Sooke Whale Watching / Sooke Coastal Explorations

Went out with them and we saw about 50 different humpback whales. Also saw a few orcas. The trip was way better than ever expected!

Fantastic day, so glad we decided to do the whale watching with this company The boat ride itself was so fun. We managed to see two big humpbacks, seals and an otter. The tour guide was really informative and keen to conserve these wonderful animals. Would highly recommend

Fantastic tour on August 11th with Molly. She was very knowledgeable and clearly quite passionate about whales and the ecosystem. We were able to see a lone male orca, a couple of humpbacks, and later on a whole family of orca! It was a great trip.

We had a great time whale watching with Molly. Don’t sleep on whale watching in Sooke!

I’ve done many whale watching trips (in Vancouver, Victoria, & the US). We saw several humpbacks in Sooke. Unfortunately, no orcas this time. But it was a great trip. Would definitely recommend!

We had an amazing time! We saw lots of whales, seals and sea lions. Thank you Paul & Molly!

It was wonderful to spend a day out on the Salish Sea with Molly as our guide. Her reputation preceded her, as she has done Wild Wise presentations at my child's school (and made a huge positive impact)! Molly clearly cares so much about the wildlife in the region - during our tour, we learned all about local marine life and had a chance to respectfully observe some whales as they travelled by us. Thank you for a fantastic day - we had a great experience from beginning to end:)

We had an amazing trip with Dan. Humpbacks right next to our boat and two Orca pods - resident and transient. Really nice company - laid back but well organised and knowledgable - highly recommended.

Fantastic adventure. Crew were amazing. Guide Deanna was knowledgeable and very kind to my grandchildren. We saw orca, humpbacks, seals, sea lions, sea otters and eagles. Highly recommend

I read a review about Sooke Whales newest boat. It's the only reason I'm writing this. Reviews are a one sided story. I've lived out West my whole life! I fish, and have my own fishing vessel. I can't say I'm too interested in the whales when I'm on the water. They're cool, but not what I'm after. I did however go for a ride on Racer the new boat. Someone referred to it as a lake boat! Are you kidding me? This boat was made by Andy Barry, who built a true Westcoast vessel! I know Andy well, and he takes pride in his boats. I'm even insulted at such a remark! This has got to be one of the best boats in Sooke! It rides smooth, and feels incredible on the water. I've met Paul and Dan as well. To call them inexperienced is ridiculous. These guys know exactly what they're doing! That review must have been by someone who wasn't on the boat, or probably shouldn't ever be on one. When you go on the ocean, you can't expect a lake ride! To the guy who left that review. You should get a lake boat, and go on the ocean. You're gonna be begging for Paul & Dan to rescue you in any one of their vessels!

The entire experience from start to finish was stellar! Guest host Deanna was fantastic! E She has amazing energy and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the local marine life, killer pods and landscape. Paul the captain was exceptional as well! If whale watching is on your bucket list Sooke Whale has got you covered! Thank you! We'll be back!

Totally terrifying experience! My family and I have been on many whale watching tours, and although I am not the type to leave a review, this one deserved a mention. I only wish that 0 stars was an option. The lads running this outfit were inexperienced and seemed to lack basic boating skills to say the least. They took us out in a ski boat, that was not fit for the ocean, and never went further than a kilometre or so from shore, I presume because the boat likely would have capsized if we had. The driver was nervous and incapable of navigating the waters. We eventually "saw a whale" or so he told us anyway's. A responsible operator would have been aware of the conditions and also the limitations of the vessel and should have decided to cancel the tour rather than take our money. At no time during this outing did we feel safe until we were back on land. I would definitely NOT recommend this outfit to anyone, especially with kids.

I've been out with Sooke Coastal Explorations at least a dozen times and will continue to do so, I booked a private tour when my whole family came to visit and recommend them to any visitors or locals interested in whale watching! Paul, Dan and Deanna are all so knowledgeable and experienced. I've been consistently greeted with friendly attitudes and smiles, and I love that they always keep the safety of the guests and the animals a top priority! Thanks for being so great guys!

I found Sooke Whale Watching 7 years ago. I went not once, twice or three times. I went SIX times! I'm amazed I even went out that much because I'm VERY nervous on the water. I've never felt so at ease as I do with captian Paul and Dan Pudwell. Shortly after meeting these two amazing brothers I started working for Salty Towers and Sooke Whale Watching. I've been calling this place my other home for six seasons now. I've learned so much from them, and from the thousands of encounters on the sea. I now speak as a guide on their tours, and spend countless hours in the office meeting thousands of people looking to experience something so many people take for granted.

