Victoria Half-Day Whale Watching Adventure with Free Photos
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Victoria, Canada
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Get a closer look at Canada’s marine wildlife on this whale-watching adventure in Victoria. Hop aboard your boat—a luxurious, spacious catamaran—and set sail. Watch the waves from the open sun decks or stay protected from the spray in the heated indoor cabin. Stop off at points of interest through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Listen to commentary from marine naturalists on board, and look out for orcas, humpback whales, minke whales, and more.
- Learn all about the region's wildlife from naturalist guides
- A free photo package is included in the tour cost
- Increase your chances of viewing whales and other wildlife
- Immerse yourself in the unrivaled beauty of the Salish Sea
What's Included
- Free Photo Package Featuring Wildlife!
- Two washrooms
- Whale Sightings Guarantee—complimentary tours from all locations until you see whales (fees apply).
- GST (Goods and Services Tax)
- 5 per person Salish Sea Conservation Fee (1% For The Planet Initiative) is included in price
- Downloadable tour guides in: English, Spanish, French, German and Dutch
- Kids coloring books and educational guides
- Captain and expert crew of 3-4 guides/naturalists
- Coffee and/or TeaComplimentary tea, coffee & hot chocolate
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Excludes taxes and fees for Lifetime Whale Sighting Guarantee
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 812 Wharf St, Victoria, BC V8W 1T3, Canada
Please check-in 30 minutes prior to departure time at Prince of Whales Whale Watching located below the Visitor Information Centre in the Inner Harbour (812 Wharf St, Victoria, BC V8W 1T3).
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Prince Of Whales - Whale Watching Adventures
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, an alternative or full refund will be offered
- Operates in most weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Service animals allowed with proper documentation and life jacket, subject to captain's discretion
- Check-in 30 minutes prior to the departure time
- Prince of Whales reserves the right to ask that the credit card used in the booking be presented at check-in, and/or photo ID be presented.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 95 travelers
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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
The did everything they could to give us the best experience today! Reed was the naturalist that we spent the most time with and she was sooo knowledgeable and lovely. The rest of the crew was great as well. We got to see 6 orcas and a ton of sea lions. Totally worth it. Dress warm!!
Reviews
4.9
based on 2,767 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Andrei, Abigail, Traben, Lindsey and Taylor were a great crew! Smooth trip, located and got great photos of whales, and were very informative. We will definitely go out with them again!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for the marvelous review! We are thrilled you had a fantastic time on board with our knowledgeable naturalists learning all about the wildlife you saw along the way and were riding in comfort aboard the Catamaran. We are so delighted you enjoyed the complimentary photo package and we hope you enjoy sharing these memories with your friends and family. We hope we will get to welcome you back again for more captivating adventures!
It was a bit chilly, have something warm to put on and take off. It was a beautiful experience though, seeing whales and learning about them made it well worth it.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re glad to hear that despite the chilly conditions, seeing the whales and learning more about them made the trip well worth it. We appreciate your helpful advice about bringing warm layers, and we hope to welcome you back for another beautiful experience on the water!
A wonderful excursion with a
very friendly and knowledgeable crew, and we were fortunate to see many humpback whales and orcas.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your excursion and found our crew to be friendly and knowledgeable. It’s fantastic that you were fortunate enough to see so many humpback whales and orcas. We truly appreciate you joining us and hope to welcome you aboard again in the future!
The crew and staff were amazing! And we saw both orcas and humpbacks on the trip. I would definitely recommend this to anyone considering a whale watching expedition.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re so glad to hear that our crew and staff made your experience so enjoyable, and that you had the opportunity to see both orcas and humpback whales. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to have you join us again for another memorable whale watching adventure!
This is a very well run excursion with a great comfortable vessel and very helpful crew. Well done to the crew, Karl, Keegan, Jonah, Thomas and Petra. Although Jonah on a Whale spotting trip, strange.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thanks for joining the adventure, Chris! We're happy to hear you had a great time on board. We hope the seas were calm for your journey!
