Ahous Adventures

We had a bear watching tour with Ahous Adventures in September 2023 at 7am on a Zodiac boat. We were there 45 minutes before the start as requested. However, we actually just waited until 7 a.m. Until something happened. The staff was very nice the whole time. The equipment we received was really good. A hat and gloves would probably have been appropriate in cold weather. We have already received these from other providers in the past.
After our 3 hour tour we were very disappointed. We didn't see any bears. The guide hardly told us anything in 3 hours and when, we couldn't understand him well. In the end he told us that it was the end of the season and that we should come next time in May or June, when bears could be seen better and he apologized (at least he can't be blamed for the lack of sighting). If it's so unlikely, why are they still offering this tour at such a high price at this point in the year? In any case, we didn't know it beforehand. We definitely didn't get any money refunded. We know that you can't order the bears onto the beach, but when the likelihood of a sighting is so low at this time of year, any form of accommodation would be appreciated. We saw otters and sea lions and had a nice view for over $150 per person. We would therefore definitely not recommend this tour in mid/end of September with this provider.

The trip and our guide Eugine were awesome.headed out early before the crowds, saw so many cute sea otter familys, and some whales on the way to the hot springs. Relaxing time at the hot springs with plenty of time to enjoy.

We went to the hotsprings! Our guide was so knowledgable and kind. Hot springs are very unique and very beautiful. The swells on the ocean on the way back we’re very large and our guide was always calm and collected and got us back safely!
We also got to stop and see some otters and a whale!

Great bear spotting trip with Captain Richard who was friendly informative & made every effort to make it the best experience-swimming bear, harbour seals, kingfishers & sea otters

Great hot springs tour. Had lots of fun. First Nation owned and operated - so, a definitive must. Eugene the tour guide was knowledgeable and very polite. He showed us some fantastic wildlife as well.

I have done the Hot springs tour and took the first tour in the morning. We were the first ones to enjoy the hot springs pretty lucky! We got to see whales on the way, sea otters and seals. I totally recommend Ahous adventures

Had a wonderful first visit to the Hot Springs in Hot Springs Cove with this Indigenous run company. We were able to go early and so only a group of about 10-11 of us were there instead of large groups. Cole, our skipper, went out of his way to show us wildlife along the way and boy did we see lots: grey and humpback whales, sea lion, sea cows, sea otters, seals, sharks, all sorts of birds - one even raced us. LOL. Highly recommend this tour company.

Amazing trip and Aren (guide/boat captain) was knowledgable. We were lucky we got to see grey whales. Would highly recommend Ahous.

Just went on the whale watching tour and it did not disappoint! Richard was our captain and expertly navigated the seas while educating us on the local flora and fauna. I can’t wait to come back and do the hot springs tour with him. Thank you, Richard!

Fantastic whale watching trip - the best I have yet done. We saw a couple of whales and learned a lot about them, plus a number of other animals (sea lions, sea otters, porpoises and eagles). This experience was made even more special by our guide Richard who grew up here and generously shared his knowledge and experience with us - would thoroughly recommend Ahous Adventures - could not have been better - thank-you!

I usually don't write reviews, but wanted to take the time to give a shout-out to Ahous Adventures for the wonderful daytrip we took to Hot Springs Cove.
David, our friendly and capable captain/guide, shared his knowledge about wildlife, local traditions, and stories about growing up in beautiful Ahousaht territory.
The large, closed-cabin aluminum vessel (there is an open deck on the back for outdoor wildlife viewing) was just for the 5 people in our party, so plenty roomy and no conflicts in desires / schedules of different parties if we wanted to stay longer at wildlife viewing spots. The boat was very stable and kept us dry, shaded and comfortable in the ocean swells of the outside passage. In a vessel like that, with an experienced skipper like David (he's been operating boats in these waters since he was 10), we felt completely at ease, even my daughter who can be pretty nervous in rough seas.

