Victoria Whale Watch Tour
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Victoria, Canada
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience an up-close encounter with northern Pacific marine life on this half-day whale-watching cruise off Victoria’s coast. Travel out into the open ocean aboard a comfortable, motorized boat to look for native species like humpback whales, gray whales, orcas, elephant seals, and sea lions in their natural habitat. Learn about local marine ecology from a naturalist guide, and take in fantastic views of Vancouver Island between animal sightings.
- See whales and other marine life in their natural habitat in the Salish Sea
- Board a 60ft (18m) Ocean Cruiser, and whale-watch from inside or the top deck
- Expert naturalists are on board to ensure an educational experience
- Choose a morning or afternoon departure time to suit your schedule
What's Included
- Expert marine naturalists
- Washroom
- All Fees and Taxes
- Coffee and/or TeaComplimentary coffee, tea & hot chocolate
- Photo package
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 1119 Wharf St, Victoria, BC V8W 1T4, Canada
Check-in 30 minutes prior to your tour departure time. The check in office is located at 1119 Wharf St (at street level ¬t water level).
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
SpringTide Whale Watching & Charters
3 hours • Admission Ticket Included
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
- For any additional information regarding accessibility, please contact us
- Must meet minimum passenger requirements to confirm.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 65 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
We had an amazing experience on board the Springtide, watching humpback whales jump and dive. What a spectacular sight!! Katie was our extremely knowledgeable guide. Not only did she know and understand the individual whales, but she also provided history and information on the critical role of whales in the oceans and the important role humans have in preserving their habitat. I wish every person could see these magnificent animals in their natural habitat. Thank you Katie and Jasper (our Captain).
Reviews
4.8
based on 574 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Great trip with knowledgeable team members. The fact that we’re able to identify members of an Orca family was amazing
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for joining us and for your kind review! We’re glad you enjoyed the trip and that our team could help bring the experience to life by sharing how we identify individual members of an orca family. We hope to welcome you back on the water again someday!
Fantastic tour! Ian, Amanda and Morgan were great, and we saw so many humpbacks. We are so glad we chose this tour for our cruise stop in Victoria. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We’re happy to hear you had such a fantastic time out on the water with Ian, Morgan and Amanda. We’re so glad you chose to spend your cruise stop with us in Victoria, and we really appreciate the recommendation. We hope to welcome you back on the water again someday!
Trip was somehow booked for wrong day and the tour refuse to change the date, nor did they refund my money paid for 4 people. Very disappointed.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Hi Sheral, we’re sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your experience. We would, however, like to clarify what happened with your booking.
We attempted to contact you after the booking was made to confirm your details. Had you responded at that time and let us know that you intended to book for a different day, we would have been happy to accommodate the change. Unfortunately, we did not hear from you, and you did not arrive for the scheduled 2 PM tour. When we contacted you at check-in to see where you were, we learned that you were not planning to attend that day.
As your booking was made within our applicable cancellation window, it was considered final sale and your reservation required us to schedule an extra staff member to meet our crewing requirements. We understand that plans can change, but we do require advance notice to make adjustments to bookings. Had we been informed earlier, our team would have done our absolute best to assist.
We saw whales, loads of them!!both humpbacks doing their sneaky trap feeding and 6 orcas on our return into the harbour.
Everyone on the crew were super helpful and witn 2 Naturalists and a photographer on board, we felt like we'd hit the jackpot.
Complimentary photos from our journey to access too.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your fantastic review! We're happy you got to witness both humpbacks and a pod of orcas on your return to the harbour. It sounds like you had an incredible day on the water! We're so glad our crew helped make the experience even more special. We hope to see you again soon!
The captain and crew were knowledgeable and friendly and we saw so many whales! This excursion exceed my expectations!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're so glad our knowledgeable crew and the whale sightings made your experience exceed expectations. We hope to welcome you back on the water again soon!
We had an amazing time on the whale-watching tour! The experience was exciting, well organized, and truly unforgettable. The crew was friendly, knowledgeable, and made sure everyone had a great view and enjoyed the experience.
Seeing the whales in their natural environment was incredible, and the whole trip was relaxing and fun. It was definitely one of the highlights of our trip, and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area.
What others should know
Bring a jacket or warm layers because it can get chilly on the water, even when the weather is nice. Also, keep your camera ready—you never know when the whales will appear! 🐋📸
Overall, a fantastic experience and absolutely worth doing.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We’re happy to hear you had such an exciting and unforgettable experience. Our crew will be so happy to hear you enjoyed the tour!
Outstanding information. A little difficult to see, full boat! Fun day out on the water. Perfect weather!!
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for the lovely review! We’re so glad you enjoyed your day on the water and appreciated the information from our crew. We hope to welcome you aboard again soon!
We had a great day with multiple whale sightings. We also saw sea lions and a sea otter. The team was knowledgeable and friendly. The hot coffee was appreciated since it gets cold on the sea.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re glad you had such a great day on the water and enjoyed seeing whales, sea lions, and a sea otter! We hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future!
You do need to wear warm clothes as it’s windy & cold when travelling to the sightings and nice to have warm drinks.
