Victoria Whale Watching Tour by Zodiac
Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Victoria, Canada
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Add an extra thrill to your Victoria whale-watching adventure with this wildlife cruise aboard a fast-moving, inflatable Zodiac boat. Get closer to the water — and the whales — on a wet and wild ride through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Hang on to your hat and keep a sharp eye out for native marine life such as humpback and gray whales, orcas, sea lions and harbor seals. An expert naturalist guide will help point out passing species and share insight into the amazing aquatic world of the northern Pacific.
- Whale-watching adventure by Zodiac from Victoria
- Fly across the open sea, feeling the spray of the water and getting as close to the wildlife as possible
- Spot orcas, gray whales, humpback whales and minke whales, depending on the time of year
- See other wildlife like sea lions, elephant seals and bald eagles
- Learn about the environment and the whales from an expert naturalist guide
- Choose from five departure times throughout the day
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
This tour offers a faster and closer whale-watching experience than a tour by traditional boat.
What's Included
- Expert Guide
- Full body flotation suit
- 3 hour guided tour
- All Fees and Taxes
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 1119 Wharf St, Victoria, BC V8W 1T4, Canada
Check in 30 minutes before departure at our office located at 1119 Wharf St (street level not water level).
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
SpringTide Whale Watching & Charters
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Tours are subject to weather conditions and passenger demand
- Zodiac boats are not for expectant mothers
- Zodiac boats are not recommended for those with health concerns - neck, back, hip or knee injuries or recent surgeries
- All guests must be over the age of 7 and/or over 4.5' or 130 cm in height
- We recommend dressing in warm layers with closed-toe shoes to ensure a comfortable experience.
- Zodiac passenger under age 19 must be accompanied by a Parent or Legal Guardian who will sign a Waiver on their behalf
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 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
Mark_V
They tell you to dress in layers. Do so. It’s cold out on the water. The experience was top notch. We got to see killer whales, a humpback, eagles, seals and even an otter. Cam was an excellent captain and story-telling guide. So glad we did this!
Reviews
4.8
based on 181 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Dorothy_W, Jun 2026
Saw many whales ! Very exciting. Skipper was very knowledgeable Great experience would highly recommend
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you aboard again for another unforgettable adventure in the future!
Brandy_C, Jun 2026
Great tour, knowledgeable guide, lots of wildlife! We did the zodiac and got really close to the whales.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We are so glad you enjoyed the tour, spotted incredible wildlife, and found your guide knowledgeable. It’s great to hear you had a memorable experience on the Zodiac, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
Daniel_E, Jun 2026
Guide was not very good at whale watching. Saw a few whales from a distance. He would not get as close as the other boats. Find a better whale watch boat.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your whale watching experience didn't meet your expectations. We understand how important it is to have a memorable experience, and we are sorry that this wasn't the case for you.
We would appreciate the opportunity to learn more details about your tour. Please contact me directly at hanna@springtidewhalewatching.com so we can look into this further.
Thank you again for your feedback.
audrey_o, Jun 2026
Had an excellent time our tour guide Cam did an excellent job getting us to where the whales were. He is a fabulous guide. Highly recommend.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for the wonderful review! We are happy to hear you had such an excellent time on the zodiac tour. Cam will be glad to know his expertise and dedication helped make your whale watching experience so memorable. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back on the water for another adventure with us soon!
Suzanne_V, May 2026
Adventurous and unique tour to hear about and face nature’s most beautiful wildlife this ecosystem has to offer. Ian was a lovely and highly experienced guide.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review! We are happy to hear that you enjoyed the unique opportunity to experience the incredible wildlife and natural beauty of the Salish Sea. Ian is passionate about sharing his knowledge and creating memorable experiences, so he will be glad to hear your kind words. We appreciate you joining us and hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future!
