Nanaimo Whale Watching: Immersive BC Wildlife Tour

Embark on an immersive BC wildlife tour in Nanaimo and witness killer whales, humpbacks, sea lions, and more. Guaranteed whale sightings or your next trip is free!

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
  • Anti-exposure suit provided
  • Captain is certified by Transport Canada
  • Professional guide with academic background in marine biology
What's Not Included
  • Parking not Included
  • Lunch is not included.
  • Gratuities
  • Transportation to/from office
Additional Information

Dive into the rich coastal wildlife of BC while navigating through the chain of Gulf Islands to spot killer whales (orcas), humpbacks, sea lions, porpoises, eagles, and more. Your guide, with a scholarly background in biology and a deep-seated love for marine life, ensures a sighting of whales on your trip, else your next trip is on us. Step aboard our…

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

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(166 Ratings)
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1 star
Helensm6580ll
May 27, 2025
Went above and beyond. Excellent! - Four of us ( two locals and two visitors) had a fantastic experience on this tour! With no whales reported nearby, we tried out several beautiful areas before heading to Bowen Island, where we saw humpbacks briefly. Our guide, Des and our captain then took us right up to Lasqueti to see a pod of orcas and stayed with them for a good while to make a super trip for us. Their commitment to giving us a memorable trip - even spending an additional HOUR to let us follow the orcas - was admirable. Des was a kind and well-informed guide who made decisions with consultation with the group, and seemed to really care that we had a great time. I would definitely recommend the company and their staff to locals and visitors alike.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emma
May 16, 2025
Excellent! - The naturalist was very knowledgeable and you could feel the enthusiasm for the whales in what he was saying. We felt in very safe hands with the two captains on board. After about an hour travelling out of the harbour and searching we found 2 Orcas who we watched for the time allowed, we then went round and saw some harbour seals, which was where we found another 2 pods socialising close by. They were more energetic and gave us a good show it was fantastic.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Terezap361
May 15, 2025
Awesome - Amazing experience! I highly recommend this adventure. The staff is super friendly and passionate about their profession, which is refreshing. Our tour guide Hayleigh told us many interesting facts about whales, orcas and sea lions. Totally worth it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ary732oe
Apr 16, 2025
Highly recommended! - We spontaneously booked the tour yesterday and we're thrilled! All the stuff members were super friendly and our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and told us many interesting things about whales as well as other wild animals we saw on the tour. I definitely recommend the tour to everyone! Thanks for this unforgettable experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Seaside819226
Apr 13, 2025
The legendary " Krinkles Big Kill" Trip - Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience, absolutely unforgettable! Sorry for the delayed review. The absolute highlight of our trip and it far exceeded all our expectations. Our guide, Aly Kohlman, was simply phenomenal. Her deep knowledge of the Orca family - their lineage, ages, relationships and stories, brought these majestic animals to life in a way we never imagined. What made the experience even more special was her incredible passion. You could feel her love and dedication in every word she said. She truly captivated all of us! We were incredibly lucky that day, we got to witness a successful hunt and, in what can only be described as magical, a family of Orcas celebrated right in front of us, breaching and swimming under our boat multibe times, It felt like they invited us into their world. This was the legendary " Krinkles Big Kill" trip and we cant recommend it enough. Huge thanks to the entire team and especially to Aly for an unforgettable adventur. Leif, Sascha, Annette & Nicole
Review provided by Tripadvisor
T9736pkdebbien
Nov 14, 2024
Cancelled tour due to bad weather - Unfortunately our tour was cancelled due to bad weather but the reason I am leaving a review is because the communication was exceptional. We were notified first thing in the morning so we didn’t make an unnecessary trip and we were offered an alternative date or a refund. As we were leaving the Island the next morning we chose a refund which was paid promptly without any fuss.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tluch2023
Oct 17, 2024
A tour of a lifetime. - This was a trip of a lifetime. Our naturalist/tour guide Vanessa and boat captain Joseph made a great team. Vanessa's enthusiasm is infectious and we learned a lot about the whales, orcas, sealions, and more that we saw. I would highly recommend this outing to anyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roadtripjunkie12018
Oct 7, 2024
Amazing 5+/5 - What an amazing afternoon on the ocean Val was so much more than a tour guide. As a marine biologist the knowledge we learnt from her and the excitement when we could find out what whale we had just spotted Our adventure saw sea lions/ harbour seals and at least 8 humpback whales I have no hesitation giving this company a 5+ score Just amazing memories thank u ☺️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gretchen00
Sep 28, 2024
Great experience whale watching...the best company! - I had a fantastic experience! Our guide Val was so knowledgeable (she has a Masters in Marine Biology) and shared great info during our cruise. She was open to questions. I could tell that she loves what she does. The boat was comfortable, and I felt safe the entire time. The type and number of marine life you are able to see will obviously vary by trip, but we were able to see 9 different humpback whales (Val knows these specific animals by name, history, etc.), harbor seals, and stellar sea lions. I highly, highly recommend Vancouver Island Whale Watching in Nanaimo! I could not have been more pleased with the entire experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joanne_d
Sep 18, 2024
Spectacular day of whale watching! - Incredible afternoon on the water. Spent 4 hours with an excellent captain/naturalist and saw 5 or 6 whales. We lucked out when two of the whales swam right up to our boat—their choice—our engine was off! Terrifying and thrilling all at once! Beautiful creatures that delighted us with their antics. It was a windy wavy day and I was glad for my scopolamine patch but the other 9 people in our open zodiac boat seemed to have no issues. If you’re prone to motion sickness I’d recommend something just in case. The views in the “islands” were breathtaking. The whales were amazing. It was a spectacular day!
Review provided by Viator
From $175
up to 12 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).