Nanaimo Whale Watching: Immersive BC Coastal Wildlife

Experience the wonders of BC’s coastal wildlife on a Nanaimo whale watching tour. Guaranteed whale sightings, expert guides, and comfortable seating on our 12-passenger vessel.

Duration: 4 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 90 Front St #5 - Your day begins by checking in at our office 45 minutes before your departure time and then you’ll head down to the boat as a group.
    You’ll then be introduced to the Salish Sea ecosystem and wildlife as you cruise through the Gulf Islands archipelago in search of whales and other marine life. You’ll learn about the different types…
What's Included
  • Toilets onboard
  • Binoculars onboard (shared between guests)
  • Sunscreen available
  • Captain certified by Transport Canada
  • Professional guide with marine biology expertise
What's Not Included
  • The listed price does not include parking, which costs around 5-7 dollars CAD for the day.
  • Lunch is not included.
  • Gratuities
  • Transportation to/from office
Additional Information

Take a dive into the abundant coastal wildlife of BC as you navigate through the islets of the Gulf Islands in quest of killer whales (orcas), humpback whales, sea lions, porpoises, eagles, and much more. Led by a guide who boasts an educational background in biology and a fervor for marine life, your spotting of whales is assured, or your following…

Location
90 Front St #5
Front Street
Our office is located on Front Street on downtown Nanaimo's seawall.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(61 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Gabriella_p
May 22, 2025
Idyllic afternoon out whale watching. - Our guide Ali and skipper Rodrigo were excellent. We had slightly choppy waters but they were excellently navigated. Ali was so informative and we saw so much thanks to her knowledge and skill. It's quite difficult to capture the whales on camera but that's solved by Ali who takes great shots and provides them digitally after the experience!
Review provided by Viator
Annettely6752my
May 19, 2025
100% the best whale watching operator in this area - 100% highly recommend this sustainable whale watching company, based in Nanaimo. We did get a military discount which brought the cost down to less than CA$400 Our naturalist Hayley and skipper Rodrigo were both excellent at their respective jobs and so professional. . After a very full and thorough safety briefing, we had nearly 5 hours out on the water with 10 other people. We saw 3 groups of Orca, a pod of 6, a pod of three including a calf and Noah aged 24 and Jude aged 18. Hayley was able to tell us about these amazing Orcas, their pods, their lineage and more. Rodrigo got us to some excellent places to wait and watch when we knew they were in the area. We also went off and spotted Stellar sealions, harbour seals, bald headed eagles and many varieties of birds. There was no need for the guarantee the company gives, which lasts a lifetime, as we saw so much in one day. It has been a dream for me to see Orcas in the wild - I have been the adopter of Holly, a mother of 5 pups, born in 1980 and part of Pod A5 in BC. These guys made my dreams come true - thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
907mariahe
May 19, 2025
Great trip with Vancouver Island Whale Watching - Great trip with Vancouver Island Whale Watching. We encoutered orca almost right outside the harbour, and then got to spend some time with humpback whales near Gabriola Island. Naturalist Hayleigh was very knowledgable and Capt. Rodrigo made sure we got to see lots of the coastline and wildlife. The staff at the office was friendly and helpful. I really enjoyed my time on the water with them!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mary
May 7, 2025
Do it! - A fantastic day out. Sun shining, water pet calm. Saw 4 orcas, harbour seals, sea lions, eagles. Hosted by Des and guided by Rodrigous.. both fabulous.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Al
Nov 1, 2024
It’s the expertise of the crew - So much depends on the crew’s ability to not just find the whales (and we saw a pod of orcas and a trio of humpbacks) but also to help you understand what you are seeing. Joseph and Desarae really made this an amazing experience: it is a privilege to see these wild creatures and the care the outfit take to ensure these majestic whales thrive while still helping us as humans appreciate them is fantastic.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Moyasooty
Oct 12, 2024
Wonderful day out with mischief! - Rodrigo guided us safely and Desiree gave great commentary! Even though the weather was bleak the whales did not care and we were in for quite the treat! My favourite was counting 22 tail slaps and then seeing a whale fluke loom large beside one of the open boats! The company seems to have a good philosophy around avoiding more endangered species and encouraging less noise - very hard in such a busy shipping area! A wonderful tour that I would highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
220annei
Sep 25, 2024
Not to be missed! - This was an absolutely brilliant experience! Val, the marine naturalist, was very knowledgeable and experienced and able to share her enthusiasm with our group. We were very lucky in getting good sightings of about 9 separate humpbacks, plus harbour seals, sea lions and other marine life. Full marks to Joseph, the captain of the RIB too. Cannot recommend highly enough!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pioneer15472943184
Sep 21, 2024
Fun and enthusiastic guided tour - Great enthusiastic guides! Awesome stuff. Saw all the humpback behaviours which felt really rare and exciting. Thank you Aly and Rodrigo 🙂
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rand_w
Sep 20, 2024
Spectacular watching - Many encounters with humpback whales who exhibited all behaviors we wanted to see. This experience exceeded all our expectations. Ally and Rodrigo were spectacular hosts.
Review provided by Viator
Chriszv3470pr
Aug 29, 2024
Made our vacation even more amazing!! - We enjoyed the semi-covered vessel for this August 21st tour. While the waves were quite choppy, our guides were amazing in locating multiple humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, and harbour seals. They were also very knowledgeable from start to finish and would hands down recommend Des and Vanessa for anyone wanting to go on this adventure.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $174
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).