We were lucky to see a pod of orcas & 2 humpbacks, not every trip is so lucky. Having two naturalists on board sharing their expertise and stories is well worth the trip even if you do t see any whales.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! We’re so glad you were lucky to see a pod of orcas and two humpback whales on your tour. Thank you for joining us and for recommending SpringTide!
We saw a whole family of orcas, and they were in the middle of hunting!! Saw some seals as well, overall so worth it!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! Seeing a whole family of orcas while they were actively hunting must have been an incredible sight! We’re so glad you enjoyed the experience and got to see some seals along the way too. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to see you back on the water again someday!
Definitely a great experience. The boat was not overcrowded. We saw a humpback whale numerous times swimming around the boat. Also the sea lions were a real treat.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for the fantastic review! We’re so glad you had a great experience and enjoyed the tour. We hope to see you back on the water again soon!
Whale watching was a fun experience. We saw two Orcas and a bunch of sea lions. Bald eagles and loons as well. Staff was very kind and knowledgeable. The boat had more than enough seating and handled the waves very well. No motion sickness from anyone.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re so glad you had a fun day on the water and got to see orcas, sea lions, bald eagles, and loons. It’s great to hear that you felt comfortable on the boat and that our crew made the trip enjoyable with their knowledge and kindness. We hope to see you again for another adventure!
Very informative and knowledgeable. The boat has plenty of sitting areas, can get out of the wind if you want. Superb experience, highly recommend.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We’re happy you enjoyed the experience and appreciated the comfortable seating options on board. It’s great to hear that our crew’s knowledge and commentary made the trip even more enjoyable. Thank you for the recommendation, and we hope to see you again!
Within a few minutes of leaving the dock we encountered a family of Orca’s (Killer Whales) so one should be prepared with cameras / phones immediately! Then quite a long fast trip out in the ocean to see seals, sea lions, otters and a bald eagle. Then a humpback whale came and did multiple breaches before the killer whales came up to see what all the noise was about!
I’m not sure how typical our trip was to see so much wildlife but I suspect we saw more of the whales than normal in a 3hours long trip. The rest of the wildlife were on a rocky outcrop island so it’s probably a normal spot for the boats to go to.
A great trip and experience.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you so much for the fantastic review! It sounds like you had an incredible day on the water. Seeing a family of orcas, followed by a humpback whale, must have been unforgettable!
It sounds like you had a wonderful variety of wildlife encounters as well, from seals and sea lions to otters and a bald eagle. Thank you for joining us and for sharing your experience. We hope to see you back on the water again someday!
Well done crew! The entire excursion was meaningful and crew was/ is more than willing to chat all things nature! Had such peaceful seas and we did see orca matrilines and a humpback whale, Scuttles. We are left with one burning question. What are those inflated dancing “men” on the docks??? Crew are currently researching, Standing by for their findings!! Hahaha!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Thank you for the great review! We're so glad you enjoyed the incredible encounters with the orca matrilines and Scuttles the humpback whale, and all the conversations about nature with our crew. As for the inflatable dancing dock "men"... we're still investigating! 😂 Thanks for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
Very knowledgeable & friendly crew. Disappointed we didn't see any Orcas, but saw Humpbacks & Sea Lions.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We're happy to hear you enjoyed our knowledgeable and friendly crew. While every trip is different and sightings of orcas can never be guaranteed, we're glad you were able to experience incredible humpback whales and sea lions during your time on the water.
Thank you for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable wildlife adventure in the future.
Wonderful crew! Great whale watching! We saw a se lion eating an octopus!! Incredible humpback whales and gorgeous lighthouse!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for the fantastic review! We're so glad you had such an incredible day on the water. Seeing humpback whales is incredibly special, but witnessing a sea lion enjoying an octopus is a truly unforgettable wildlife encounter! We hope to welcome you back for another adventure with us soon!
The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. But the experience was far from peaceful and relaxing, A foreign teen travel group of about 25 brought pizza and chicken a board, ran around the boat screaming, talking loud and taking selfies. Once we finally spotted a whale we actually had to yell at them to please quiet down so we could hear the naturalist. The weather was chilly but we were unable to use the inside viewing seats because many of the group used it as their own Private party room. Overall a very unpleasant experience. The operator sent an email following the tour offering a comp for another tour but we traveled 1500 miles to Victoria and this was our last vacation day, so not a possibility. Because of the inability of the staff to control the tour group we received a “boat ride” rather than a whale watching adventure.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're truly sorry that the behavior of another group impacted what should have been a memorable whale watching experience. While we were fortunate to encounter both orcas and humpback whales that day, we understand that the onboard atmosphere prevented you from fully enjoying those moments. We appreciate your kind words about our crew, and again apologize that we fell short on this occasion. We've already reached out to you directly and have taken steps to ensure a situation like this does not happen again. Safe travels, and thank you for visiting us.
My wife was so excited to see her first whale!!! We have to the Oregon coast for years but always missed them. Thank you!!! She is so excited!!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you so much for your review! We're absolutely stoked your wife got to see her very first whale with us, what a special moment! We hope to welcome you both back to Victoria for another unforgettable adventure on the water!
