Okay, we lucked out because we found a Humpback that breached and breached and breached some more. Captain Brad said he could see a large barnacle attached to the whale's head - which the whale kept breaching to remove. But Brad was great, regardless. Very knowledgeable and motivated to inform and educate. Super fast boat - quite an experience! read more

I was on the fence about booking this originally due to the price, but it was seriously one of the best experiences of my life! My first tour got canceled since not enough people had signed up, but there was great customer service and they moved us out to the next tour 15 minutes later. I was nervous because the small boat was completely open vs. being covered, but it was a beautiful day and the sea air felt so nice. The tour was led by Captain Jimmy, who had a very kind, friendly demeanor and immediately put us at ease. He seemed to be one step ahead of every other tour out there, to the point where we lucked out and ended up very close to a pod of orcas. Additionally, Jimmy was very knowledgeable and respectful of the animals. We saw many orcas and humpback whales as well as sea lions and birds. It was amazing to see how the entire ecosystem worked together. This was the best part of our trip and I will recommend this group to all my friends and family! If you are unsure about going whale watching, do yourself a favor and book it! read more

My family and I enjoyed a 3.5 hour tour with Grant and Mark. They were knowledgeable about the area and the whales. The boat was comfortable and safe. The water suits they have you wear served its purpose and kept us warm and dry without getting hot. A nice thing about the tour is that it is up to 12-people which made it intimate and special compared to boats that had 50+people crammed onboard competing for spots. There were incredible views of the Olympic Mountains and tucked away coves that were magical. We saw hump back whales, sea lions and a bald eagle. I highly recommend BC Whale Tours for a perfect whale tour. read more

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What a fun excursion! We went out on the Tika boat and what an amazing experience that was. This is the fastest boat available for the whale watching tours in Victoria. If you don't like going fast, bumps on the ocean and getting soaking wet don't do it, if on the other hand you love all of those things you'll have the best time on this tour as we did! We saw about 10 whales when we were out as well as different sea lions. Our tour guide Christian was great and gave us loads of information. All the tours are in contact with each other so they know where the whales are. As the tika was so fast we got to them in no time, with a little sea shower in between Highly recommend this tour! read more

The boat was excellent, the tour guide was really knowledgeable, answered all of my questions (and I had a lot), and we saw a bunch of orcas. High recommendations! read more

BC Whale Tours - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Awesome time! Great operation!! We went whale watching with BC Whale Tours twice. Our first adventure was an evening trip on the BC Nova. Rough waters didn't deter us or Jeevan, our fearless captain, who was able to get us to a pod of orcas for a truly memorable experience. The next day, we went out on BC Luna, captained by Kaegan, who filled lots of our cruising time with interesting information. He was able to get us positioned for terrific photo ops with the same pod of transient orcas, plus we had wonderful sightings of stellar seals, a cute otter, and a majestic bald eagle. In all, we had fantastic experiences, and highly recommend BC Whale Tours. read more

Super exciting and amazing excursion with Captain Darren on BC Whale watching tour. Went on Zodiac boat, booked a few days in advance and price compared with other and it was very reasonable. Was over 3 hours and had the privilege of seeing Orca's, grey whale, bald eagle, sea lions and much more. Conveniently located, easy to find, even had bathrooms on board if needed. Two thumbs up!!!!!! Way up!!!!! read more

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My wife and I had a great experience with BC Whale Tours last weekend. You'll find with most whale tour companies that they are all pretty similar. These guys offer to pick you up from your hotel (but no guaranteed return trip unfortunately, so you might be stuck downtown after your tour). I really like that you don't have the brightest colored suits as all the other companies. These guys just rock the black suits (no red suits for us!). The guides are pretty knowledgeable about the area. Ours looked like he just woke up at 9:30 after a night out at the bar to come drive the boat. But he was funny, was engaging, and when the guide of 10 years is taking pictures of the whales, you know it's probably a good tour. All of the companies sort of work together and tell each other where the whales are each day. So you'll spend the first part just blasting through the water getting to the viewing spots. Our day it took about 45 minutes or so to get to the area. I was actually pretty surprised at how much time we spent watching the whales. They were going along the coastline most of the time, which you have to be 1/8 of a mile away from legally. All the other companies are there too, which is why I say it probably doesn't matter who you go with. We didn't have much time left and at the end of the tour, the whales went under water on a dive and popped up about 40 feet from our boat. The only time you get to be close to them is if they choose to come your way. So we had a pretty awesome experience and not one that most people see. Really the only reason for 4 stars is because I don't see how they're any different from the other companies. We had a great time and would certainly recommend. read more

