Summer Whale Watching Tour in a Zodiac Boat in Victoria
Recommended by 91% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Victoria, Canada
- 3 hours 20 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Set out on the Pacific Ocean off of Victoria, British Columbia, in search of whales on this immersive, small-group tour. Travel through the Haro Strait and the Juan de Fuca Strait in search of minke whales, humpback whales, orcas, and other wildlife. Aboard your open-top Zodiac boat, you're more likely to have up-close wildlife encounters than you would on larger tours.
- A range of departure times are available to suit your schedule
- Small group sizes keep things personal
- If you don't see any whales, rebook the tour at no extra cost
- Get closer to the wildlife than you can on other tours
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Survival Suit
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 950 Wharf St, Victoria, BC V8W 1T3, Canada
Located at same dock as Harbour Air seaplane terminal.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Victoria (Pass By)
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
- Most travelers can participate
- Operates rain or shine, please dress appropriately
- Not suitable for pregnant women
- Not suitable for participants with pre-existing injuries and/or health conditions
- Minimum age of 6 years old and must be above 4ft tall for Zodiac tours
- This experience requires good ocean conditions. If it is cancelled due to poor conditions, you will be offered a different date or a full refund.
- 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
shara_b
Vicky was a great skipper! She was informative and professional. Took her time sharing the beauty of the ocean with us. We were surrounded by humpbacks and caught several flukes!
Reviews
4.7
based on 345 reviews
LAURA_P, Apr 2026
Fun, safe, and full of adventure. If you want adventure the whale watching on a Zodiac is the way to go.
Leah_C, Mar 2026
This was so much fun! Definitely not for young kids or adults who can’t stand a very bumpy ride - my aunt and uncle are in their 80s and said “no thank you”. But, we saw plenty of whales and our captain was great!
Ryan_A, Oct 2025
It was so exhilarating! An absolute must do if you are visiting Victoria! Plan on getting wet, but seeing the whales in their natural habitat is incredibly breathtaking. An experience we will never forget and an item checked off our bucket list!
agchuyler, Oct 2025
This was a wonderful experience. It was cold! Even though the body suits provided protect you from getting extremely wet, dress warmly.
Mark_K, Oct 2025
Great communication. Safety first Boat was full and we saw humpbacks. Orcas and seals. Weather was great. Sea was calm
Rebecca_P, Sep 2025
I explored the Victoria area with skipper Gareth — we were able to see several groups of humpbacks and sea lions. We then had a gorgeous encounter with a solo orca. We were able to just coast with him along the shore in calm waters. Truly a bucket list experience! Gareth was an amazing guide — super knowledgeable and engaging with the group, with a passion for the wildlife.
Dean_H, Sep 2025
Phoenix was a fantastic guide and we saw a ton of wildlife and Orcas! The scenery was also so beautiful!
Stephen_S, Sep 2025
Shannon a great guide. Whales were a little too far away for a close up but fun anyway. Beautiful weather.
stephan_k, Sep 2025
We had an amazing time.
Our tour guide did a wonderful job making sure we saw whales and seals. He was also very informative of the animals and whales we spotted.
Liliana_W, Sep 2025
The experience was great!!! read before to know more about the whales. Great weather, the guide guy was excellent driving the boat.
Nina_W, Sep 2025
We had a great time and saw a lot of orcas!! We even saw a humpback whale. The guide was amazing and knew a lot of the animals :)
Guillermo_R, Sep 2025
So much wildlife!!! We saw Whales, Seals, Otter and SO MANY different kinds of birds. The trip was long and well worth it! So glad we did it! Highly recommend it!
Lizzy_S, Sep 2025
It was wonderful to see 4 humpback whales and the sea lions. I really enjoyed being in the front seat of the zodiac.
I cried afterwards thinking of the whales and what they have suffered
Julie_L, Aug 2025
Safety was the 1st concern, then spotting the marine life. The captain/guide took great care that we would have an awsome experience- it was a success.
Lily_R, Aug 2025
I enjoyed the tour. I thought it was cool to see various humpbacks, seals and sea lions. It was really nice to see the other parts of Victoria by boat.
I did not care too much for our guide. I was extremely excited to learn about the wildlife, Victoria and anything else. Our guide seemed distracted and unfocused. Each time our guide would share a fact about something it felt as though he was unsure about what he was saying. Almost as if he didn’t know what he was doing. We also heard a phone call from the office that he miss-counted the amount of guests and just laughed it off. Lastly we didn’t get a briefing about the experience until we got back and everyone on our boat was looking at the map that the other guides made that had just left.
Not the best experience and maybe try a different company. I was really excited about this one but truthfully not worth it when you feel like your guide doesn’t know what they’re doing or necessarily cares.
Kassandra_B, Aug 2025
Was a very informative tour, friendly staff, free drinks was nice, loved seeing the whales, seals and otters.
John_A, Aug 2025
Whale watching from a zodiac is bar far the best way to see the animals in their habitat. You are on the water, feeling the waves, wind. They give you a life preserver suit, but it’s not waterproof, and you will get wet, lots of spray. Wear quick drying clothes, no denim.
Shannon_K, Aug 2025
Shannon knew all the hotspots to find several humpbacks, seals and sea lions and she shared her knowledge (and great sense of humour) along the way. Such a sunny and calm morning added to the enjoyment.
