Vancouver Whale Watch

It was a hot summer day where the temperature rose to about 27°C when we went on their whale watching trip and it was a really clear and sunny morning.

We started by registering early at the office after purchasing online tickets. There were toilets and water coolers for refilling bottles if needed. There are jackets that could be borrowed too. That was a nice touch.

The boat used was well maintained, clean and comfortable enough. There was an upper level for those who can withstand strong winds when the boat is cruising. A single unisex toilet without a tap is available. Hands can be sanitised with a provided sanitiser in the toilet.

There was a guide present, along with the captain of the boat. But the reason why I gave only 4 stars is because when we were cruising, there were endless moments of silence. If the guide was more enthusiastic and passionate, she would had been telling us about the places we were cruising by, sharing information about the various birds we came across or just basically talking about the sights we could see while looking for whales and orcas. Even if she just shared some bits and pieces of interesting information, it would make the trip more interesting.

Eventually, it took 3 hours, and a far trip out south east of Steveston before we saw some orcas, and another hour plus of journeying back to the pier. The guide only talked about the orcas and eventually, some bald eagles when we came across them at the end of the trip. It was mostly engine noise and splashing waves that we listened to throughout the 5 hours out at sea.

That said, nature is not programmable, hence it all depends on luck to see what you may see. Service and the safety briefing was good and we were even provided with complimentary muesli bars, which was a nice touch.

I do recommend this company and the trip out to sea if you enjoy being out on the water but just know that you are just trying your luck to be able to see any majestic marine mammals. The views were good but be prepared with a good sunblock and some splashes during turbulent parts of the open areas.

Staff was friendly and very knowledgeable, and they really went the extra mile to give us every opportunity to see whales and other wildlife.

Fantastic, would do it again! Not just we saw the Killer Whales, but the staff also told us a lot information about the families and species in general. You might also see sea lions and bald eagles.

Unfortunately no whales today but it's never a guarantee when it comes to wildlife. We saw stunning scenery, seals, sea lions and plenty of Bald Eagles. We were told that we can come back for free anytime as we didn't get to see any whales. The boat and crew were great. I'll be coming back for that free tour as soon as possible.

It was a great experience! Boat ride was comfortable and the killer whales were a sight to see up close next to the boat. Had a good one hour hovering around the orcas. We also got the chance to see other wildlife like harbor seals and sea lions. Shoutout to our amazing guide Yasmin, our reservations agent Calen, and our ship captain Aaron. Amazing experience guys. Would highly recommend and would go again!

Had an amazing day out and got to see a few hump back whales. Grant our Naturalist on board was very knowledgeable and had an amazing sense of humor. The boat itself was comfortable too.

Well worth our time and money. We took the larger vessels and it was a really comfortable experience. I think we were able to see about 10-15 orcas on our journey which was really incredible. For others, orca's don't really breach out of the water besides getting air so keep that in mind if you're expecting a lot of action. Thanks to the team and guides for giving us a wonderful morning.

Lifetime experience for me. We saw orcas, humpbacks and even seals and beautiful eagle. The commentary from the guide was very interesting and he was also very nice and answered all my questions.

We had a great experience with Vancouver Whale Watch. Their staff were all very welcoming and friendly. We had the luxury of spotting several humpback whales and seals so it was a great memory for us and our 3 year old toddler. 100% recommend this company.

We had a great sunny day out on the water finding Humpback whales, Dolphins, Sea Lions, Seals and Eagles. Thanks to our guide Sebastian.

Great experience! We chose the small zodiac boat and found the ride to be as fun as the actual whale watching. The company provides warm suits to wear over your clothes. Our guide and driver seemed to really enjoy their jobs; they made an enthusiastic effort to ensure we saw as many marine animals as possible. I would have liked a little more "nature talk" information about the whales and their history in the area, but our guide was friendly and knowledgable nonetheless. We drove ourselves from Vancouver and it was nice to have time to walk around town and get lunch on our own after the tour instead of having to get right onto the company-provided shuttle.

We had an amazing experience! We started the morning in downtown Vancouver and taking the shuttle service. We were greeted with a warm smile and joyful “Welcome aboard” by the shuttle driver, Levi. He was kind and welcoming. Levi educated us on the Vancouver area and the neighborhoods/streets that we drove through. Eventually, we ended at the docks in Richmond. We dressed warm (boots, gloves, hats, and lots of layers). We were able to see 3 whales, lots of sea lions, seals, a couple bald eagles, and snow geese!
We were able to get great views all around and our guide was knowledgeable about identifying the types of whales we saw as well as what their migration patterns were like. You could tell her enthusiasm and love for wildlife. She happily answered all our questions and had great stories to tell.
We definitely recommend booking a tour with them!

