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Vancouver Island Tours
6 hour Covered Boat Whale Watching Tour
5

6 hour Covered Boat Whale Watching Tour

By Campbell River Whale Watching and Adventure Tours
Recommended by 97% of travelers
97% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
What is Travelers’ Choice?
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Ages 4-99, max of 12 per group
Duration: 6h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Live guide: English
More


  • Floater suits
  • Lunch
  • Coffee and/or Tea
  • Bottled water
  • Snacks
What's not included
  • Gratuities


Start:
  • Campbell River Whale Watching and Adventure Tours, E Dock, Campbell River, BC, Canada
    Inside the bright red Floathouse on E Dock in the Discovery Harbor Marina!
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Near public transportation
    • Infants must sit on laps
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 110434P18

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
    • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
    • Most travelers can participate
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 110434P18

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    Itinerary
    • E Dock, Campbell River, BC, Canada
      Inside the bright red Floathouse on E Dock in the Discovery Harbor Marina!
    • Pass by
      Cape Mudge Lighthouse
    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Campbell River Whale Watching and Adventure Tours
      1,391
      Canada
      Joined in January 2010
    • P833JEanaz
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Final tour of the season
      It was the last tour for this year and we still saw humpback whales! Robin our guide was great, providing us with much information and giving us lots of time to observe the beautiful animals by keeping a respectful distance. I like that they are also involved in offsetting their footprint by preserving old growth forest.
      Written October 30, 2024
    • Sue T
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent Day Tour
      We spent a day with Alex and Alexis yesterday on the Bute Island trip. They both worked so hard to ensure that we had a really enjoyable day. We had travelled from Australia in the hope of seeing bears in the wild We not only saw bears but also orkas, dolphins, humpback whales and sea lions.
      Written October 16, 2024
    • P2948YLmegand
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Highly recommend
      Such an incredible experience. Dream come true to see the Grizzly Bears. Thank you so much Alex for taking us to see Orcas and Dolphins as well. Highly recommend this tour!
      Written October 16, 2024
    • KBHeb
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      A fun day
      We went on the Toba Inlet grizzly bear tour this fall and had a great time with a good group. The boat ride was through some spectacular scenery - lots of waterfalls after the rain! The day was well organized and the crew were great. We were lucky enough to see a very hefty grizzly eating salmon and a humpback whale surfacing. I highly recommend the tour.
      Written October 15, 2024
    • helenlN4049VX
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Whale watching 4 hour trip 👌
      A 40th birthday treat and what a day we had. Perfect weather and a flat calm day, we hadn't been 10 minutes before seeing our first humpy! We went on to see more humpbacks, dolphins, porpoise and sea lions. Just as the trip couldn't get any better our skipper got word of Orcas in the area. Steven went above and beyond to get back to see them. It was absolutely magical to see two male orcas cruising along. Thanks for a great trip!
      Written October 14, 2024
    • V9485CRlw
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Breath-taking!
      The tour we went on was in a covered boat. Our captain/tour guide was great fun and very knowledgeable. We spotted two humpback whales and went quite close to where they were. They were breaching, tail slapping and rolling around. It was breath-taking! We watched them for ages before moving on to another pair who were also breaching. One of the whales came so close to the boat - I could see the barnacles on its back! We went and saw some seals and were heading back when we found two more whales who were breaching and tail slapping. There were also several more whales who were further away from us that were also breaching. The whole experience is difficult to put into words, it was magical. Our guide said in ten years of doing the tours he had never seen so many whales breaching! If you get chance to do this tour I would highly recommend it. There are other companies but many of them have very large boats which have lots of people on them. We were able to chat to our guide who was able to teach us about the whales and answer all our questions. Thank you Campbell River Whale Watching for giving us a once in a lifetime experience which we will never forget!
      Written October 10, 2024
    • Dex22jin
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Saw abundance of wildlife. Worth going for the scenery alone
      The scenery spectacular. Tour guide very knowledgeable. Highly recommended this tour. Saw wildlife including whales and seals Just a fabulous 4 hours viewing areas you’d never see by car or trekking
      Written October 9, 2024
    • Indulge1953
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great Day, Great People
