On the Water
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$120
per adult
Five Star Whale Watching
Five Star Whale Watching
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Join Victoria's first Certified Responsible Whale Watching Operator and discover the wonders of the Salish Sea. We are Victoria's oldest Whale Watching company with the safest record in the industry. Our 40 passenger high speed expedition catamarans & 12 Passenger Coastal Explorer are the perfect vessels for environmentally friendly and responsible whale watching without sacrificing comfort or safety ! During our tours we can encounter various Whales including Orcas Humpback Whales, Migrating Gray Whales, Minke Whales. Other Marine life encountered includes, Porpoise, Seals, Sea Lions, Otters and numerous Marine Birds. Discover why Whale Watching in Victoria B.C is a must for any visitor. We live in one of the best places in the world to enjoy whale watching – let our expert staff and crew educate and inspire you with the wonders of the Salish Sea! We take our marine environment seriously, and strive to implement the “Reduce, reuse, recycle” philosophy in all we do.
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Five Star Whale Watching
Full-day Tours
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$120
per adult
On the Water
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 93% of travelers
93% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$110
per adult
On the Water
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$1,428
per group
Catamaran Cruises
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$120
per adult
Travelers talk about
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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
4.5
824 reviews
Excellent
674
Very good
81
Average
34
Poor
21
Terrible
15
rebeccacquirie
1 contribution
Jun 2021
We really enjoyed our trip with Five Star! They were super accommodating with an old Groupon I wanted to use towards my trip and got me booked on a trip quickly. Although the weather was gloomy, we saw a whole pod of orcas in the first 30 min of our trip! Crew was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Great COVID protocol and timely departure. They really made sure you got the most of your 3 hour trip. I would highly recommend them if you're looking to see the amazing ocean wildlife of the island!
Written June 10, 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.
We really appreciate your thoughtful review! With all our vessels having heated cabin areas, the gloomy weather is never an issue. We will make sure we pass on your amazing comments to the crew, they really work hard to ensure guests have an wonderful experience. Thank you for your recommendation, it is really appreciated and we hope to see you onboard again in the future!
Written July 11, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Amberyn David
Toronto, Canada39 contributions
Aug 2021
I had booked the sunset cruise with Five Star Whale Watching however due to weather conditions it was cancelled and Shannon from reservations helped move me to the 2 PM viewing. I’m so glad I booked with five star whale watching as a service from the get go was absolutely hospitable.
Andrew the captain is so knowledgable and had us enthralled in all the stories and knowledge of whales and marine life in general. On the tour we got to see three humpback whales and see lions aplenty.
Such a fantastic tour and highly recommended. It has a personal touch a right from the start until the end.
Thank you captain and you had Shannon from reservations. It was an absolute joy and thrill to be on this adventure.
Andrew the captain is so knowledgable and had us enthralled in all the stories and knowledge of whales and marine life in general. On the tour we got to see three humpback whales and see lions aplenty.
Such a fantastic tour and highly recommended. It has a personal touch a right from the start until the end.
Thank you captain and you had Shannon from reservations. It was an absolute joy and thrill to be on this adventure.
Written August 8, 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.
Thank you for your incredible review and we are glad you enjoyed your tour.
Written September 2, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
ppardeship
Calgary, Canada1 contribution
Jul 2021 • Family
Small group , personalized Whale watching tour. We were very satisfied as we saw almost 12 individual whales on the trip
The captain was professional yet friendly.
I would certainly recommend engaging them if you want to see whales
The captain was professional yet friendly.
I would certainly recommend engaging them if you want to see whales
Written July 22, 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.
Thank you for your review following your recent encounter with Orcas on your tour. We will pass on your comments to the Captain. Thank you!
Written July 31, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Vanislevagabond
Comox Valley, Canada12 contributions
Jul 2021
Good size boat, about 30 feet, maximum 12 guests. There were only 6 of us plus 2 crew. Very safe, good knowledge of whales and local area, very pleasant staff. Found a group of about 10 humpback whales which we watched for about 45 minutes. The boat stuck to distance requirements and didn’t annoy the whales as they were feeding. Overall a very good experience.
Written July 24, 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.
Thank you for such a concise and thoughtful review! We are glad you enjoyed the tour with Humpbacks.