We had a great time! We had multiple whale sightings, as well as sea lions and an eagle, and the crew went above and beyond to make sure everyone was comfortable. Highly recommend!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your kind review! We are happy to hear you had such a great time on the water with us. Seeing multiple whales, sea lions, and even a bald eagle is truly a special experience, and w are so glad you were able to enjoy such an incredible day.
Our crew works hard to ensure every guest is comfortable while creating a memorable and educational experience, so your kind words mean a lot. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back on board for another adventure the next time you're in Victoria!
Great tour, we saw a family of orcas in the trip and the crew was helpful and kind all the time. We recommend this trip even for entire families
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We are so glad you got to see a family of orcas, that's truly a special experience. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you and your family back for another unforgettable adventure in the future!
Lots of fun. Gets cold be prepared.
Might want a snack too.
The guides had lots of good information and glad to share
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We are so glad you had lots of fun and enjoyed learning from our crew, they love sharing their knowledge and making each tour memorable. Thanks as well for the helpful tips about dressing warmly and bringing a snack. We appreciate you joining us and hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
You know my wife and I got sick I want to give a special thanks to Brittney for all that Sheri’s taking care of us the way she did
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your review! We are sorry to hear that you and your wife experienced seasickness during your trip, but we are so glad Bryttni was able to take such good care of you both. We will be sure to pass along your thoughtful comments to her, she will be glad to know her kindness and support made a difference.
Our guides were nice and knowledgeable. We were able to see several whales and even got an up close encounter. Would recommend
.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your review! We are happy to hear you enjoyed your time on the water and that our crew helped make the experience both informative and enjoyable.
Thank you for your recommendation and for choosing to join us. We hope to welcome you aboard again for another whale watching adventure in the future!
Had lots of fun not alot of wild life did see three hump back whales some sea lions lots of waves will do again
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your review! We are so glad you had a lot of fun on the water and were able to see three humpback whales, as well as sea lions. Every trip is unique, and while wildlife sightings can vary from day to day, we are happy you were able to enjoy some incredible encounters.
We truly appreciate you joining us and are thrilled to hear you would do it again.
We look forward to welcoming you back for another adventure soon!
Dress warm and wear comfortable shoes. Be prepared to see some beautiful scenery. We were lucky enough to see 12 whales.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for sharing your experience! We are glad you came prepared and got to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. Seeing 12 whales is an incredible day on the water, and we are happy you had such a memorable experience!
Thanks for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back for another wildlife adventure in the future.
Amazing trip!!! Many humpbacks, including Lorax, Divot, and many others!! Thanks, Katie!!! Fantastic!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for the fantastic review! We are so glad you had an amazing trip and were able to see so many humpbacks, including Lorax, Divot, and several others. Those encounters are truly special!
We will be sure to pass your kind words along to Katie, she will be happy to hear she helped make your experience so memorable.
Thanks for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back out on the water again soon!
the crew staffs were amazing 👏 she really good with the kids and all the people in the boat, Our ferry was late (~20 minutes) but they communicated with us. and we were able to still arrive & go on the scheduled tour time.
We were able to see humpback whales🐋 and Harbour seals, and sea lions. they are really good group to work with and I will definitely recommend.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your kind review! We are so glad you had a great experience with our crew. It means a lot to hear that our team helped make the trip enjoyable for both the kids and everyone on board.
We are happy our team was able to keep you informed and ensure you still made it onto your scheduled tour, even though your ferry to Victoria was delayed. Communication is very important to us, and we are glad it helped make the day run smoothly.
Seeing humpback whales, harbour seals, and sea lions is truly exciting, and we are happy you were able to enjoy those wildlife encounters. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure on the water in the future!
The captain and naturalists are great and explain things really well/are very friendly. It can we cold/windy on the water even if it’s warm in the city so definitely bring layers (they have extras if needed too). Free hot drinks was lovely. Saw Orca mom and baby/2 others for a good 30 mins and a bald eagle on my trip.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We are glad to hear you enjoyed your time on the water with our crew. Our team loves sharing their knowledge and creating a fun, welcoming experience for guests, so your kind words mean a lot.
You also gave great advice, conditions on the water are definitely cooler than in the city, and we are always happy to provide extra layers to help keep everyone comfortable - though we always recommend bringing warm clothing with you for your tour.
Thank you again for joining us, and we hope to see you back out on the water again soon!
Our skipper Ian, plus naturalists Ally and co were great. We saw lots of harbour seals, sea lions plus a beautiful house hump back whale, the scenery was lovely and our time on the water was very good. Comfortable, safe boat, with plenty of room
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We are so glad you had such a great time out on the water with Ian, Aly, and the rest of the crew. Seeing harbour seals, sea lions, and a beautiful humpback whale all in one trip is always special, and we are happy you enjoyed the scenery and the comfort of the boat as well. We will be sure to pass your kind words along to the team, they will really appreciate it. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
Member Pricing
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$115.23
per personWas $121.29(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Victoria Whale Watch Tour
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