Campbell River Whale Watching: Full Day Discovery Islands and Desolation Sound Tour

Embark on a full day adventure in the Discovery Islands and Desolation Sound, home to migratory Humpback Whales, Transient Orca, Steller sea lions, and more!

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 1348 Island Hwy - Once aboard our large 12 passenger zodiacs, you will be in for a full day immersion in an extraordinary setting as we adventure up Coastal Mountain Fjords, through tidal rapids and island archipelagos in search of the great whales of the Pacific Northwest!
    These adventures give us the opportunity to really explore the waterways…
What's Included
  • Bottled water
  • Lunch
  • Snacks
  • Floater suits, goggles, gloves, and beanies
  • Tea and coffee
What's Not Included
  • Parking fee at the marina $4
Additional Information

Join us for a full day adventure in the Discovery Islands and Desolation Sound in one of the richest marine environments on the planet!
Shortly after departing, we will travel through prime feeding grounds of migratory Humpback Whales. Encounters are likely and plentiful. These giants can weigh over 60 tons!
Clans of Transient Orca are constantly on the…

Location
730 Quathiaski Cove Rd
Quathiaski Cove Road
Meet our vessel at the loading dock at the Quathiaski Cove Ferry Terminal on Quadra Island at Coveside Fish and Chips at the marina. Marina parking is $4 for the day.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(61 Ratings)
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Jgalle19
Sep 17, 2025
Amazing your to watch orcas 😍 - I came to Campbell river to mainly watch bears and Orcas and this whole day tour to watch whales was amazing ! We saw so many humpback whales and orcas, the rode was smooth, lunch was good and it was totally worth it to take the long one instead of the 4h, it is never to much times with whales. I totally recommend it !! 😁 Thank you so much for a wonderful experience 🙏🏽
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Charles_b
Aug 28, 2025
Reuben was an excellent... - Reuben was an excellent driver and guide. We took a slight gamble going north to find orcas instead of the sure bet for humpbacks. We ended up seeing 3 different pods of orcas as well as a very large pod of pacific white sided dolphins and a cinnamon phase black bear on a beach. A little bit of a ride but well worth the effort. Reuben was able to drop us off in Campbell River after dropping the other party at Quadra. It was an excellent and memory making day.
Review provided by Viator
511imai
Aug 12, 2025
Recommended - In a word: bliss! Whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, eagles .. seen in beautiful surroundings with a skilful host and an eco-friendly business of two young people.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
51krysl
Aug 11, 2025
Full Day Whale Watching with Rueben - We went on the full day “Majestic Whales” experience with Reuben on July 23rd 2025. The following review is written by my 14 year old kiddo! Within ten minutes of our journey we bumped into some humpback whales, and watched them dive and resurface at least twice. We lost count of how many whales there were and loved listening to Reuben tell us all about them. There was barely a break before we spent time with a pod of Northern resident Orcas getting to see a new calf that was born in January. We journeyed 45 minutes to a beautiful island where we had lunch on shore - It was delicious and there were Gluten Free / Dairy Free options as well. The island offered a space to have a bathroom break - Along with a nice beach to collect shells and other special ocean memorabilia's. Reuben was truly an expert with his timing and got us back on his boat to leave just in time to watch one of the most AMAZING things I have ever had the opportunity to see. Eagles feeding on hake caught in swirling pools from the tide coming in! It was impossible to look at just one thing because there were dozens if not more gorgeous Eagles swooping down to catch their prey. The backdrop of the beautiful BC waters provided endless awe inspiring views. Reuben let us know that there was a "sea lion heaven" close by, and we quickly headed towards the action We got the opportunity to see dozens of sea lions catching and eating fish. We watched one rip the head off of a fish after catching it and even caught it on video!! It was one of the coolest things to ever see, a lot like national geographics in real life. FULL 4D experience!!! We then took the boat back out to the strait where we had the opportunity to reconnect with the northern residence orcas we had met earlier. One very important detail that needs to be mentioned was Reuben's puppy that came along with us. She was an absolute sweetheart! She gave many many kisses, and brought a special vibe to our adventure. Her birthday was also that day! From start to finish the tour was informative and exceptional at every turn. We can not recommend it enough!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephen_h
Aug 5, 2025
Whale watching at another level… - It was everything and more than we could have hoped for. From the moment we took off to the time we got back it was exhilarating and fascinating along the way. Our guides Ruben and Tasie were superb and kept us well informed and entertained. We saw dozens of Sea Lions, tons of Bald Eagles all feeding on Hake. A few sultry seals slinking in the background and an awesome experience of the tidal rapids which has to be seen to be believed. Once we moved off and headed back to the deep water we saw over 15/20 humpbacks including some breaching and fin slapping. I can still taste their krill breath from being downstream of their blow-offs, not the nicest taste but exciting to share their environment. Having spent 2 hours with the Humpbacks we headed south again and spent a couple of hours with two Orca pods which was mesmerising. The lunch provided was perfect, handmade and happy salami sandwiches which were super and home baked brownies with lemonade all consumed on a remote island. I can’t thank the team enough and a big shout out to Ruben who was great fun and kept us us informed all along the way and at the right level. Our fellow companions were also great including Jake and Danny but the biggest shout goes to Tasie the beautiful boat dog who kept my two children close with lots of cuddles and licking. Thanks to the team and have a great rest of the summer. Till next time… Best Stephen Henley
Review provided by Viator
340vab
Jul 26, 2025
Great experience - Had a great day on the water with Reub EN and his dog. The four of us were on a private tour. At DE afternoon a picnic on an island. Being able to see the tidal current very nicely. Very strange. Whales, Orcas, sea lions, seals, American eagles seen. Amazing!!! To conclude EN jump out of the water EN the whale and a family of Orcas with a baby. Unforgettable experience. I can only recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rickb896
Jul 20, 2025
- An excellent day out with Rueben and a professional photographer called Blair. Rueben's shared his knowledge with the small group we had on board. Regulations meabt that we could go as close as I would have liked to the whales and orcas but I can understand this. Blair made his photos available free of charge which was great and if he is part of the organisation then Rueben should advertise this as it was a big bonus given that he had a 500mm zoom llens and able to capture some truely great images compared to my iphone. Ruebens lunch was lovely as was the small island that he took us to to experience lunch in the remote area. Thank you Rueben and Blair.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kcsendlessadventures
Jul 20, 2025
Amazing day with orcas, humpbacks, and so much more! - Wow, what a day!! Ruben was an excellent guide and we saw such a wide range of wildlife, including dozens of humpbacks, the Northern Resident orcas, Bigg's orcas, sea lions, harbor seals, bald eagles, and more. I did the full-day adventure and I'm so glad I did, in fact, Ruben even extended our time out on the water a bit when we encountered the Bigg's orcas as we made our way back to the marina. Needless to say, I highly recommend this experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Excursion02211442849
Jul 15, 2025
Great whale watching experience. - Very passionate crew who made every effort to make this a great experience for us. Reuben is definitely an Orca fanatic! We saw many of them, even breaching. And some humpbacks and seals, too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Franciskz351bx
Jul 10, 2025
Wildlife Adventure - Awesome trip ! Saw Resident & Transient Orcas , humpbacks, stellar sea-lion, pacific white sided Dolphins. Saw countless eagles swooping to catch the hake at Stuart island rapids as well as Turkey Vultures , Terns , harlequin duck . All with the beautiful scenery backdrop of the islands . Comprehensible wildlife knowledge by guides with great ability to get to key locations . Don’t miss it .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $255
up to 11 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).