Headed back here for a second trip after some difficulty last year. Here's hoping! They're quite kindly offering to give me a free trip as compensation. I'm looking forward to a chance to get this company a second chance. The old manager has moved on but he was quite kind read more

Loved our time on the Luna with Captain Jim. Would definitely recommend. Comfortable ride, beautiful scenery and knowledgeable captain. We throughly enjoyed our 3 hours searching (and finding) the whales. read more

BC Whale Tours - Beautiful covered boat that allowed us the confidence to sit back and relax. - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Very disappointing trip - i think that the company is fair but the captain on the zodiac I went on today was very impatient and not human friendly PERIOD. His name was Mark I believe so please avoid him at all cost. He had a very mean demeanor to start with. And once we came upon the orcas, our zodiac was the farthest away from others and the whales. He made no attempts to get closer for a better look. And of course that was the same thing with a humpback whale that we came upon. This is a WHALE watching tour and not marine life. I didn't appreciate how he took the time to show the sea lions. I would greatly prefer if he would have spent much more time and patience with the whales instead. What a disappointing whale watching trip. Even the website said 3-4 hours, they barely spent 2.5 hours there. There were other zodiac boats out there and they were sharing details of the whales and nature through an easy-to-hear speaker phone. This captain repeatedly asked us to get closer to him so he doesn't have to speak up. What a poor quality customer service there! Also there was a bigger boat that did a way better job getting great sights of whales, which I believe that's what we are all into when spending $$$ in whale watching in this area. I would certainly avoid this company at all cost in the future given how precious are my whale watching trips. read more

My friend and I took a whale tour with Captain Jeevan on the morning Friday, July 12th. Check in and boarding went smoothly. Captain Jeevan informed us we would hunt for orcas, see Humpbacks, otters, seals and more. We motored out 45 minutes, and unfortunately one of the zodiac motors seized. So we limped back to Canadian waters where the GM was to meet us with a different boat, and we could swap boats. As this was unexpected, Captain Jeevan repeatedly told us they would "make it up to us for this situation." Well, this swap happened slowly, as it turns out we were not permitted to swap boats in US waters (where the engine seized). So 40 minutes later, back near Victoria Harbor, the GM arrived, we swapped boats and went back to whale watching. Captain Jeevan took us to a spot where other boats were watching 2 humpback whales, so we bobbed there for about 30 minutes with a number of other vessels. Then, we were told there were no orca sightings, so we were out of luck (a common theme). We then saw a few seals which Captain Jeevan woke up with the boat horn (is that legal??). Then, back to Victoria we went, and the tour was over. So did we see whales? Yes. Did we "hunt" orcas? No. Did we see otters? No. Did the tour company "make it up to us for the seized motor? No. Our tour started at 10 am and we were back on the dock by about 1 pm. While I cannot blame the Captain for the motor problem, I will take issue with his delaying information, prevaricating about looking for orcas, and then failing to "make it up to us" for losing about 45 minutes of whale watching. My biggest gripe, however, was the Captain was patronizing the customers. I'd suggest open and honest communication - your customers will respect you more. Finally, we had friends who toured later in the day and saw plenty of orcas. read more

I would highly recommend this tour company. I booked a tour in April for June for my son and I. We rode on the Tika. Aussie Tom was our guide, and he really did a great job of getting us into position in crowded waters. He has a thorough knowledge of the marine life. Getting the survival suits was a welcomed benefit as the wind and boat speed would have really took its toll early. We saw a small family of Orcas and followed them for several miles north, almost to Vancouver. read more

BC Whale Tours - Wearing the suit - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Highly recommend this tour company, particularly, Captain Gordon. He was knowledgeable of the area, the subject matter as well as courteous and friendly. The humpback whales cooperated and I had the privileged to witness quite a display of frolicking and playfulness by a lovely grey whale. read more

We had a great time. At first we were afraid of the seemingly small boat and goofy-looking safety suits you have to wear. But the boat was very stable, smooth, and comfortable, and the suits were pretty comfortable and kept us nice and warm. Kaegan, our tour guide, was very nice and knew a lot about the whales. We saw some great stuff on the trip including an orca with a big salmon in its mouth and a humpback do a full breach! Kaegan put the microphone in the water for us to listen to the orcas talk to each other. He always had more information for us; we learned a lot. Definitely worth the money if you want to see some whales! read more

We absolutely had the best time. The crew was amazing at accommodating our family. They really went above & beyond. The smaller boat let us get so up close & personal with the whales. Def the highlight of our trip. Highly recommend. read more

