal town.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Tara,
Thank you so much for joining us and sharing your experience! We're so glad to hear you enjoyed the wildlife sightings and had a knowledgeable guide to make the day memorable.
We truly appreciate your feedback regarding the top deck. While space up there is limited, we do kindly remind guests to be mindful of others who would also like the chance to go up so that everyone can enjoy the view. We'll continue to keep this in mind to make the experience as fair and enjoyable as possible for all our passengers.
We hope to welcome you back on the water with us again.
Jennifer_H, Sep 2025
Amazing experience! Captain and guide were very knowledgable and let us stay near some humpback whales who were playing around out boat for a while. Great experience!
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Jennifer,
Thank you for taking the time to write your review. We're happy to hear you had such a great time on the tour and you got to see some humpback whales! How amazing! We do take such pride in our guides and are glad you found them knowledgeable.
We hope you'll come back out with us again in the future.
Lina, Sep 2025
We so enjoyed ! Unbelievable beautiful nature ! And guide guy was so funny and made my day ;)) 🩷
Thank you
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Lina,
Thank you for your review. We are sure happy to hear you had such a great time on the tour and you enjoyed the commentary of your guide also.
We do hope to welcome you back again in the future!
Joyce_A, Sep 2025
What a phenomenal tour. Captain James and James, the naturalist, were just great. So knowledgable and professional. Saw lots of humpbacks as well as Orcas. And as an added bonus seal lions, seals and even a stork. James, the naturalist, was very informative and welcomed any and all questions. I highly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Joyce,
Thank you for the kind words. Wow! It sounds like you had such an amazing trip, seeing so much of our wildlife that we have to offer. We will be most sure to pass on the nice words to James.
Here's hoping we get to welcome you back out with us in the future.
Mackenzie_P, Sep 2025
Very fun and exciting. Saw two hump back whales and different types of seals. The whales did a lot of showing off. Even though the weather was not too nice, the experience was great.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Mack,
Thank you so much for your review. Even though the weather was not too nice, getting to see humpback whales is always such a treat for the eyes! We are glad you got to experience that with us and we do hope you choose to join us again in the future.
Patricia_K, Sep 2025
Our tour was canceled because of high winds and it wasn’t possible to reschedule for the next day— just our bad luck but obviously I can’t leave a positive review.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Patricia,
Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. We understand your frustrations. We always strive to accommodate our guests, especially on days when we are cancelled due to high winds. We were however fully booked the following day which is why you were not able to reschedule for that particular day.
We do hope to welcome you back in the future when the weather is more co-operative.
George_W, Sep 2025
Wonderful experience seeing humpback whales and sea lions up close. Amazing. The trip lasted about 4 hours
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello George,
Thank you for taking the time to write a review. We are delighted you got to see humpbacks and sea lions! It is always incredible to see wildlife in their natural habitat.
Susan_W, Sep 2025
Great time. Saw humpback whales, one breached. Lots of flukes. Bit of a long journey after that to the Gulf Islands to see seals and sea lions. Overall a good experience.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Susan,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It is such an incredible experience to be able to witness a humpback whale breaching! We are glad to know you also got to see the harbour seals and stellar sealions at the gulf Islands, they are quite impressive!
We hope to welcome you back on the water with us again.
Tim_H, Sep 2025
Expect the water to be pretty choppy. Make sure you take a coat with you because it’s about 10 degrees cooler on the water than on shore. It’s a wonderful experience.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Tim,
Thank you for your review. We are so glad you enjoyed your whale watching our with us. Thank you for sharing helpful advice for future guests.
We appreciate your recommendation and hope to see you on board with us again!
Nancy_J, Sep 2025
We were fortunate to view humpback whales as a few different locations, as well as seals and sea lions. One family member is elderly and disabled. For her, the boat was disappointing as it wasn’t the one pictured, with windows and forward facing seats. Whenever a whale was spotted, people would rush to one railing or the other, blocking her view. Since she’s unable to get up without her walker (not allowed on board), she saw no whales until near the end of the trip when a pair surfaced right beside her side of the boat. Four of the five in our party were happy with the experience, but we don’t recommend it for anyone with limited mobility.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Nancy,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Our captains do ensure to rotate the boats to make sure everyone gets to see the whales and sea lions.
We are pleased to hear that your family member got a great viewing with the whales.
Steven_B, Sep 2025
A wonderful experience. The Captain and guide seemed to work diligently to locate whales. We were lucky enough to see both humpback and orcas.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Steven,
It's wonderful to hear your had such an amazing experience with us! Our captains and guides work hard to locate the whales on each tour and we're happy to know that they were able to come across not one, but two species of whales on your trip. How amazing!
Claudio_C, Sep 2025
It’s a great opportunity to see whales in their natural habitat. The weather was beautiful which added to the adventure.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello,
Thank you for your kind words. We're delighted you enjoyed your time on the water with us and that the weather made the experience even more wonderful.
We hope to have you back out with us again in the future!