Written July 31, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mariiag0l0vacheva
Winnipeg, Canada1 contribution
Aug 2020
It was definitely a great time. Five Star really cares about safety of the customers. They provide safety jackets on a board, and boat itself has sanitizing station and washroom. Andrew (captain) was amazing. Even though it was quite windy and waives were pretty rough, he made an extra effort to safely lead us to a shore where we were able to see a huge orca. That was so cool!
Written August 25, 2020
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.
We really appreciate your feedback and for taking the time to write such an amazing review. Andrew is a very experienced Captain and his instincts to wait out the worst of the weather and take shelter at Race proved to be spot on. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the encounter with one of the largest male Orcas we know!
Thank you again and we hope you will join one of our tours again in the future!
Written August 28, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
John H
Nashville6 contributions
Sep 2019
I have spent summers in Victoria (coming from Florida) for many years. During these visits (usually for more than a month) I would host friends who wanted to visit, and I would either take them with me on the whale watching experiences or send them alone if I was busy. Every time, those who went with people loved the experience because of the staff, the comfort of the boat, and the beauty of the whole activity. I highly recommend this company.
Written February 11, 2020
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.
Dear John,
Thank you for such an amazing review, we really appreciate receiving such high praise. We hope to see you again this summer, when we will be celebrating our 35th Anniversary!
Written February 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
sewONT
Niagara Falls, Canada46 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
Our family of six enjoyed our afternoon wildlife/whale watching tour with Five Star last week. The staff were excellent, lovely to deal with. They were super informed, clear to hear and understand over the boat noise. We noticed staff always noting when a cabin door was open to ensure it shut keeping people and fingers safe. We knew seeing whales aren't as plentiful in March, but this captain did his best to spend appropriate amount of time looking. We actually saw one humpback and I believe most onboard (14 of us) saw it. We waiting for a resurface but to no avail. We did see several bald eagles, seals and variety of birds. Alexa was terrific. A new employee was being trained and she was great at sharing info and talking to passengers too!
Written March 22, 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.
Thank you for your kind words and thoughtful review. We are happy you enjoyed your recent tour. Our staff always have our guests safety and comfort in mind, thank you for noticing their attention to detail. Captain Bill is a very experienced Captain and his experience paid off when we found the Humpback (however brief). Alexa is an amazing Marine Naturalist and we are lucky to have her. Sam, the trainee, is in good hands with Alexa and she will be a great asset to the company. Thank you again for your wonderful review and for choosing Five Star. We hope to see you again in the future.
Written March 22, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
KJElmer
Tacoma, WA246 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
While they cannot take credit for the perfect weather, they also cannot be blamed for elusive whales. The humpbacks were playing hard to spot, but that’s what makes it so exciting and magical! It’s a vast body of water and our captain did his darnedest to get our eyes on some whales. He even took us much further than expected and JACKPOT! Our Naturalist was very knowledgeable, but pesky masks and the wind while on the move made it a bit challenging. Checkin was easy, the boat was very comfortable, even at top speeds, and we couldn’t have been more pleased with Five Star Whale - anyone complaining about not seeing enough whales isn’t reviewing the tour company, they’re reviewing Mother Nature, in my opinion. PS, no pics of whales because we just watched with our eyes.
Written August 4, 2020
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 for such an awesome review, we really appreciate your feedback and kind words. We are also happy to hear you enjoyed your time on the water and the wildlife encountered.
It was our pleasure having you onboard and thank you for your support in these challenging times.
Written August 7, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
graceyin2022
Vancouver, Canada1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Family
This is a wonderful experience. We haven’t seen the whales so nearly before, they are about 45 feet long, almost as long as our vessel. The whales show their backs to us, and say hello with their tails. The staffs are so experienced that they know where the whales may appear, you can’t miss every time when the whales break the surface of the water. And we saw a huge sea lion when the vessel passing back.
Written July 5, 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.
Thank you kindly for your engaging review of your tour with us, we are so happy to hear that you had an enjoyable and exciting time on the water with the humpback whales and our crew.
Our staff make every effort to respectfully view these massive animals and with this comes the experience to be able to help guests with spotting whales and identifying their behaviours. We are so happy that you had a great experience with our awesome crew!
It sounds like you had an amazing time with some Salish Sea species. We hope you can join us on another tour one day, thank you!