Miranda_R, Aug 2025
Shannon was incredibly knowledgeable! Not only did she show us the marine life, she also new how to navigate that zodiac extremely well! She made our day with her wit and humour! Exceptional guide and we are so glad we chose the zodiac for our tour! Fun activity!
Jonathan_K, Aug 2025
We had a great time whale watching! The boat ride itself was fun and exciting. We enjoyed going fast and riding through the waves! Our guide brought us to a location where we saw a pod of three orcas!! It was amazing to see. Our guide was knowledgeable and shared information about the history of the area, the orca pod as it was being tracked and the other types of animals in the area. My 14 year old daughter had the best time.
shara_b, Jul 2025
Vicky was a great skipper! She was informative and professional. Took her time sharing the beauty of the ocean with us. We were surrounded by humpbacks and caught several flukes!
Angela_S, Jul 2025
Shannon took us out for an amazing and lucky ride to see a pod of 4 Biggs Orcas named Sydney, Stanley, Lucky, and Darcy. We had a great time and highly recommend the expertise, knowledge and friendliness Shannon brought to the excursion.
Kasey_K, Jul 2025
This tour was amazing!!!! We saw orcas, humpback whales, sea lions, and otters. Skipper G (Garryn) was awesome. We had a tight window to go before our cruise ship left and they made sure we were on time.
Tianna_P, Jul 2025
Shane gave a very enthusiastic, fun, and informative tour ! Saw both orcas and humpbacks, couldn’t ask for more ! Would def do again !
Huni_B, Jul 2025
This was the worst excursion of our entire Alaska cruise — and unfortunately, it was our last one, which completely soured the end of an otherwise amazing trip.
We booked a Zodiac Boat Tour whale watching (I believe with Orca Spirit Adventures) and were put in a tiny open boat which we were aware of anyway. But oh my god, the ride was absolutely horrendous and painful. The water was rough, and the driver navigated it aggressively — it felt like he had no regard for passenger comfort or safety. We travel a lot and do extreme excursions but this one was no fun at all.
I was seated in the front where there were no handles to hold on to. Every time the boat slammed into a wave— and there were many, like literally the whole boat ride — I was literally thrown into the air and by the time I land on my butt on the seat, I was always almost off the seat. Remember there are no front handles and I'm a short person and my feet are basically dangling and fyi, the flooring is slippery and no non-skids. It felt extremely unsafe. There was no effort made to slow down or check in on us — not once did the driver or guide ask if we were okay. Several of us were visibly uncomfortable and even in pain from the jarring impacts. No adjustments were made or even offered. It was almost as if the driver was showing off rather than guiding a wildlife tour.
My poor husband, who was sitting 2 rows behind me, got completely soaked — head to toe — from the freezing water. He was shivering cold and drenched, and no one on the crew seemed to care. He wasn’t offered a towel or even acknowledgment.
The “whale watching” portion didn’t even matter at that point — by the time we got there, we were all sick to our stomachs, cold, and exhausted from hanging on for dear life. Honestly, the tour was 80% brutal, pounding boat ride, and maybe 20% actual whale watching. It was not worth it in any way.
No whale sighting or view could make up for how unsafe, physically jarring, and inconsiderate this experience was. I would not recommend this tour to anyone, especially those with back problems, kids, bladder problem or anyone expecting a guided, thoughtful experience.
To top it off, my back and my husband’s back are still sore. This is not just uncomfortable — it felt physically damaging.
If you’re considering a zodiac boat tour, please do yourself a favor and avoid this one at all costs. Go with one of the larger catamaran boats instead — they’re much safer, smoother, and actually designed for enjoying wildlife without feeling like you’re in a survival test. SAVE YOUR BACK!
On the good note: we did see whales, orcas and seals, but like I said, you can enjoy these beautiful wildlife from bigger boat with comfort without breaking your back.
Laura_B, Jul 2025
WE SAW WHALES!!! We think there were about 3 or 4 whales and they put on such a show! Lots of air "blows," tails and body shots. Shannon was so much fun and very knowledgeable. The life suits are key and will keep you nice and toasty. Highly recommend!!!
Rebecca_A, Jun 2025
We had a wonderful time aboard our zodiac. Tyler answered questions, took photos, and did everything possible for us to see the marine wildlife. We were lucky - we saw multiple humpback whales, harbor seals, and eagles. Getting to see the whales interact with each other was the highlight of our cruise vacation. I’d 100% recommend this tour!
Simon_S, Jun 2025
Surpassed our expectations. Our Captain Martin was both enthusiastic (but not over the top) and knowledgeable. We saw soooo many whales, sleeping, feeding and flipping tails. We were surrounded by 5 Whales feeding… an experience we will never never forget! Thank you
Katie_K, Jun 2025
Our guide Josh was amazing. Great time and saw several orcas. The only negative was that it was a long walk from our cruise terminal and we almost didn’t make it.
Simon_S, Jun 2025
Just perfect! The Zodiac ride was amazing! We saw some Orcas. The weather was top and the guide was great!
From $144.03
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Summer Whale Watching Tour in a Zodiac Boat in Victoria
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3 hours 20 minutes
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