Anthony_R, May 2026
Our guide Cam provided great information and took the time to ensure everyone felt comfortable and relaxed. We were lucky enough to find the T60 Transient family of Orca’s and we followed them for about 40 min which allowed everyone on the Zodiac to take the perfect photo.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We are happy to hear you had such a memorable experience with skipper Cam. The T060 Transient orca family is an incredible pod to encounter. We hope to see you again on another adventure soon!
allisonrdayahoocom, May 2026
The dry suite they give you is very big and our guide told us it is great against the wind to keep you warm but it won't prevent you from getting wet if it rains. The zodiac holds 12 passengers (3 to a bench) and the captain. Items you'd like to store may fit under each bench seat. The back seats are less bouncy so if you'd rather have a more exciting ride, you may want the front seats (be ready to get wet, we recommend waterproof shoes).
Our guide was fantastic! He got as close as respectfully possible to the wildlife and took some amazing photos that they include for you free of charge (they will be on their website within a few days). He also gave us so much information on the area and the wildlife, sharing stories of past excursions as well. We'll worth the trip but be mindful that there are NO pods of whales that LIVE in the area so they are migrating through which means your chances of seeing whales are not 100% guaranteed.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the detailed review! We are glad you enjoyed the Zodiac adventure and that your skipper helped make the experience memorable.
We hope to welcome you back for another exciting trip in the future!
Shelley_M, May 2026
Excellent experience. Super cool being on a smaller boat closer to the water. Got pretty close to multiple wild life animals. Great time. Would do again. Took so many photos my phone died before we saw the whales
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for the great review! We are so glad you enjoyed the experience out on the Zodiac.
We are happy you had such a great time and truly appreciate you choosing to join us for your whale watching adventure.
Hope to see you back out on the water again soon!
Carlene_W, May 2026
Absolutely wonderful day. Could go places in the zodiac that the bigger ships. Disappointed did not see an Orca but did spend quite a while watching a humpback whale breach. Also getting in close to see the seals and the various light houses.
Captain Ian was amazing with his knowledge of wildlife and the general area.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We are glad you had such a great day out on the water. Seeing a humpback whale breaching is truly an incredible experience.
We will be sure to pass your kind words along to Captain Ian, he will really appreciate hearing that his knowledge and passion for the Salish Sea made your trip even more memorable.
We hope to welcome you aboard again for another adventure in the future!
Debbie_P, May 2026
A lot of fun! A lot of wind. It was great being in the water with the animals. Saw Orca pod and a humpback whale fluke.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you for the great review! We are so glad you had a fun adventure with us out on the water. The wind can definitely add a bit of excitement to the experience, and it sounds like nature delivered an amazing encounter with an orca pod and a humpback whale. We appreciate you joining us and hope to welcome you back for another wildlife tour soon!
Jasmine_G, Mar 2026
What an amazing experience! Tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, personable and entertaining. The day was sunny with a few spots of fog. We set out on our search and spotted sea lions, harbour seals, oystercatchers, eagles and finished off by following two pods of orcas along the coast. For the most part, you could see black dorsal fins cutting the glasslike water but one calf was jumping in and out of the water, showing off his white markings for the audience. They day was amazing and I would highly recommend to anyone! Got back to shore a little cold, some windburn on my cheeks, hair in knots and a huge smile on my face. Suggest brining mitts, a hat and a monocular. The guide will take lots of professional (complimentary) photos so you can experience the scene with your eyes opposed to through your phone screen.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We are happy to hear you had such an amazing day on the water. It sounds like you experienced a little bit of everything, sunshine, fog, and some incredible wildlife sightings! Sea lions, harbour seals, oystercatchers, eagles, and two pods of orcas is a pretty special combination.
We are especially glad to hear that your guide Ian made the trip knowledgeable, personable, and entertaining. Our team loves sharing these moments with guests, and it means a lot to know it made your experience even better.
Your tip about bringing mitts and a hat is a great one, the cool wind can definitely remind us we are on the open water!
Thanks again for joining us and for the kind recommendation. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure on the water someday!
Leah_E, Dec 2025
My family and I went on the what watching tour a couple of days ago and we had the best time! I know this isn't usual, but we saw 11 or 12 different whales and some sea lions. It was the perfect way to spend our day.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We are glad to hear that you and your family had such a wonderful time on the water with us. Seeing 11 or 12 whales is definitely a special treat and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
Paul_K, Oct 2025
Went on the zodiac with Capt Cam. We were so glad we decided to book this at the end of our trip it did not disappoint. So many whales and in the small boat we got lucky enough to get very close to a couple. Can claimed it was luck anyway but Cam definitely put the boat in the right spot. Before heading back we got to go by an island filled with sea lions also very cool.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We are so glad you chose to end your trip with a zodiac adventure and that it didn’t disappoint. We appreciate you joining us and hope to see you out on the water again soon!