Book! Great team. With option bus from Downton including sightseeing. And whale watching. And enough time to eat coffee and salmon rolls after watching the whales. Just book! It's worth it.

Fantastic tour! On our first visit we didn’t see whales however the shuttle bus was a real gem in itself. The driver gave us an insight into what it’s like to live in Vancouver and lots of local history. The company allowed us to book on the boat the following day (free of charge) and we saw four humpbacks. All of the staff were very welcoming, helpful, knowledgeable and I would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting. Steveston is also a really lovely place to visit too.

Super fun activity, with awesome guides. Everyone on board was very knowledgeable and helpful. They even provided us with gloves and jackets when it got cold. Also really appreciate that part of the proceeds from your ticket go to supporting wildlife conservation, and bringing school-kids out on the boat for education. Really cool!

Absolutely wonderful tour! The naturalist/tour guide was fantastic and very interactive, and the captain knew the right spots to take us for amazing ocean wildlife views. Will definitely return someday!

Found them through the Richmond Savings Passport.
Booked the trip, went on a boat, saw whales!

Me and my kids went out with these guys today in the small red zodiac boat, it was soo much fun, the boat was bouncy and fast, we saw seals/sea lions and humpback whales, sebastian was our guide and he was really nice and helpful, for the people giving bad reviews because they didnt see any whales should be embarrassed, they are wild animals that can go and do what they want, its not the companys fault, thank you for a great day.

We were lucky with the weather and the naturalist giving us all the information was very knowledgeable and very engaging the skipper soon found a small pod of harbour porpoises and shortly after a pod of hunting Orcas and the day was completed by seeing sea lions sunning themselves on a bouy just outside the harbour. A brilliant experience.

Humpback Whales, bald eagles, seals and sea lions. They stayed out longer so we could get to the whales that had eluded us! No orcas, maybe next time.

So the company is very professional and the service is great. I'm giving 4 stats because ultimately you are looking at an animal that lives underwater so you mainly just see the tail. Which is obviously impressive but you have to maintain expectations.

I went today for my birthday, it should have been my FREE WILLY experience. It was a nice experience but could be way better. The crew was friendly and knowledgeable about the various animals.

Pro: I went on the small boat, which was a GREAT ride by itself, and the best part of the trip. It's a boat and a roller-coaster all in one.

Cons: 1. We didn't get as close to the animals as the bigger boats. Which SUCKED, because with you need to be closer to get good pictures (specially with the sun shining on the screen). Also, the Captain sailed at a single angle- the right. So sitting on the left side meant my view was ALWAYS obstructed by 2 other persons.

2. The whales didnt jump no where as high as in Free Willy or even in the pics on their website. The kid in me still wants my FREE WILLY experience.

I might go back but I would definitely take the bigger boat and get access to the top of the boat. Plus have a good camera, mobile phones ain't it.

Captain and naturalist were both super competent and friendly. Boats were comfortable and it was easy to see despite beingabigboat. We saw 2 types of whales! Fabulous day.

It was a great experience. We saw 2 different whales - but only the fins and their tails on a long distance, and some sea lions - maybe others are more lucky

Excellent service and an amazing experience being out at sea observing wildlife. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable about local wildlife. I appreciated their enthusiasm and willingness to go above and beyond to make this a memorable experience.

Awesome team and awesome experience. The staff is very accommodating and knowledgeable. We heard a lot of stories about whales all the way and they made sure we were engaged. We were able to spot a mother and two children whales.

We had a blast! The staff (hosted by Sebastian) and our captain (Mike) did a great job and everyone was comfortable. Of course, we were there for the whales, which we were so glad to see! It was great overall.

I’ve been whale watching a few times and this was BY FAR the best experience! You have the option to book a small vessel - a purpose built zodiac that’s close to the water - and the guides are really informative. Saw some incredible wildlife and would highly recommend if you’re looking to whale watch in Vancouver.

Staff is super nice and helpful.
The trip was a bit bumpy but we saw the humpbacks. Not very close as I was expecting but I think it’s for safety reason and also for the e whales.