Miranda_L, Sep 2025
We had a wonderful time on the whale watch! We saw 5 humpbacks and tons of sea lions and harbor seals. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Miranda,
Thank you for your kind review! Wow! 5 humpbacks?! That's amazing! As well as seeing the ever so cute harbour seals and sassy sea lions. We're happy to know you had such a great day out with us and hope to welcome you back again in the future.
Wendy_W, Sep 2025
Our guide and captain were top notch! Very knowledgeable and made us feel well informed about the whales and seals that we saw
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Wendy,
Thank you for your review! We are happy to hear that you had a great experience with our captain and guides as well as spending time with the wildlife.
winnie_W, Sep 2025
Everything was wonderful and as promised! Saw many whales, seals, and sea lions. Shuttle pickup was excellent.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Winnie,
We are so happy to hear that your trip out with us was wonderful and you got to see so much of our wildlife that we have to offer here.
We hope to welcome you back out with us in the future!
Mark_T, Sep 2025
Great opportunity to get up close and personal with the local wildlife! Captain James and Rhiannon did a fab job of finding 3 pairs of humpbacks. So lucky!!
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Mark,
Wow 3 pairs of humpbacks? That's not often you get to see that! We will most definitely pass on the kind words to our wonderful crew.
We hope we can welcome you back out with us again in the future.
LILA_T, Aug 2025
Very nice staff. Very very nice place the fisherman's wharf. It's just that, I was very excited, so excited to get to see whales. We went far with the zodiac. And we didn't really see much. We saw a lot of sea lions though. But for the whales, I was really disappointed when we came back.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Hello Lila,
Thank you for joining us and for your kind words about our team and location. We're sorry you didn't get to see the whale sightings you were hoping for. Wildlife can be unpredictable and while we did find sea lions, we understand the disappointment. We appreciate your feedback and hope we can welcome you back for a luckier day on the water.
David_L, Aug 2025
The crew was great, particularly the Naturalist James D. Besides communicating to the group as a whole, he went around to each individual guest to answer any questions and pass on additional information. Ride was comfortable, weather was perfect. We saw two pods of orcas, and a pair of humpback. Amazing how he and the photographer Rhiannon were able to identify individual whales by their markings!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Hello David,
Thank you for taking the time to write your review. Being a guide is not just about knowing the facts and fun stories, but it's about connection with the guests and we're so happy you had a wonderful time. We'll be sure to pass on the compliment to James D & Rhiannon!
Justin_R, Aug 2025
We were able to see a humpback up close, seals and a pod of orcas. My wife and I had a great time. Would recommend!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Hello Justin,
We're really happy to know you would recommend us! Sounds like you both had an amazing trip! Here's hoping we get to welcome you back out again with us in the future.
deb, Aug 2025
Expected to get wet from spray but did not! Saw a humpback whale and a small orca pod on the way back! Was awesome!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Hello Deb,
Wow, not only did you see one species of whale but you got to see two! That's amazing! We hope you got some great pics!
Rosalind_K, Aug 2025
The Orcas don't care that we're out there waiting for them to "show their stuff", but we did see lots of dorsal fins, (although the whales are pretty far off in the distance - not within your control. Neither is the fact that not one of the Orcas arched out of the water. ) But on the way home, we saw lots of harbour seals and plenty of corcorans. We loved being on the boat and OUR GUIDE WAS TERRIFIC!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Hello Rosalin,
Thank you for your review. They are wild animals and while we always hope for encounters within 200metres, it's important to remember that orcas and other marine wildlife are completely wild and free, which means their behaviours, distance, and activity are never something we can control. When joining our tours, guests are paying for the opportunity to view these incredible animals in their natural habitat.
We're glad you were still able to see orca's along with harbour seals and cormorants and that your guide helped make the experience enjoyable.
We hope to welcome you back again for another adventure.
Philip_H, Aug 2025
Great people from starting with booking to heading home. The trip was excellent good sightings and informative commentary.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Hello Philip,
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re glad you enjoyed the trip, sightings, and commentary, and we hope to welcome you back again soon!
Tracey_G, Aug 2025
Had a fantastic time! Got to see a pod of orcas close up! One was so close , if I could touch it I would have! Reanan (not sure how to spell her name) our tour guide was very informative and fun to talk to. Our 9 am tour was cancelled due to high winds but they booked us into the 2 pm tour which was amazing! Thank you so much for an incredible day!
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Hi Tracey,
Wow, what an incredible encounter! We’re so glad the later tour worked out and that you got such an unforgettable experience with the orcas. We’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to Rhiannon—she’ll love to hear that. Thank you for joining us and we hope to welcome you again if you come back out!
Christiane_C, Aug 2025
The guide was awesome and very knowledgeabele. We spotted a couple of humpbackwhales at various places. Unfortunately the captain turned back towards the docks while we had just started observing another pair. It wouldn't have hurt to wait another 5 minutes. Poor timing.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Hello,
Thank you for your kind words about our guide! We understand the disappointment with our timing, our captains must balance wildlife encounters with return schedules to ensure everyone's safety and comfort. We hope to welcome you back for more magical moments on the water in the future.
From $161.68
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