Most amazing whale watching experience ever!!! I have now gone on two tours with BC Whale Tours and I was thrilled both times. I couldn't imagine using anyone else. read more

Wow! Amazing tour. Not only did we have a wonderful time, but we had an amazingly knowledgeable captain. We recommend the tour and will be back next time we are in town. Thank you!!! read more

Just wanted to say a special thank you to Captain Gord and BC Whale Tours. As new residents of the city of Victoria, Melissa, Trinity and I wanted the experience of seeing whales and you delivered above our wildest expectations. Cpt Gord, was patient, helpful, and his experience piloting the vessel was fantastic. My daughter and I found the entrance and exit to the port super exciting too...it was a blast, a bit of water in the face and some big waves added to the experience of seeing our first wild Killer Whales. Huge thanks for making this experience truly epic and I'm sure we'll see you all again soon. Cheers read more

Had an amazing time today whale watching. Here are reasons why I would recommend BC tours. It accommodates twelve people and it's a smaller boat which I liked because it keeps you at great eye level with the water in order to see the whales. I feel like it gives you a more personal experience. The tour company provides life jacket suits that keep you warm on the water and is a flotation device as well. Our tour guide was very friendly and informative. He gave us time to take pictures of the whales and seals that we saw and he did not rush the experience. It was easy move around the boat and take pictures unlike bigger tour boats that I saw which had a lot of people. We were able to see orcas and humpback whales which was amazing. They key is patience as you are seeing the whales in their natural habitat and also have to care about the whale safety so we had to keep a visible distance from them. Was a wonderful experience and highly recommend BC whale tours!!! read more

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Captain Gordon. Took the newer of the boats and a small, fast boat with a knowledgable captain is the ONLY way to go hunt for whales. We saw plenty of orcas and got within about 50 feet of one due to the masterful navigating of captain Gord. He just knew right where to place us once we saw a whale Very nice intimate experience that was probably the best money we spent on the vacation. If you are considering it just do it. No regrets. And if you are thinking about BC then you are in the right spot. The reviews you see are all spot on and we have no regrets at al. read more

We booked a whale watching trip three weeks in advance for an August 29 excursion and arranged a day trip to Victoria from Vancouver primarily for the whale watching. We really wanted the Zodiac-type experience and chose BC Whale Tours. When we checked in at the BC Whale Tours office we were told "our boat" was having mechanical problems and might not be able to go. The girl who spoke to us said, "this is no one's fault. It just happens from time to time." We waited. The tour was canceled and they didn't make any alternative arrangements for us. We waited on the deck and watched the group immediately after us take another one of BC's boats out for a tour that was scheduled 15 minutes after ours. I fully realize accidents and unexpected events can occur, but a professional whale watching outfitter ought to keep its boats in tip-top shape and not cancel trips, or at least have a contingency plan in place to cover if such an event occurred. It's just not acceptable to require customers to make advanced reservations, prepay, and show up 30 minutes early for a trip, and then cancel because your boat is broken down. The employee's comments were also concerning. She specifically said mechanical failures at BC occur "from time to time." Really disappointing. We re-booked on a much larger boat with another company that was both more expensive and not the experience we wanted. Wouldn't go back to BC Whale Tours. Can't recommend them. They've said they'll refund our prepayments. Looking forward to confirming that. read more

I would probably give 3.5. Pros easy parking right next to booth and nice people. We had the Luna (indoor/outdoor) and it was great to only have 10 people on the boat with plenty of space indoors and outdoors. Plus the ride was smooth so sea sickness was not a problem. Cons- 1. we followed the FAQs which said dress with layers and windbreaker but that wasn't enough since it was freezing outside. My family wanted to be outside most of the ride to mimic the other speed boats you see whale watching but couldn't because they didn't have any jumpsuits or heavier waterproof jackets onboard so we got wet fairly quickly. We basically had to stay indoors except to run out quickly to see something. Please keep jumpsuits on board or supply waterproof thermal ponchos for those who want the outdoor experience. 2. Provide dry toilet paper. I used the toilet and the paper was soaked thankfully I had some tissues. 3. We were greeted by the captain who announced that it would be a long trip because we had to go far to see the orcas and that they had seen them on the morning trip. We paid 4 hours of parking and he told us we should put more time in. We ended up not going far and were back in less than four hours. We didn't see orcas. yes we saw humpbacks and sea lions, but i was there for orcas and when the captain greeted us saying they were there, we all got excited. Next time just tell us the truth so we know from the start we will probably not see orcas which is what most people who come here want to see. Personally if I were to do another tour, I'd try another company. read more