Went out on a tour on October 3rd. It was a great day We saw 3 different pairs of Humpback whales. It was something to see. The crew was fantastic and always put us in a great spot to see these magestic animals. I would highly recommend this for locals and tourist.

Great trip I would recommend this to anybody who's visiting Vancouver for the first time like I did. The amount of wildlife that I saw was just unbelievable.

Ashley is an awesome guide
Would go again in summer
Mid October is very rainy and choppy. At the end of the tour they said that we were the last tour for the season.
Feel lucky I had this opportunity.
Saw two whales and lots of sea dogs?
Rained and very windy+cold
I wore
x2 socks
X3 sweaters
X2 pants
Winter hat

Dress warm!

Spectacular day on the water with our guide, Andi. We saw several humpbacks and enjoyed about 4 hours of whale watching. All in all it was an outstanding day I'll never forget.

Great experience and staff was super nice and knowledgeable. We've seen 3 humpback whales which was amazing. Also the boat ride is great simply because it's a nice fast boat

Went whale watching a week ago. It was so much fun, the ride was comfortable and the weather was beautiful. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. We saw a pod of orcas and and watched them for about 45 minutes. We had a great trip and would highly recommend Vancouver Whale watch again.

Experience of a lifetime. We were excited, knew we would enjoy it and knew we would learn a lot, however didn’t expect to learn and enjoy as much as we did. Our guide Sara was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about her work which added so much to our experience. Our captain Roger was supremely skilled with the small Zodiac and was very aware to give these amazing creatures the respectful distance they deserve. It was one of the most profound experiences weve ever had. I honestly couldn’t verbalize any of it for a few days without becoming emotional. Please let me know what the crews local watering hole is so I can call ahead and order them a pint!
Sara and Roger, it may have just been another day at the office for you, but you provided us with one of the most important experiences of our lives, and we will never forget it. We can’t thank you enough! What they taught us about the southern residents caused me to give up consuming salmon entirely (one of my favourite foods). As our guide put it ‘we can change our diets easily, the southern residents can’t’.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Highly recommend them. If rain is in the forecast make sure you ask for a raincoat! Captain Rich did an amazing job. Worth every penny.

Great experience.take warm clothes and a hat, gets a bit chilly and snacks. Our tour was 5 hour:)

managed to see a juvenile humpback whale and a family of four killer whales.

We were extremely lucky to see what we hoped for. We saw the orca within the 1st hour of the tour! The crew was excellent! The captain Anthony, 1st Nate: Dandy, and Nats: Ashley, Jill & Wilma, very knowledgeable and on the ball, keeping us informed constantly of our whereabouts about the whales and when in motion fast to provide us with hot chocolate and coffee.

A must watch if you go to Vancouver. Please wear jackets even if you feel warmer when you start your trip. It gets really cold when you go deep.

Really great experience from start to finish! Saw a couple orcas and many seals. The ride was nice and smooth even in quite wavy conditions - rough parts were like a cool roller coaster! The guide was incredibly well informed and the suits protected perfectly against the elements.

Loved it. The crew were very professional and informative. We were out about 4 hours and saw orca, eagles, seals and other exotic wildlife. Was a great way to spend our 27th anniversary. Will be back.

Nice experience, we were able to see Killer Whales which was amazing! Oh and don’t forget to take a jacket with, or take one of their, they lend you a pretty good one for free, even though it was 30 degrees celsius, it was freezing on the sea

Awesome experience.beautiful scenery.attentive and experienced crew.cooperative whales.a must do Westcoast experience!

Its a life time experience. Saw a family of orca whales around 12 of themand lots of seals. The tour guide was great.

We went whale watching today, and it was an amazing experience! We saw humpback whales and it is an unique moment. The staff was friendly, and the lady leading the tour gave us many interesting facts about whales. We also saw seals and we had a great tour through the islands. We will definitely come back again!

Excellent customer service, decent vessels with all you need (washrooms, free bottled water, and others) with safety standards and added value from an on-the-water education of the west coast eco-system. We emphasize science and conservation while maintaining a fun and professional atmosphere.
Also this is kids friendly so it's perfect for all the family.

