Category Whale Watching from Vancouver

Vancouver · WHALE WATCHING FROM VANCOUVER

The 14 Best Whale Watching Tours from Vancouver

14 reviewed

Orca, humpback and the odd minke work the coastal waters from spring to fall. Here are the best whale watching tours from Vancouver — covered boats versus open Zodiacs, how long each stays out, how the sighting odds run by season, and what a seat costs.

Vancouver Half-Day Whale Watching Adventure with Free Photos

Vancouver Half-Day Whale Watching Adventure with Free Photos - Granville Island Start: Getting There and Knowing What Happens Next

Vancouver: Covered Whale Watching Adventure with Free Photos

Vancouver: Covered Whale Watching Adventure with Free Photos - What you can spot: orcas, humpbacks, and more in Strait of Georgia waters

Whale-Watching Tour from Vancouver

Whale-Watching Tour from Vancouver - Getting to Steveston: meeting point, shuttle, and parking

3.Whale-Watching Tour from Vancouver

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,572 reviews · 3 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $157

Half-day whale watching from Vancouver with high odds of orcas and humpbacks, plus seals and eagles near Steveston.

“I have been to several wildlife watching experiences and this one has the most action I could imagine. Highly recommend”

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Vancouver’s Intimate West Coast Whale Watching Experience

Vancouver's Intimate West Coast Whale Watching Experience - The route along Vancouver’s waterfront: where the stops help and where they don’t

4.Vancouver’s Intimate West Coast Whale Watching Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 698 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $177

Intimate Vancouver whale watching from Granville Island with a marine biologist guide, flexible timing, and small-group viewing in the Salish Sea.

“We booked the zodiac tour and had a fab time. Honour our naturalist was great and very knowledgeable about not only the whales but also the surrounding areas. Ashley our captain was also fab and gave us a fun adventure on the zodiac. We were very lucky seeing orcas and humpbacks, as well as harbour seals. As with all wildlife tours it's down to the animals whether they want to come out and play but the zodiac in itself was really cool so even without seeing whales it would have been a good day. Thank you Wild Whales for a great time!”

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Vancouver Sunset Whale Watching Adventure with Free Photos

Vancouver Sunset Whale Watching Adventure with Free Photos - Meet your crew: naturalists who actually help you spot whales

5.Vancouver Sunset Whale Watching Adventure with Free Photos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 454 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $193

Vancouver whale watching on a high-speed Salish Sea catamaran from Granville Island, with free emailed photos and a whale guarantee.

“Incredible experience! Seeing orcas outside captivity is a bucket list item for me, and very healing!! It took a bit for them to come out, and we only got to see one humpback for a second but I'll take it and support these excursions that aren't forcing the animals to do anything and are informing us about them. It was also great getting photos - so feel free to tuck your phone away and be present in the moment!! Pro tip for my motion sickness friends: I took a Gravol (Canadian Dramamine, if you're from the States) an hour beforehand. While it does make me very drowsy, I had some…”

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Vancouver, BC: Whale Watching Tour with Guide

Vancouver, BC: Whale Watching Tour with Guide - Richmond Check-In, Shuttles, and Finding the Dock Without Stress

Wild Whale Watching Experience – Open Air Vessel

Wild Whale Watching Experience - Open Air Vessel - Eagle Eyes open-air comfort: 360° views without the “freeze and miss it” problem

7.Wild Whale Watching Experience – Open Air Vessel

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 158 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $169

Open-air whale watching from Granville Island with a marine naturalist, 360° views, anti-exposure suits, and data-sharing for conservation.

“This was a great tour. We saw a pod of orchas and a bunch of seals. It’s a much longer tour than you will think so take snacks. You will be given an orange waterproof jumpsuit to wear. We were thankful for them as it would have been freezing without them. It’s a long time on a boat for a short time of whale action, but most people understand this is what whale excursions entail. Boat was a nice size instead of a huge tour with so many people you can’t see. There was a restroom on board. Yaz was our naturalist and she was great!”