The scenery was breath-taking- on the way out, dense morning fog and flat calm in the inside passage. The way back around the outside passage brought sunny skies, dramatic ocean swells, and much more wildlife- gray whales, sea lions, rafts of sea otters, and loads of sea birds. David was always respectful, never getting too close to the whales.

The quiet forest walk along the boardwalk to the springs is really lovely and meditative in itself. The springs themselves are a series of small mineral pools amidst the rocks, ranging from very hot at the top (with a small waterfall) to progressively cooler down to the surf. I liked that they are kept natural, rather than cement swimming pools you find in some places, even though it means each pool is a little small and not that deep, and you have to mind where you put your feet. Bring water shoes with good tread because the rocks are SLIPPERY and you have to do a fair amount of clambering. I liked sitting in the lower pool and watching as the incoming waves slowly rolled in over the kelp bed and moderated the temperature back and forth. Totally mesmerizing.

There aren't that many pools, and facilities are designed for a small number of visitors at a time (more than 10 at once and it would start to feel crowded). But because Ahous Adventures is the only operator that can enter outside of the public hours of 11-4, so we only shared the pools with one other local couple (one of whom was doing some traditional singing, which was beautiful and really added to the experience). As we were leaving, a steady stream of people were arriving at the start of public hours. These tours are not cheap, so taking one that packs you in with that many other people would have ruined the experience for me.

The superior vessel and knowledge / seamanship of the local captain/guides alone would have been enough for me to highly recommend Ahous Adventures. The chance to also support an indigenous owned and operated company, learn from their unique perspective and stories, plus the advantage of exclusive access to the springs outside of public hours -that is the cherry on top. I can't imagine using any other company.

Our thanks to David, Ahous Adventures, and the Ahousaht people for a memorable day! We are grateful for the opportunity experience the beauty of their special place.

Did hot springs tour with Ahous and had a fantastic day! We got to see a lot of wildlife on the way. Sea Lions, grey whales, sea otters etc. We then docked, headed for hot springs and bathed for few hrs. Caught a nice sunset at the end from the afternoon tour, which was a nice bonus!

We really wanted to see Orcas so went Whale watching tour with Ahous also. 40mins into the trip we saw Orcas! Overall a great experience. The guides were very informative and we got to learn a lot about the culture of the Ahousaht territory.

Excellent tour to Hot springs Cove! Very much enjoyed the time we spent searching for wildlife on the way there and back. Our guide incorporated some interesting wildlife info plus some history around the nations in the area as well as answered all questions from myself and other passengers. I highly recommend them.

Best day ever! The morning started with a delicious freshly made cappuccino. The mist lifted as we exited the harbour and the sun graced the remainder of the day. Richard was a font of knowledge slowing down to show and tell about the sea lions and otters along the way. The hot springs were magical as was the walk to and from.
On the way back, Richard heard about a pod of orcas and went out of his way to track them down. We were up close and personal with a beautiful pod. Perhaps even better, was Richard’s genuine joy at the experience.
Everyone should have this experience at least once in their lives!

We booked a whale watching tour with Ahous Adventures and it was great! We saw sea lions, sea otters and a grey whale and were truly lucky as we had the boat all to ourselves. Our captain David was really helpful and provided us with lots of information. Would highly recommend!

The best way to see our beautiful natural coast Lines, wild-life and connect to nature. We had an amazing time with tour guide Cole and we will definitely be back again.
This trip never disappoints. And they do an excellent job of making sure you see wildlife every trip! So very grateful!

Thank you captain Richard for showing us the killer whales! We had only 1 hour but you went beyond and showed us everything!

Booked a hot Springs tour with this company and had an amazing time. First Nation owned and operated. A definitive must. Our tour guide and Skipper Eugene was great and showed us some fantastic wildlife on the way to the hot springs and back.

We went on the 3 hour whale watching tour and it was great! Our tour guide, Eugene, was really awesome and knowledgeable. We got to see some sea otters and a grey whale. Would definitely recommend this tour!