This was such a good day out! We were looking for reasonably priced whale watching in Vancouver and came across this gem. Saw Orcas, humpbacks and sea lions plus a great tour guide and amusing bus driver. In such a beautiful area of Vancouver too

I loved going to see the whales with Vancouver Whale Watch. I would recommend to family and friends. The trip was organised, informative and comfortable. Had a 5yr old with us aswell.
Humpbacks jumping right next to the boat! Can't put video up!
Seems expensive but when you realise how far the boat travels to get to them you understand there is costs involved, probably lots of fuel! In my opinion it's good value

What an amazing tour! Maybe we got extremely lucky but we got incredible shots and the orcas swam toward us and got very close. The tour guide was very informative and the captain (ex pilot) was funny, knowledgable and so kind!

What an AMAZING day we had. Captain Rich was fantastic getting us close enough to both Killer & Humpback Whales! We had an Orca calf come so close to the boat and give us quite the show.even breaching right next to the boat! The friendly & knowledgeable Joan was our guide & she really knows her stuff! I highly recommend this tour! Thank you so much Captain Rich & Joan!

Had an amazing time whale watching. Saw orcas which was incredible and the staff were super helpful and lovely.

We had a brilliant time whale watching. The people at Vancouver whale watch were superb. They were efficient, cheerful, patient, very knowledgeable. They took time to answer questions, point out birds as well as sea life. They clearly take a pride in their job and enjoy it. Very willing to share their expertise and well organised.

I got this trip as a belated birthday gift from my sister and her family and it was a great experience to see the whales so close by and one was even swimming under the zodiac boat, so great to see! Our guide Sue and captain Mike did an amazing job and explain everything perfectly!

This was one of the highlights from my holiday in Canada! Thank you for that!

I will recommend your company to my family and friends in the Netherlands, when they go to Canada, that they also can feel this great experience what I had!

Thx and I definitely will do it again in the future!

Greetings,

Danny B.
(The Netherlands)

An adventure of a lifetime, Martha, you are absolutely amazing, Captain Mike, thank you for the most memorable ride I've ever had.

What an experience! We saw humpback, orcas, sea lions, bald eagles and other wildlife on this your that was wonderfully narrated by our guide. Water was calm, skies were clear so we really couldn't have asked for better conditions. I highly recommend a long zoom camera or lens on your DSLR for nice pics.

Vancouver whale watching Friday September 20,2019

Very impressed with how professional and helpful your team has been, from my initial booking to being dropped back off in downtown Vancouver. The 12 passenger open zodiak most thrilling boat ride searching for the whales felt very comfortable and safe. The orange suit kept us warm and dry.

Beautiful pristine surroundings. Spotted our first pod of 4 orcas not too far from shore. We spend a decent amount of observing them in the wild. We saw a humpback whale from afar who decided to go for a long dive. Waited a little bit to see if it would come up, then we went further out. Our Captain Mike and Guide Sue were as excited as we were looking for whales and other wild life. We saw the Stellar and California sea lions, porpoises, jumping salmon and different kind of birds.

The second time we encountered the orcas, they swam around and also towards us which allowed us plenty of time to make beautiful photos and videos. We were amazed and enchanted by the full display of their natural behaviour. Jumping out of the water, hunting for food, playing together, resting and spy hopping on us.

Captain Mike and Guide Sue are a great team! Thank you both for sharing your vast experience, knowledge and enthusiasm with all of us, to make this tour a trip of a life time! And we have been on a whale tour of the southern California coast and on a dolphin tour in the Mediterranean sea before. This whale watching adventure was a birthday gift for my brother Danny who is visiting from Holland. He totally loved it! Just like the rest of us.

Rosalind (Joy) C.

Definitely worth doing while you're in town. We went on the Explorathor Express with Captain Steve and Naturalist Martha. We saw a humpback whale breach, lots of other humpbacks and also the T49A killer whale family! They dress you warmly in yellow water proof gear and the trip was just amazing from beginning to end. The weather cooperated as well to too it off nicely! Highly recommend - the entire staff is delightful!

We were unlucky to not see any whales but overall it took a very long time to get from Vancouver over to the boats. We had to pay to be collected with others from the city and taken over. Our driver on the way home was great, he was very funny. Were out on the water for 4 hours which was very cold, even though most people had already realised we likely wouldn't see any whales after the first couple of hours and were getting cold/falling asleep. Lifetime return receipt offered rather than discount or refund which isn't that useful for people who have travelled a long way and are unlikely to ever return.