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Vancouver-Victoria Day Trip by Seaplane + Whale Watching by Boat

Vancouver-Victoria Day Trip by Seaplane + Whale Watching by Boat - Victoria Inner Harbour: the whale-watching portion on Orca Spirit Adventures

8.Victoria Day Trip by Seaplane + Whale Watching by Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 142 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $546

Seaplane from Vancouver to Victoria plus a 3-hour Salish Sea whale hunt for orcas and more, all in one tight day.

“I enjoyed the seaplane rides coming and going the best. The whale watch was just Ok. No breaching whales but the crew was remarkable and informative. I did expect to be on a pontoon boat but this covered one was ok. They said they would switch the people from Up stairs to down stairs but that never happened. Walk between boat and plane was long. They should have shuttled people.”

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Vancouver: Day Trip to Victoria Seaplane with Whale Watching

Vancouver: Day Trip to Victoria Seaplane with Whale Watching - Where to Meet Harbour Air in Vancouver: Don’t Guess

Vancouver, BC: Whale Watching Tour Small Zodiac with Guide

Vancouver, BC: Whale Watching Tour Small Zodiac with Guide - Zodiac logistics in Richmond: check in, gear up, and what 5 hours really means

Whale Watching Adventure from Vancouver BC

Whale Watching Adventure from Vancouver BC - What makes this whale watch different each day

11.Whale Watching Adventure from Vancouver BC

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $184

4-hour whale watching from Steveston Village with a naturalist, snacks included, and chances at orcas, humpbacks, seals, and seabirds.

“We lucked out and saw orcas and humpbacks and a family of eagles in one nest! It was absolutely incredible! Our naturalist and captain worked synergistically to ensure we had the best experience ever!!!!”

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Vancouver: Open-air Whale Watching Tour, Granville Island

Vancouver: Open-air Whale Watching Tour, Granville Island - Should you book this whale watching tour from Granville Island?

12.Open-air Whale Watching Tour, Granville Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 51 reviews · 5 hours · from $165

Open-air Salish Sea whale watching from Granville Island on the Eagle Eyes catamaran, with naturalist-led sightings and 360° views.

“Our naturalist Julia was excellent and super knowledgeable. I loved learning about humpback whale behaviours and how to identify them as we tracked the 3 we found during the excursion. I also loved seeing the harbour seals and learning about other marine wildlife like sea otters even though we didn't see them on our trip. I wish we could have stayed out in the northern sound longer to track them but acknowledge that our naturalist and captain tried their best. Overall an excellent experience. I would do it again in a heartbeat and will be recommending Wild Whales to all my friends, family and colleagues.”

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Vancouver: Catamaran Whale Watching Tour, Granville Island

Vancouver: Catamaran Whale Watching Tour, Granville Island - How Whale Watching Off Granville Island Really Feels

13.Catamaran Whale Watching Tour, Granville Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 27 reviews · 5 hours · from $165

5-hour catamaran whale watching from Granville Island with the Jing Yu, a marine naturalist, and a whale sightings guarantee.

“Avevamo paura che 3-5 ore di tour sarebbero state troppo lunghe e noiose. Nonostante si tratti sicuramente di un’attività dove è necessaria un po di pazienza, non essendo in uno zoo, ci siamo ricreduti! Il tour è stato molto divertente e interessante, anche grazie alla simpatica e disponibile naturalista Julia che ci ha raccontato aneddoti riguardanti tutti gli animali marini che abbiamo visto. La sua passione era palpabile e ci ha entusiasmati. Siamo riusciti a vedere una megattera anche se per poco tempo, molte orche (a caccia e con tanto di preda in bocca!) e moltissime foche. Il prezzo non è basso ma per chi non lo ha mai fatto…”

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Intimate West Coast Whale Watching – Partly-Sheltered

Intimate West Coast Whale Watching - Partly-Sheltered - The 3–5 Hour “Partly-Sheltered” Ride: What to Expect On Water

14.Intimate West Coast Whale Watching – Partly-Sheltered

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · 3 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $169

Intimate West Coast whale watching from Vancouver with a small group, smart captain guidance, and expert behavior talk in a partly-sheltered boat.

“Excellent experience. Saw many humpback whales. Lots of fin slapping and breaching. Nicole did a great job of explaining whale behavior and migration patterns”

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