DAVID_I, Sep 2025
We were hoping to see some whales and we were not disappointed. We could not believe how many whales we were fortunately able to see. Our captain “Cam” was very knowledgeable and informative about the wildlife and knew where the best chances of seeing the whales. Also we saw sea lions and seals. We are 100% glad we did this tour.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We are glad to hear you had such a great day on the water with Captain Cam and that you were able to see whales, sea lions, and seals. We love creating memorable wildlife encounters for our guests, and it’s great to know the tour exceeded your expectations. We truly appreciate you choosing SpringTide and hope to welcome you aboard again in the future!
Marcia_R, Aug 2025
We saw two pods of whales, a total of eight with two males. Fantastic! We then were taken to where seals were sunning themselves.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you for your review! Seeing two pods of orcas truly sounds like such a special experience. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
Amber_K, Aug 2025
Captain Cam made this adventure an awesome one! Such an amazing experience to see whales out on the water.
Response from Host, Aug 2025
Thank you so much for your kind words! We are glad to hear that Captain Cam made your adventure so memorable. Spotting whales out on the Salish Sea truly is an unforgettable experience. We would love to know what we could have done to turn your experience into a 5 star one, your feedback helps us improve. We hope to welcome you back on the water again soon!
mallorywalters, Jul 2025
This was such an amazing experience. We got to see an orca pod swimming right in front of us! Our guide was hilarious and made it fun.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the great review! Seeing orcas in the wild is a magical experience. We would love to have you back for another adventure soon!
Bob_D, Jul 2025
Impressive! Saw lots of orcas and also humpback whales. Ride was exhilarating and fun shipper was top notch
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for the great review! We are so glad to hear you had a great time on the water and were lucky enough to see both orcas and humpbacks. We hope to welcome you aboard again!
Mark_V, Jul 2025
They tell you to dress in layers. Do so. It’s cold out on the water. The experience was top notch. We got to see killer whales, a humpback, eagles, seals and even an otter. Cam was an excellent captain and story-telling guide. So glad we did this!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you so much for your review! We are glad you had a great experience on the water with us and got to see such an incredible variety of wildlife - orcas, a humpback, eagles, seals, and even an otter! Great tip about dressing in layers, it really makes a difference out there. We will be sure to pass along your kind words to Cam, he’ll be so happy to hear them. Thanks again for joining us!
JEANNINE_J, Jun 2025
This was absolutely AMAZING!!! We saw Orca and Humpback. Not only did we see humpback whales, but we ended up in the middle of between 20-30 humpback in the midst of a feeding frenzy for over 40 minutes. We couldn't even count them all. Every direction you looked we saw whales. Captain Ian took photos with super telephoto so the guests could be in the moment. Note- the boat goes fast and your face and hands get cold. Bring gloves and a hat!!
Can't say enough positive things about Captain Ian. He was extremely knowledgable, accomodating, and a lively storyteller. 5 stars all the way.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Thank you so much for your incredible review! What an unforgettable experience! Being surrounded by that many humpbacks during a feeding frenzy is something truly special. We are so glad you got to witness it, and that Captain Ian helped make your trip memorable. Thank you again for joining us and for sharing your adventure!
Nyara_M, Dec 2024
This was an incredible experience! Our captain was fantastic—so knowledgeable and full of amazing facts about the different types of whales. We were incredibly lucky to see three different species during our trip. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, and I would highly recommend it to anyone!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you so much for your review! We're happy to hear you had such an incredible experience on the water with us. Your kind words and recommendation mean the world to us. We hope to welcome you aboard for another adventure in the future!