Fantastic experience with great weather, saw orca, humpbacks, seals and sealions - brilliant and free photos emailed by the crew so we could enjoy with our own eyes xx
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Emma! It sounds like you had a fantastic day on the water, with orcas, humpbacks, seals, and sea lions all making an appearance.
We’re especially glad you could relax and enjoy watching the wildlife while our crew took care of the photos. That’s exactly what we hope for!
Thanks again for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back to Victoria for another adventure someday!
Easy to find pick up location. We were blessed with fantastic weather and a flat sea with an abundance of whale sightings. Very friendly crew.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re so glad you had beautiful weather, calm waters, and plenty of amazing whale sightings. It’s also great to hear you enjoyed the friendly crew!
Thanks again for joining us, Aliban, and we hope to welcome you back on the water again soon!
A professional, conservation aware whale watching experience - purpose built vessel, knowledgeable naturalists - thank you Eden, Amber and Lauren. We saw so many whales, Orcas and Humpbacks and learned much about these incredible giants of the oceans. Thank you.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
We’re so happy to hear you had such a memorable day with us! Seeing Orcas and Humpback whales while learning about these amazing animals makes for a pretty special experience.
Thank you for your kind words about Eden, Amber, and Lauren. We’ll be sure to pass them along to the team. Thanks for joining us, Jill, and we hope to see you again on the water!
Francois, with his first mate Lindsey, and crew of very knowledgeable naturalists Eden, Amber & Michael. Did an outstanding job of finding us a pod of Orcas feeding we just watched in awe as time after time the appeared breaking the surface to breath. All the while Eden, Amber and Micheal were explaining their habits, what the were feeding on and also about the diving birds which were in the area as well. We were on their larger boat with all the amenities. Top tip for when you do take this not to be missed trip, do take their advice and bring layers as when the boat is speeding along it gets chilly.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Paul, thank you for taking the time to leave us such a positive review. We will be sure to pass along your kind words to our guides and captains! Thank you for choosing Prince of Whales.
Being warm clothes and wear soon screen. They offered a free photo package of our trip which was perfect because I was never fast enough to catch the whales.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for leaving us a 5 star review! Enjoy your photos! Thank you for choosing Prince of Whales.
It was so exciting to see orcas, whales, and other sea life on The Prince of Whales. We are so greatful for the pictures!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for leaving us a 5 star review! We are glad you were able to see whales and other marine life while out on the water with us. Enjoy those photos! Thank you for choosing Prince of Whales.
It was great!! Had good photos of whales , humpback especially. We were super lucky they Had good surface activities today
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you, John, for your wonderful review! We are so glad to hear that you had a great time and were able to capture some fantastic photos, especially of the humpback whales. It sounds like you were very lucky to witness so much exciting surface activity during your trip.
We really appreciate you joining us and hope to welcome you back aboard for another memorable whale watching adventure!
We enjoyed this experience so much! Our crew Taylor, Amber and Rhianna were not only entertaining but also very knowledgeable about the whales and the history of the Salish sea. We had a great time!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great time on the water. Taylor, Amber, and Rhianna will be so happy to know that you enjoyed their entertaining personalities and appreciated their knowledge of the whales and the history of the Salish Sea.
It was a pleasure having you aboard, and we hope to welcome you back for another whale of a day in the future!
We went out for 3 hours and saw a few humpbacks but no killer whales. We only saw 1 whale tail. And it was not a lot of a tail but we appreciated them trying to get us to see some whales.
Everyone was funny and personable! Richard, Francois were great captains who gave us a great run down and met us at the dock.
Eden, Rhiannian, and Rajan were great at educating us and telling us how things worked and information while we sailed. Great hot chocolate too. Nice treat.
We were disappointed that we didn’t see anything breach and no killer whales.
The seals were sweet to see but not what we wanted to see the most of.