Did this Tour Last November on Tika with Tim as our skipper, and it was INCREDIBLE! Saw multiple orca families, and multiple sightings of the gorgeous humpback. It was great having an up and close personal experience and I was so happy to not be on the big double decker boats with the masses of people. read more

This review is long, but I really wanted to explain why I gave BC Whale Tours "5 stars." We had Capt. Jim on the BC Tika this morning. I was planning to give a positive review based solely on how respectful he was of the orcas, giving them space and not chasing them or getting too close, like we saw some other boats doing. Now, I know there are some people out there who will think, "well, that's not what I want -- I actually want a boat that will chase the whales and get closer." But Capt. Jim knew what he was doing, and it paid off. He knew where the pod was headed, and parked and waited (with no other boats around). The pod surfaced a distance away, and was clearly checking us out. But because we were alone and not threatening to them, they came closer and closer, until they were within arms' length, literally. They surfaced right next to the boat, swam under the boat, and surfaced on the other side. I am willing to bet that no other boat out there today had that same amazing experience. I will try to post a screen capture from our video to show how close the orcas came to the boat. They had at least one youth/baby with them, so they must have felt very comfortable and secure to bring the young one so close to where we were parked. Again, I believe the reason the orcas came so close to us was because our boat stayed a respectful distance and left it up to the orcas to decide. We also saw elephant seals and California sea lions resting near the lighthouse, but the orca pod was really the highlight. I can't thank the captain enough for this great experience. read more

BC Whale Tours - We parked a respectful distance away, and they came to us (edge of the boat in bottom right corner - that's how close they came!) - Whale Watching Tours Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

All whaling companies are similar in price in Victoria, so our choice of BC Whale Tours was mostly random. Our first trip was not very fruitful - a few harbour seals, floating kelp, and 2 seconds of a minke whale. It was the make-up trip (free) that we experienced our memorable Victoria trip. Both trips were in the morning but mileage varies according to weather and communication of sightings from the network of whale watching companies. Captain Harold was showing his Austrian relatives the best that Victoria has to offer, and me and my wife tagged along. Not only did we see whales (2 humpbacks!), we saw amazing coastlines and placid waters reminiscent of desktop screensavers. Overall the BC Whale Tour crew was funny and accommodating. If you have motion sickness, avoid taking Gravol as it'll make you drowsy and groggy. The rapid trajectory of the zodiac boats will make sure this doesn't occur. Enjoy your trip to Victoria! read more

Captain Gordon was the best. Orcas galore! and humpbacks...Best birthday present my husband could ask for, was to see the orcas in their environment. An experience of a lifetime. BC zodiacs are the best, most comfortable, and even have bathrooms. I was nervous about it, my first time on a zodiac, but loved, loved, loved it and was not nervous a bit in the end. A true bucket list item checked off. Just to point out, did a whale watch day earlier, on larger company, and saw no orcas at all, was very disappointing and we were not leaving Victoria without seeing the orcas we know live there. Thank you Gordon and BC Whale Tours, you were the highlight of our vacation in BC! Will never forget it. read more

We had an incredible day. Harold, the owner, picked us up at our hotel. Hannah greeted us when we arrived at the dock. Captain Gordon had the boat ready and warm. He was knowledgeable, passionate and super duper dedicated to finding whales. And he succeeded. We saw Orcas and lots of other things. Seals, bald eagles, sea lions and we were comfortable the whole time. Thank you for making the trip memorable, educational and rewarding. read more

Excellent time, saw a pod of orcas. Our guide was very personable (captain Russ) and educational. Can't wait to go again.

Great experience overall! We had just come from an Alaskan cruise where the whale watching we did was accompanied with inflated prices, bad weather and whale sitings from a distance(better viewing from our cruise ship). We went with this company per recommendations of our hotel staff. Hotel pickup service was provided. All the staff were friendly. The boat accommodations were awesome. Initially I thought the suit they provided was overkill because it was a warm sunny morning but I was so greatful for them out on the waters. Captain Gordon was very knowledgeable and provided great commentary on the whales and other wildlife. We were on the orca boat where the ride was smooth and exhilarating. I felt safe the whole time. I highly recommend going with this company for whale watching! read more

We had a great experience. We took the tika boat & Gordon was our guide. We saw MANY whales very quickly (including transients!). Gordon was very informative & a great guide. We even got to see several of the orcas breaching. Truly breathtaking. Would love. to do it again. Thanks BC tours! read more