      Our first nations guides and drivers provided an experience closely aligned with our values regarding land management, care for wildlife and safe travel. Our contribution to sequestering carbon was a positive event, shared by our boat guide and an initiative we wish all participants could have heard. We appreciated our guides’ positive post-trip summaries. At the end of a long (and wet) work day both shared the day’s adventures with us, a gentle reminder that travel experiences have far less to with weather, and more to do with meeting and supporting those who have a shared vision. Our driver and guide delivered a positive energy that was so necessary when weather impacts can’t be controlled. Our safety, onboard and off, was always a focus. We went with open minds and we were rewarded in so many ways.
      Written October 8, 2024
    • Cruiser133711
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      AMAZING whale watching trip
      Thank you Jarek (and the whales!) for an amazing trip. We went to some beautiful places, and crossed paths first with some porpoises. We then travelled further and met pod T101! WOW! And they actually swam beside us at one stage which was unexpected, but epic. After that we went out to open water…more stunning scenery and about 10 humpbacks!! 4 were close enough to see them eating and hear them trumpeting (??). What a great day - weather was perfect too! And we saw 2 seals as we came into the docks! So happy with this experience!
      Written October 6, 2024
    • anmolb962
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great experience!
      Our day of whale watching exceeded all our expectations! Jarek was a phenomenal guide and showed us all the spots. The highlights were definitely seeing the humpback whales. Our boat was very clean and comfortable. The views were awesome and Jarek’s liveliness, humor, and knowledge made the day a true 10/10!
      Written October 6, 2024
    • 752westie
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Brilliant day out - take warm clothing
      This is our second trip with these guys. Absolutely brilliant day with Alex and Lexie to Orford. On the way we saw humpback and killer whales. At Orford we saw 8 bears (down on the 17 we saw 5 years ago but still amazing) including some very close swimming and looking for salmon. On the way back we saw killers and dolphins which we stopped to observe. We were late back but who cares when you see so many beautiful creatures. At this time of year it can be cold so take warm clothing.
      Written October 5, 2024
    • fatherj0hnh
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Could not have asked for more.
      This was an excellent tour. On the transit to and from the viewing area, the boat captain Alex and Lexi, the guide, were able to show us a pod of humped back whales, three separate pods of Orcas, a pod of over a hundred Pacific white-sided dolphins, and sea lions. While at the viewing area Michael and Buck showed us multiple grizzly bears with one sighting of a sow and cub where the sow caught a salmon out of the river and fed it to the cub. There were multiple other sightings of grizzly bears from different towers. One grizzly bear passed within 2 meters of the tower along the river bed. It was a fantastic experience. We also watch a Bald Eagle eating a fish.
      Written October 4, 2024
    • martstre
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Grizzlies and Orcas on the same tour. WOW!
      Our boat captain Alex and tour guide Lexi were fabulous. They definitely had the guest experience in mind and worked with other tour operators to make sure we had the best tour. The Homalco First Nations guides, Michael and Gary, know their stuff. The information on the tour was very informative and the viewing towers and land sightings of grizzlies were first class. We watched salmon being caught and even had a momma grizzly and two cubs wandering around under one of our viewing platforms.
      Written October 3, 2024
    • Pioneer06062934435
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Whale watching trip exceeded expectations
      We had an incredible experience today on the 6 hour whale watching boat trip. Not only did we see orca and humpback whales but we also saw bald eagles, seals and sea lions playing and fishing for salmon. Then, if it couldn’t get any better we saw a pod of around 100 dolphins who swam all around our boat, playing and jumping out of the water. It was absolutely incredible. Our captain, Bex was amazing. She was so knowledgable and friendly and took time to describe and give information about the animals we encountered and the local indigenous culture. All in all, a 10/10 experience which exceeded our expectations.
      Written October 3, 2024
    • Roadie-Rick
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Bucket list item...✔️
      We had an amazing day on our Grizzly Bear Tour to Bute Inlet. Team Alexi (Alex and Lexi) were extremely knowledgeable about the area we travelled and the wildlife that we saw. They went out of their way to ensure that we had an opportunity to encounter wildlife along the way. We saw 3 pods of orcas and stellar sea lions on our travels up to Orford Bay. There, we were met by Michael and Gary, 2 members of the Homalco first nation, who bused us to several viewing platforms where we safely observed grizzlies. Michael shared his wealth of knowledge about the bears in the area. The highlight of the tour being our last stop where a mother and her two cubs wandered around our platform scouring the bushes for something to eat before lumbering off across the river. We travelled up and back on the T3 boat which was heated and spacious for the size of our group. The snacks and catered lunch that they provided were fresh and tasty. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone wishing to see wildlife in this wonderful part of the world.
      Written October 3, 2024
    See all 1,391 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