The crew tried but they didn’t get us to the whales.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the crew and appreciated their knowledge, humor, and efforts throughout the trip. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Richard, Francois, Eden, Rhiannian, and Rajan.
We’re sorry that the wildlife sightings did not meet your expectations. While we always do everything we can to find whales and provide an unforgettable experience, wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, and their movements can be unpredictable. We understand how disappointing it can be to hope for orcas and close-up encounters and not get the experience you were looking forward to.
We’re pleased that you enjoyed seeing the seals and the hot chocolate, and we truly appreciate your recognition of the crew’s efforts. Thank you again for joining us, and we hope you’ll consider giving us another opportunity to show you just how incredible whale watching in Victoria can be.
Overcharged. Paid x2 for same excursion..no way of contacting them. There is no contact number to talk with staff
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review, Lisa. We have been in contact with viator and can confirm that you will be receiving a refund for their double booking mistake.
We appreciate you joining us and hope you enjoyed your tour!
This was a great experience. The crew and naturalists were fabulous;out. We saw multiple Orcha’s and Humpback wales along with sea lions and otters. it was well woth the investment in both time and Cost. WE strongly recommended
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We are so thrilled to hear of the fantastic time you had on board with our expert crew, taking in all of the knowledge they had to share as you explored the Salish Sea. It is so amazing you were able to see both orcas and humpback whales with a special sighting of the adorable sea otters! We appreciate your recommendation and we hope we will get to welcome you back aboard again for more enchanting excursions!
The captain and crew were fantastic. Captain Lindsay, First Mate Alex, Naturalists Rhiannon and Janae and Michael were all great. We were on the 8/27 cruise at 2:30 and we saw Orcas, humpback whales and sea lions. It was great!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for the fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great experience and got to see orcas, humpback whales, and sea lions! We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Captain Lindsay, First Mate Alex, Rhiannon, Janae, and Michael, they’ll be delighted to know they helped make your adventure so memorable. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to welcome you aboard again soon!
Excellent experience under the guidance of very professional and knowledgeable staff. Well-appointed catamaran with plenty of comfortable indoor/outdoor seating. Complimentary photo package (we received 61 high resolution images and a few short videos) taken with serious camera equipment was a real bonus; simply sit back and enjoy the sights knowing the highlights are being recorded. Highly recommend this company.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review and recommendation! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the catamaran, the comfortable indoor and outdoor seating, and especially the expertise of our crew. We’re also glad the complimentary photos and videos were a highlight of your trip. It’s wonderful to know you could relax and enjoy the wildlife while we captured the memorable moments for you. We hope to welcome you aboard again in the future!
Fantastic experience- would recommend. We had a double decker boat. Great indoor seating area with floor to celling window that stayed miraculously clean despite being on the ocean. Great outdoor viewing areas on both levels in the front and the back of the boat. Wildlife guides in each of these areas to help talk about the wildlife we saw and answer questions. Also included hot drinks (coffee, hot chocolate) which was clutch for standing out on the decks when it got windy. We saw multiple whales and some fighting seals. Was honestly a great time. Would recommend bringing something that breaks the wind (like a rain jacket) in addition to your normal layers- makes standing outside an option!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for the detailed review and recommendation! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed the boat, the viewing areas, and having our wildlife guides available throughout the vessel to share their knowledge and answer questions. We’re glad the hot drinks helped keep you warm while enjoying the views! It sounds like you had an incredible day on the water with multiple whales and some feisty seals. And thank you for the helpful tip about bringing a windbreaker or rain jacket, we couldn’t agree more! We hope to have you aboard again for another great adventure.
Amazing trip! The staff (Sam, Riannon, Lauren) were fantastic, knowledgeable, and helpful. We saw three types of whales as well as seals, sea lions, and otters. Would 10000% recommend the trip!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
It is so great to hear that you would recommend our trip to others, thank you!! What an amazing array of wildlife that you saw, so lucky! We will let the whole crew know how much of an amazing trip you had!