Rogina_D, Dec 2024
I went on this tour solo and two young couples from England were part of the group. Captain Ian (I may have the wrong name) was great, knowledgeable, and passionate about
the topic. It was very cold, which I expected but hadn’t prepared well for. We saw sea lions, eagles, an otter, and humpback whales. It was amazing and would recommend to anyone interested! I didn’t take any pictures but the experience itself was worth it! Thank you for an exhilarating experience!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're glad you had an amazing experience with us and enjoyed Captain Ian's (you got the name right!) knowledge and passion. We appreciate your recommendation and thank you for joining us for your Victoria whale watching adventure. We hope to see you again for another adventure in the future!
Gary_M, Dec 2024
We went out on a zodiac for a watch December 2nd. The other people who booked never showed up so it was our incredible guide Tyler and my wife and I. The zodiac boats are so fast and fun. The boats are close to the water and can get to the best sightings quickly. It's is a different experience from a traditional big craft. Tyler, our guide, was so happy to spend the afternoon with us(it was our anniversary). He was very knowledgeable in the area and its ecosystem, as well as species of wildlife available to see. We went out in the high hopes of seeing orcas in the wild. We ended having an incredible experience! Humpbacks, sea lions , otters, bald eagles and we came upon an amazing spot to view orcas. We saw a baby as well which was really cool memory for all of us. Gives hope for the prolonged life of threatened wildlife. My wife and I are grateful for the experience Tyler and the company provided us.
Ins_P, Nov 2024
We were able to see humpback and killer whales in the same experience! Super helpful and nice staff! Thank you once again for this amazing activity
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Thank you so much for joining us and for your wonderful review! We’re happy to hear that you got to see both humpback whales and killer whales on your trip! We hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future.
Jelto_Z, Sep 2024
Thanks Kate for the great tour, guidance and experience!
Was a real one of a time view and it was nice to be guided by someone, who is really in her element!
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you had an unforgettable experience with Kate as your zodiac skipper. She truly loves what she does, and it's wonderful to know her passion added to your tour. We hope to welcome you aboard again for more memorable moments on the water!
kelly_n, Sep 2024
Had a blast! Saw a family of orcas, a humpback, and some chubby harbor seals. Loved being in the zippy Zodiac!
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We're glad to hear you had a blast on your Zodiac tour, and enjoyed seeing Orcas, a Humpback, and those chubby adorable harbor seals. We hope to welcome you back for another whale watching adventure soon!
Michelle_H, Mar 2024
From check-in to returning back at the dock, Springtide runs a fantastic experience. Hanna is incredibly kind and helpful, Ian, our guide and captain extraordinaire knows his stuff. We saw Orcas, sea lions, comorans and my time with them is definitely in the top 10 best experiences of my life. I will definitely be bringing family when they come visit. Even the experience of being on the water on a nice day is wonderful.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Michelle, we're thrilled to hear that you had such a fantastic time on the water with us and we're delighted that Ian and Hanna enhanced your experience from check-in to returning back to the dock. Witnessing Orcas, Sea Lions, and Cormorants in the wild must have been absolutely incredible, and we're honored to have been a part of one of your top 10 best experiences in life!
Thank you so much for sharing your Whale Watch Adventure with SpringTide and we can't wait to welcome you back with your family in the future!
Shannon_D, Feb 2024
Captain Ian was an amazing guide, very fun and informative and went extra mile to make my (grouchy at the time) daughter, Avalon, giggle and smile😊 Was an overall a great few hours and saw basically everything there is to see for wildlife, but whales, however everyone offered chance to come back free of charge until they see one! Would recommend 100% Stunning scenery, wildlife and an overall fun ride!!!
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for much for taking the time to share your experience with us! We are happy to hear that captain Ian provided such a memorable experience for you and your daughter. Your recommendation means the world to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
Victor_S, Oct 2018
Even though we had fog we were able to find breaks in the fog and see many sea animals and of course whales. The tour guide was great and letting us know what was going on as we progressed through the tour.
Katovw, Sep 2018
1 hour on the zodiac, 30min for seeing 5 killer whales in company of 15 other whale watch companies wanting to see the same 5 killer whales, then another hour on the zodiac going back.. During the trip there was no information given, except once and that was concerning an island where a man reincarnated into a wolf.
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