The opportunity they gave me, and their personal experience on the water that's a combinded over 30 years has contributed to my confidence on the ocean. Their fleet of vessels are well maintained, comfortable and I assure you if they weren't I wouldn't be working here. I'm proud to say I work with Sooke Whale Watching. My review is not bias, it is absolutely true! This is a family business with family values. All of us at Sooke Whale Watching and Salty Towers truly love what we do and we just LOVE where live. It's not just about whale watching. It's about ethical whale watching and providing a safe, comfortable experience for all our guests on the sea.

I'm giving you guys five extra stars! Because you deserve it!

I am a Sooke local and have gone fishing in these waters since I was a kid. I have been out with Sooke whale watching many times. Everytime is unique and i always see something I've never seen before, right here in my own backyard.
By far this is the best outfit for my marine experience around townĺĺ

This outfit is located in a residential area down a long narrow driveway. Once down the driveway, it opens up into this beautiful property that misleadingly is on the waterfront. The parking is tight, but hey it's free.

We were welcomed by warm smiles and very excited staff. They give you very warm floating suits, and pls accept the warm hats and gloves provided. You will thank me later.

We saw many humpback whales and even a mom and baby! After that they took us to see many sea lions, seals, and a pair of bald eagles. The scenic shoreline ride through the bay and islands was the perfect way to complete an amazing adventure.

Was a wonderful trip and way less expensive than I thought. Orcas, humpbacks, sea lions, seals even a elephant seal. The tour people were very nice and knowledgable.

Exceptional, knowledgeable, personable staff. Great boats. I have been out with them 4-5 times and each time is unique. Saw whales each time out as well as a host of wildlife.

I highly recommend Sooke Whale Watching.

This is an unreal experience! Among one of the best things I have ever done. A must do if your in Sooke.

We can't say enough good thing about our trip out with Doug. He made the trip so memorable for us (I'm sure his brother is excellent as well). Highly recommend using these guys if you're looking for an experience. Just amazingly done, well deserving of 5+ stars!

An outstanding experience for our whole family. Our kids were in awe with the amount of sea life we got to see and they had the added bonus of a RIB ride! Staff were very knowledgeable and ensured that we had the best opportunities to see marine life - with the highlight being our view of Orcas and Humpbacks Whales!

Me and my family had an adventure of a lifetime. We were in awe of all the marine life we were able to see. A curious humpback, sea lions, dolphins and so much beauty.
The boat ride is super fun too.
Paul and Deanna love what they do and respect the land and the animals.
Paul was plucking balloons and rubbage out of the ocean during our trip.

We saw three different types of whales!
An awesome experience. Well worth the price. Great crew on the boat.

Took my mother out on a Sunday afternoon tour this past weekend. What an experience! Orca, humpback, sea lion, seals, and Ollie the sea otter! This was my second time on the water with Paul and Dan, two brothers with an abundance of boating experience. We maintained a safe and respectful distance from all the animals throughout the tour! I look forward to going out again soon, highly recommended!

This was the most unforgettable experience I have ever had! We saw many Orca and had the luck of catching them during their breakfast. Followed by that we visited a mother Humpback and her calf. We witnessed her teaching the baby how to dive and feed. We also saw many seals, sea lions, sea otter, bald eagles and many other marine birds.

We had the pleasure of going on their new vessel named Racer. It was a superb ride, very smooth and dry, even in the larger offshore waves.

Paul, Dan and Deanna, we will never forget our adventure with you!

Highly recommend

Had a memorable trip whate watching with Paul and Dan on Sunday with 7 close friends, top notch boats to say the least and very comfortable.saw quite a few orcas and also humpbacks.amazing trip and well worth the morning.nice to feel safe on the ocean and have such sights! Nice work guys!

We couldn’t have had a better experience with Sooke Whale Watching! While weather conditions were near perfect, we were able to see an abundance of marine life due to this intimate experience. We saw orcas, sea lions, seals, porpoises, a humpback whale, and even the rare otter. Because this is a smaller group size, we were able to decide where we all wanted to go and we went a different direction than all the other Victoria boats.which allowed us to be the only tour to find the humpback whale! Dan is incredibly knowledgeable & gave us one of the best experiences we’ve ever had!