Great experience from start to finish- the crew was friendly, attentive and well organized, gave a lots of information and most important was excited to see the whales and marine life not less then us!
Captain Richard skillfully navigated the ship to the most strategic locations, along with first mate Taylor. Naturalists Andrei, Amber and Sam made sure we didn’t miss a tiny bit of the sight. We saw orca whales, then humpback who showed us the tail several times, then the sea lions and seals. But the most incredible experience was to spot two humpback whales flipping the tails while hunting or socializing. This sight was first even for our naturalists!
Highly highly recommended from all the aspects!!!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for such a detailed review, it sounds like you really had the greatest experience! How special that you were able to witness behavior that our naturalists had not even seen before! Our team are all so passionate about the work they do, and it is so lovely to hear that this shines through on their tours. We will be sure to pass your feedback over to Richard, Taylor, Andrei, Amber and Sam!
Absolutely amazing!! Was hoping to see whales as never seen any whale before but wasn’t expecting it especially as the day we went it was very foggy. However Reid and her team did an amazing job spotting offshore orcas and explaining how they hunt, live and the differences in the different sub groups of orca. It was just so amazing and very emotional for me. The captain then took us to see more wildlife and we saw sea lions, seals and even the tail of a beautiful humpback. Was so amazing- would 100% recommend. Even if we didn’t get to see any whales would still have been a lovely boat trip. It was so amazing I booked another tour with prince of whales when I was in Vancouver after Victoria and we had Wilma and her crew take us out and managed to find a huge group of humpback whales! Again Wilma was so knowledgeable and passionate about the wildlife it just made the best day. Two best days ever!
If I lived closer I would do this trip weekly as every trip will be different and you will never get bored of it!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
What amazing feedback, Kirstie! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us, it sounds amazing! Our team are all super passionate about the wildlife they see everyday and we are so glad to hear that this shines through on the tours. We would be more than thrilled to welcome you back for a third trip sometime in the future!
Amazing whale watching day and the staff was amazing incredible! We saw Orcas breaching as well as humpback whales.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for the amazing review, Tammy! We’re thrilled to hear you had such an incredible day on the water and got to witness both breaching orcas and humpback whales! We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to our amazing crew. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to welcome you aboard again for another unforgettable wildlife adventure!
We had a wonderful excursion on 8/13 (2:30). Sam, Reid and Amber were amazing. Super friendly, knowledgeable and always checking on everyone throughout the ride.
Richard and Taylor found us a great sighting of killer whales that seemed to be putting a show on for us!
The boat amenities were great and it was nice to have the option of being inside or outside, especially when it got extra chilly out! The complimentary hot drinks were a nice touch. Another bonus is that they took and provided free photos of our wildlife sightings therefore letting us really enjoy the moment without having to worry about capturing it ourselves. Thank you again to the entire crew for a very memorable experience!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for such a thoughtful review! We’re thrilled to hear your August 13th excursion was such a memorable experience and that Sam, Reid, and Amber made you feel so welcome throughout the trip with their friendliness, knowledge, and attentiveness. It’s wonderful to hear that Richard and Taylor found you such an exciting killer whale sighting, and we’re glad you enjoyed the boat amenities, indoor and outdoor viewing options, and complimentary hot drinks. We’re especially happy that the complimentary wildlife photos allowed you to stay present and enjoy the incredible sightings without worrying about capturing them yourself. Thank you for joining us and for taking the time to recognize the entire crew!
The whales were out! The boat was great about getting to the spot where the whales were congregating. We were lucky to be in between 2 different pods 7 whales total. The captain then took us to a picturesque lighthouse where the base was covered with gigantic seals. It would have been nice to stick around the surfacing orcas and humpback whales. But it was a nice change.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience, Angie! We’re thrilled to hear you were able to enjoy an incredible day on the water, including the excitement of being between two different pods with seven whales in total, as well as seeing the impressive seals gathered around the lighthouse. Our captains always do their best to find the wildlife and create a memorable experience while also balancing the many factors involved in responsible wildlife viewing. We’re glad you enjoyed the change of scenery and hope to welcome you aboard again for another great adventure!