Written July 6, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Maria F
Toronto, Canada28 contributions
Jun 2022
My husband and I booked a 3 hr whale watching tour on a large boat. The staff were fantastic. They were full of knowledge about the area and ocean life. and kept us informed about potential and actual whale sightings. We felt very safe on the boat. The boat was at half capacity, maybe 65% full between the top level and inside level, which was great because for those of us on the inside level, there was enough space for us to go out front or back on the outdoor decks. We would have found it cramped if it was 100% full. We did see grey hump whales but, at a distance so by the time you find them and focus in on them with your eyes, they are gone. It's so fast that there is not enough time to register it as a memory and forget about taking pictures. That was our experience. Every outing is different. Personally, I found 3hrs was too long. A lot of time is spent trying to find the whales. Our conclusion is we're glad we did it but wouldn't do it again and that has no reflection with the company we chose. The company offered a great experience at a competitive price. We highly recommend Five Star Whale Watching.
Written July 6, 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.
Thank you for your thoughtful review and we are glad you enjoyed the experience overall.
3 Hours is the perfect time for a Whale Watching Cruise in the Salish Sea. It provides the optimum time and range to find the Whales and spend time with the Whales and other wildlife. Any shorter and it significantly impedes the chances of finding whales that can move 60-100 miles in a day.
Sometimes the Whales can be more difficult to spot than others, especially if they are close to shore or in choppy seas.
Thank you again for the review.
Written July 22, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
hello, does the trip is going to open sea? what are the chances to have seasickness ?
Written January 19, 2019
Thank you for your question. Our vessels operate in the Salish Sea, which are the protected waters around Victoria and include the Strait of Juan De Fuca and Haro Strait. We do not operate in the open coastal waters off the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Therefore most of our tours are in relatively calm and protected water. Our main vessel is a 40 plus ' Expedition Catamaran, which was purpose built for Whale Watching in the Salish Sea and is a very stable vessel. If the weather is too rough we will not head out on the water as passenger safety is always our #1 priority. Our crew can provide more information about the conditions on the day and where the best place to be on the boat to minimize the chances of sea sickness. You can also take medicine that can help prevent sea sickness, we usually recommend taking medicine (such as Gravol) at least 30 minutes prior to the trip. Please do not hesitate to contact our office directly if you have any further questions. We look forward to you joining one of our tours!
Written January 21, 2019
Hi, we are traveling with a 3 month old baby on a stroller. Is it safe to travel with a baby that small? Will you be able to accommodate us and a stroller? Thanks!
Written July 21, 2015
Thank you for your question! Absolutely - our vessel is perfect for any age! We often have families with newborns and small children on board - our catamaran is a twin hull stable vessel with plenty of indoor (or outdoor seating).
Please give us a call at the office or email us to reserve a tour time (800.634.9617).
We look forward to having you on board!
Written July 21, 2015
Hi, if you book online with Viator can you change your itinerary if you have a conflict?
Written July 3, 2015
Hi LCWalker and thank you for your question! You can absolutely change your itinerary - you just have to contact us directly if you would like to change the time or day (1800.634.9617). Please try to give at minimum 24 hours notice with any changes so that we are able to accommodate your request. We look forward to having you on board!
Written July 3, 2015
I will be 4 months pregnant when we visit Victoria. Is it ok for me to take the tour?
Written April 23, 2015
Absolutely! It is a stable catamaran - if it is windy we will advise you. As long as you have no risk warning from your doctor you are more than welcome to join us! I hope this helps and Congratulations!!
Written April 24, 2015
how far are you from the best western plus inner harbor hotel
how many people does your boat accommodate
Written April 22, 2015
Thank you for your query! We are located on the North side of the Empress hotel, in downtown Victoria's vibrant inner harbour. It is an 11 minute walk from the Best Western plus to our head office. Google maps will give you a detailed walking map for how to get to 645 Humboldt Street.
Our boat is a catamaran - a large stable twin hull vessel that can accommodate up to 45 passengers comfortably. There is plenty of inside and outside seating, and a washroom on board.
We look forward to having you join us for one of our tours - 10am or 2pm daily. Please feel free to call us directly at 800.634.9617 or visit our website to book.
Written April 22, 2015
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