    Popular mentions

    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles48 reviews
    Excellent
    47
    Very good
    0
    Average
    1
    Poor
    0
    Terrible
    0

    These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
    This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

    AJC021973
    Southampton, UK2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2022 • Couples
    Our day long whale watching trip was absolutely magic. Jim, our expert skipper, gave us the smoothest adventure on the mirror flat sea and we were privileged to see 17 orca, 4 black bear, 2 humpback whale, pod of dall's porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolpin, plenty of seabirds and stunning scenery. A perfect day in one of the most awesome wildlife hotspots I've ever been in. Thank you muchly
    Written August 12, 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Jane B
    Broadstairs, UK14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    What a wonderful experience! Our guide and captain Bex was great. She was so knowledgeable and friendly. We were lucky enough to see sea lions seals dolphins hump back whales and orcas. Bex timed the tour so that we could see the spectacular display of hundreds of eagles diving for hake. An amazing experience. We were very impressed with the picnic lunch provided on Stuart island. Thank you so much Bex for such an excellent day!!!! Richard and Jane from the UK.
    Written June 21, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thanks for the 5 star review! We hope to see you again sometime in the future. We will be sure to pass your kind words to Bex!
    Written June 23, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Susii H
    16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Today we were with 12 people and our skipper Bex on a nearly 7h whale watch tour.
    The boat was super clean and really comfortable! Just in time at 09.00 we started and after a short time we saw the first sea lions and seals. Bex was in constant contact with other skippers who radioed animal sightings.
    The weather was great and the water was so calm that after some time we saw the first fountains of humpback whales. It was a mama with her calf. Without getting intrusive, we drove very slowly with the correct distance to them and were allowed to watch them all to ourselves without other boats. There was a super delicious lunch (all very environmentally friendly wrapped in paper, as well as water in aluminum bottles)
    The break was not long because Bex got an information that a hake migration is currently taking place not far from us and hundreds of bald eagles are fishing for it. It was an incredible experience! Again we were as good as alone on site! Shortly after, we saw a group of dolphins also on their way to the hake. We were already late when Bex asked us if any of us still needed to get a connection otherwise she would keep looking orcas for us. Of course we all had time and the search started. It didn't take long before she got information that transit orcas are nearby. We immediately went there and saw these beautiful animals from a distance. All the boats kept a good distance, we could see them jumping. Since it was already after 3 p.m. we could not stay that long, which was not bad, because Bex thankfully has already overtimed anyway.
    We would recommend this tour provider to anyone! It is not mass tourism and everything is watched in peace. Of course, this also has a price, but this is definitely justified.
    Automatically translated
    Written June 21, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you so much for this fantastic review! Such an incredible day out there. We will share your kind words with Bex. Thanks again for choosing us for your adventure and for taking the time to leave a review!
    Written June 23, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Rob
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Apr 2022
    My wife and I had a great day with Campbell River Whale Watching. The boat was very comfortable, our guide for the day was attentive and entertaining. The office staff even went over and above helping us out finding someone to look after our dog while we were out for the day.
    Written April 29, 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thanks so much for not only joining us on a tour but for taking the time to leave a review about the trip! We hope we get to host you again in the future - and Shadow too!
    Written April 30, 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Stefan R
    13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great! The 6-hour tour offered enough time and peace to see a lot and not just chase the whales. The boat is perfect and offers enough outside and inside seating. The guide was great! We saw bears, bald eagles, dolphins, orcas, humpback whales, sea lions and seals.
    Google
    Written August 21, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Hey Stefan, awesome to hear you had a great tour and saw lots! Thanks for joining us!
    Written August 21, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Trudy M
    Marlborough, MA39 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Went out on Eagle I (brand new boat) with Leify J. We saw 2 sets of Pacific White dolphins, 3 sets of Dall Porpoises, Stellar sea lions, a breathtaking event of hundreds of Bald Eagles feasting on Hake, two sets of Humpback whales including an amazing show of tail and pectoral fin slapping and to top it all off, Orcas.

    The boat was comfortable, had a bathroom on board, and plenty of room to run up on deck to go to the the bow or stern or sides for optimal viewing. They provided extra binoculars for guests that didn’t bring one. Lunch was a chicken wrap, 2 home made cookies and a yummy granola-type bar, dried fruit and water.

    Leify J was informative and entertaining.
    Written July 16, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Awesome to hear you had a phenomenal day! Thank you so much for taking the time to share a review
    Written July 31, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Thomas I
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2023 • Family
    We went on a 6 hours tour with a bigger, closed boat. It was just great! Experienced the strong tidal current between the islands and saw a lot of wildlife: Wales, Sea Lion, Seal, Orcas, Bold Eagles. Our skipper even stayed longer out so we can enjoy the Orcas.
    Written July 30, 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    So glad to hear you had such a fantastic experience! Thanks so much for joining us and taking the time to share a review!
    Written July 31, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    HollyVF
    Leawood, KS8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2022 • Solo
    Best whale tail, 2 simultaneous breaches, & numerous eagles with a herd of sea lions. This was my 4th outing with Campbell River Whale Watching. The first two were in 2014 and these remain among my most pleasant memories. Our guide, Brad, repeated an area when we asked. Today was the favorite of the four. Clearly I was delighted with the experience to return from my home in Leawood, KS. Enjoy.
    Written July 29, 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    pirateBarrie_ontario
    Barrie, Canada172 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2022
    our crew Zoe and captain Damien made our trip the best day nice weather, lots of whales and wildlife . everything was well organized and safe. fully recommend to anyone . thanks brian and marianne heidebrecht
    Written August 28, 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Ed A
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sep 2021
    Just a great Day!!! with in the first half an hour we were watching wales. Then Dolphins an stuff.
    The Captain is very Knowable of the area.
    What really impressed me were the seats. i was worried that 6 hours on a boat . Id be feeling it the next day. Nope, not there. the seats are thick an comply. thicker than seats on a school bus.. Very comfortable.
    I got many great pics. and seen a few sights I wont soon forget.
    Just a Fun time!! So worth what we paid. a great value.
    I can honestly say. This would be a trip you would regret if you did not take.
    The views alone. are so worth it.
    Written September 12, 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Awesome to hear that you enjoyed your day so much! I am so happy to hear that you found the seats so comfortable. Thank you so much for joining us, and this kind review. Hope to see you again one day!
    Written September 15, 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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    *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

    6 hour Covered Boat Whale Watching Tour provided by Campbell River Whale Watching and Adventure Tours

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