Enjoy every moment and let the guides take the pictures! The pictures they took on our trip were great.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed every moment of your tour and were happy with the photos also. We hope you can come back soon for another adventure!
Great experience! Our crew Capt. Francois, 1st Mate- Taylor, Rhiaran, Sam and Michael were great on letting us know about looking at the whales and sea lions, as well as giving us the history about them. Coffee and hot chocolate was a great bonus as well as having snacks that you could buy. Very impressed with the entire trip. Would definitely recommend it and do it again.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for the fantastic review, Sharon! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great experience and that Captain François, Taylor, Rhiaran, Sam, and Michael helped make the trip so enjoyable. It’s wonderful to hear you appreciated their knowledge and the stories they shared about the whales, sea lions, and the area. We’re also glad you enjoyed the complimentary coffee and hot chocolate! Thank you for the recommendation, and we’d love to welcome you aboard again for another adventure.
Whale watching tour from downtown harbour. Staff were very friendly throughout and we can't fault their customer service. Unfortunately though we returned over 30 mins before our tour was due to end (advertised time was 3 hours 30 mins - we both left a little late and arrived over 30 mins early). In addition we saw briefly some seals, were told there were otters but they didn't appear, and saw the tail of one humpback whale and proceeded to spend 45 minutes with it. The crew then said we would move on to try find something different, we found another humpback whale and again spent nearly 30 minutes with it watching the same thing repeatedly which was not exciting. After this they announced we were returning to the harbour. I understand there are no guarantees with wildlife and that we did indeed see whales but the views were poor and we should've moved on much earlier to see something else like different kinds of whales, orcas or the otters that didn't appear earlier. All in all very disappointing for the price we had paid and they could have spent more time looking for something else, and altogether simply spent more time, i.e. the advertised tour length.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback, Tom.
We appreciate your kind comments about our staff and customer service, and we’re sorry to hear that the tour left you disappointed.
Some third-party listings may show an approximate duration of 3.5 hours, as our Victoria Half-Day Whale Watching tours run between 3 and 4 hours total.
We understand that you were hoping for more variety and activity. While our crew always seek to provide the best wildlife sightings possible, sightings of specific species cannot be guaranteed, and our experienced captains make decisions throughout each tour based on many factors including weather conditions, recent sighting reports, wildlife activity, and the time available.
Thank you again for your honest review. We regret that the sightings and overall experience did not meet your expectations.
The boat and crew were great. But we traveled 80 miles, tracked on my GPS only to see a few Orcas from a long distance, so was disappointed 😞
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for your feedback, Keith. We’re glad you enjoyed the boat and crew, but sorry to hear that the wildlife viewing did not meet your expectations.
Whale locations vary daily, so our crew may travel considerable distances to find them. We also strictly maintain the legally required viewing distances from orcas to protect the animals.
Thank you again for joining us and sharing your experience.
Boat ride was comfortable and scenic. Love that they take pictures for you and send them to you for free later so you can focus on just "being in the moment" to observe the whales and not worry about taking pictures. Their pictures are 1000 times better than what I would capture with my phone anyway! We had a great day and saw a pod of killer whales and a lone humpback whale. Crew was friendly and helpful. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for your kind review! We're delighted to hear you had such a great day on the water and enjoyed seeing both a pod of killer whales and a humpback whale. We're especially glad you appreciated our complimentary photo service, it really does let guests relax, enjoy the moment, and leave the photography to us! Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you aboard again for another unforgettable adventure.
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per personWas $155.14(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Victoria Half-Day Whale Watching Adventure with Free Photos
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