Wow, what a trip. The shuttle from downtown Vancouver was excellent. Our driver Levi was extremely informative and very funny. He gave us so much information about Vancouver and Richmond over the bus's loudspeaker and kept us all amused. When we arrived we were given protective suits and we're swiftly loaded onto the boat. Our naturalist, Andy, was amazingly informative. She answered all of our questions on board and gave lots of information about the whales we saw over the tannoy. The boat was very comfortable and not too rocky, but we did have a beautifully sunny day. We were lucky enough to see 4 orcas and about 5 humpback whales. We also saw porpoise, bald eagles and loads of seals. An amazing trip, do it.

Absolutely incredible day and experience! Couldn’t recommend this company enough. The whole day ran so smoothly & was really well organised. It was very relaxed and at no point did we feel rushed. The food provided by the deli was delicious too! Our tour guide (Sue maybe?) was brilliant and very informative and kept us updated at all times! We saw orcas and humpbacks which was incredible. They company really put an effort in to making sure we got to see as much wildlife as possible! Thank you so much

Vancouver Whale Watch was an excellent choice for our first ever whale watching excursion as a family. We went in July 2019 and had such a great experience we went a second and third time with them while vacationing in Vancouver. The guides and captains really care about the experience and knowledge. We saw a lot of different wildlife including Orchas and Humpback whales. The office staff was also great! Layer up for the trip but they do provide a coat and pants that work great for cold boat rides, as well as a snack and drink! I recommend asking about their shuttle that picks up at multiple Vancouver locations! I will absolutely be back with the family for more adventure!

The tour was run so professionally. Our shuttle driver Trevor was informative and funny. We arrived at Steveston and were checked in quickly and given wet weather gear incase we got rain and then headed out to board our boat for the day.

Marta was our naturalist on board and Steve the captain, Marta gave us lots of information about the area and the sea life. We came across 3 humpbacks while we were out, as well as Californian sea lions and seals. I was so hoping to see Orcas but unfortunately none wanted to come out to play. Despite that, It was still an Awesome day.

When I got back to our hotel later that evening I realized I had lost my small leather coin purse and decided to email on the off chance it was found. It was and I wanted to say a Special Thank you for the staff for going above and beyond to get the purse back to me

Thank you Whale Watching Vancouver for a Brilliant day, keep up the Great work)

Helping staff, well equipped, safe and secure botes. Only the thing is whale. Sometimes we can see them sometimes we can't.

Great tour seeing 3 humpback whales, lots of seal and getting told many interesting facts about the fragile ecosystem.

Well organised, lovely staff and an incredible experience. We were well looked after with an abundance of water, snacks and information during the trip. Would highly recommend

Enjoyed the zodiac tour and the knowledge of the captain. Saw a pod of killer whales but some private boats were clearly breaking the whale watching regulations.

Mike & Joan were amazing! They made our tour very enjoyable. They truly care about educating you about orcas and respecting their space. We knew there’s always a chance you won’t see anything, however we were lucky enough to observe the southern J pod and a transient pod with a calf. Thank you VWW for an awesome day!

Amazing tour! The staff were very knowledgeable and friendly and made sure everyone had a great time. The boats are really neat and it was a great ride, very comfortable. The ability to get a packed lunch was a nice touch, would definitely recommend it or bring your own food as it's 4-5 hours. We were so lucky to get great weather and a real show from the orcas. We saw a pod jumping out of the water, basically what you dream of when you think about a whale watching tour. Would highly recommend this on your visit to Vancouver. Also stick around the Steveston area for a bit before or after, so cute.

Great day out on the water! They had a boat out about an hour before we left port that had already spotted a group of whales, so we didn't spend a lot of time looking, and had that much more time to observe. As luck would have it, it was the K pod of southern resident orcas. Exactly what I hoped we'd see, I would have paid extra if they could guarantee southern residents.:) Took about 1500 photos, posted them down to about 60 that were good for identification purposes.

Fantastic experience from high speed boat ride to whale viewing close up. We'll worth the cost. Unforgettable and exhilarating

Very disappointing experience. When she started with that bad joke “whales don’t give us a call where they are” I was a bit suspicious. So 5 hours on the boat with like 50 ppl and we didn’t see single orca. I did this only because of them so I was very frustrated. Tons of sealions can’t really make it up. We saw humpback whales but I wouldn’t call it whale watching, it was whale spotting-spot it somewhere very far before it disapears forever. For me it was very disappointing experience and absolutely not worth of time and money.