West Coast Aquatic Safaris

Our guide Dave had the perfect balance of funny guide jokes (mostly about whales) and knowledge. Thanks for a great day at the hot springs!

Amazing experience with cptn. Jackie. Ended up seeing many whales after a slight hail storm. Which in itself was a cool experience. Loved it.

Very interesting. Whale and bear tour. There was only one bear to be seen. But it was mobile

Very personal and authentic whale watching tour!
There were only 10 people in total and had a small boat, everyone could see well.
The captain said a lot about the animals. Were spotted: whales, sea otters, sea lions!

Customer service: 11 out of 10
Wale watching experience: 8 out of 10
Parking nearby: 10 out 10
Captain & Crew: 11 out of 10
Did you enjoy? Yes
Value for money: 8 out of 10
Vessel: Clean & Modern enough
Date & time: 12th October 2023 (Thursday) 14: 30
Shawn & Sydney are friendly +, kind +, helpful + and very lovely. Thank you so much and I really appreciate your help.

Beautiful British Columbia
Beautiful people & very nice country
See You Soon

Was amazing! Had some fun with the captain, super cool and passionate guy! Saw some whales and everything was perfect

We booked a whale watching tour on a total whim and had such a fantastic time. The staff and crew were fantastic and knowledgeable, and the boat was comfortable with great indoor and outdoor seating options. I would definitely recommend them if you're looking for wildlife tours in Tofino!

Jamie was a fantastic guide, so kind and helpful and patient, guiding us through currents and around the islands. He was also very passionate about the trees and forests we hiked thru and very informative. Pointed out birds, knew a lot about the wildlife and the history of the Indigenous people, and even taught us a lot about the salmon. Only four of us that day, and we had a great kayak trip! Can't wait to go back! Thank you!

We loved the experience from the get go!

Fun ride, fabulous views (even if there has not been bear spottings, which there were several!), and an entertaining and super informative guide, Shawn added much to the experience.

Don’t miss this one!

Great balance of being able to take it all in on our own, and enjoy the fun company and insights of our guide.

Super safe set up too. Easy onboarding.

Trip to Tofino would have felt incomplete without it.

And the owner went out of his way to help me retrieve an item I left behind. Long story, but quite exceptional and remarkable effort he took. I HIGHLY recommend this business and the excursion.

Excellent day out! We did the hot springs tour which was so much more! Leif was an excellent guide, tour guide and boat driver. We were able to see plenty of wildlife along the way to and back from the hot springs. The springs were a bit busy when we first arrived but the sequencing of tours means that there is plenty of time to ensure each group gets a good soak in the springs. Don’t forget the cold plunge, it’s a great part of the experience. Thanks west coast safaris and especially Leif!

Our Hot Springs Cove tour was amazing. Our Captain Lief went above and beyond. We saw Grey whales, black bear eating starfish, otters and Harbour seals. He explained in detail the history, life style and habits of each of these beautiful animals. We enjoyed our tour and recommend Lief and West Coast Aquatic Safaris. Thank you.

We had an incredible day with Captain Dave! He was knowledgeable, funny and made the entire experience memorable! We had lots of fun with our fellow boaters as well! We were fortunate to see several whales, sea lions and otters! The day was spectacular with a stop at the Hot Springs! The walk through the forest to the hot springs was beautiful! We will be forever greatful to have spent a day with Aquatic Safaris and Captain Dave during our 25th wedding anniversary trip! Thanks so much for a wonderful experience making memories with us! We highly recommend this adventure!

Thoroughly enjoyed whale watching with our 8 month old baby. Leif & David were great guides. Thank you!

My spouse and I really enjoyed the whale watch, this was our first watch in the Pacific and my wife was a bit worried about rough seas and a smaller boat then previous watches we have been on. Hats off to the captain she handled the swells very well!
We viewed a grey whale for about 20 mins, it was our first time seeing one, and we found the guides very knowledgeable. Also viewed sea otters, very adorable! Loved seeing the seals lounging about the rocks too!
Many thanks from a whale watch addict!

Excellent trip with an outstanding crew. Jax and her accomplice Maxie (not sure name is right) provided terrific insight and scientific information.

We had an absolutely fantastic time. The whole crew were brilliant, special thanks to Sean for downloading his knowledge onto us!

We went on the Hot Cove Springs excursion and it was worth every dollar. You get to experience all the best parts of Tofino including an awesome boat ride across the ocean, an ancient forest hike, and natural hot springs. Our favourite part was all the unexpected wild life we saw including Grey Whales AND Orca Whales (usually very rare), sunfish, sea otters and sea lions. The captain and crew were awesome and extremely knowledgeable, and went out of their way to try to find as much wild life as possible. They also taught us all about the indigenous community that lives in Hot Springs Cove and how the hot springs have been used for over 400 years. Would recommend this trip to everyone.

Great experience with Captain Jax and Sidney. We saw a juvenile humpback, 3 gray whales, seals, sea lions, and my personal favorite sea otters floating in the kelp on their backs. The crew was very friendly, knowledgeable, and entertaining, and extremely professional. Even if we hadn’t seen anything the scenery around the islands of Tofino is spectacular. And I would highly recommend taking this tour. You won’t regret it.
To the crew: thank you. I am a biologist (not marine) but…did see a sunfish. I know they’re tropical (spent 2 years on yacht in Caribbean) but there it was. Keep an eye out

Amazing adventure! Terrific captains-Leif and David. They were very informative and friendly. I would highly recommend this tour company.

We had a great trip with captain Jax and crew on 19th July. Jax's enthusiasm was infectious and she was really informative and pointed out lots or wildlife. We saw loads of grey whales and even saw a few jump which I was told was rare for this time of year! Would highly recommend!

Great tour and Tim was a wonderful guide and captain. Extremely knowledgeable and also amazingly patient with very curious teenagers' non-stop questions! Definitely the team to go with for watching in Tofino!