Victoria Sunset Whale Watching: Guided Tour
4.9
452 Ratings
Victoria
Embark on a thoroughly guided, 3.5 to 4 hour long adventure of whale watching and wildlife observation during sunset, taking off from Downtown Victoria on the Salish Sea Eclipse - a top-tier covered catamaran boasting three observation decks! This journey concludes as the sun sets, guaranteeing a memorable experience!
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- 812 Wharf St - Experience the majesty of the Salish Sea and its wildlife, from whales surfacing in unison to bald eagles soaring overhead. Cut through the Strait of Juan de Fuca’s currents in search of orcas and humpback whales, and listen to our marine mammal experts bring the animal’s stories to life (while you stay warm, dry and hydrated in its heated cabin, of course!) The quintessential whale watching experience for every adventurer. Immerse yourself completely in this incredible experience while we take free high-resolution photos of the wildlife, the landscape and your loved ones!
Ease into the evening aboard our luxury catamaran, Salish Sea Eclipse, as we depart Victoria’s scenic inner harbour. This 3.5-4 hour tour is a photographer’s favourite and a relaxing way to end the day as the sun sets over the Salish Sea.
(Cruise ship passengers, Please allow at least 5.5 hours + from check-in time to return to your ship.)
What's Included
- Complimentary photo package of your journey and wildlife encounters
- Knowledgeable captain and crew with 3-4 expert guides/naturalists
- Inclusive of all fees and taxes
- Convenient on-board restrooms
- Warm tea and coffee available
- Lifetime Whale Sighting Guarantee: Free tours until you see whales
- Multilingual downloadable tour guides (EN, ES, FR, DE, NL)
- Children’s coloring books and educational resources provided
What's Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Excludes taxes and fees for Lifetime Whale Sighting Guarantee
Additional Information
- service animals allowed with proper documentation
Location
812 Wharf St
Wharf Street
Please check-in 30 minutes prior to departure time at Prince of Whales Whale Watching located below the Visitor Information Centre in the Inner Harbour (812 Wharf St, Victoria, BC V8W 1T3). The boat will not be held for late passengers.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(452 Ratings)
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129allysap
Oct 15, 2023
Highly recommend - My fiancé, best friend and I went on the sunset whale watching tour August 19th 2023 and it was an incredible experience! The customer service/tour was really great, we loved the knowledge and insight from Jamie, Algebra, and other crew members Richard, Lindsey, and Rajan. We even got to see a few sightings of killer whales and the sea lions were cool! An experience we would highly recommend! We will definitely be going on another one when we are back in Victoria :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debrabv8073vc
Oct 4, 2023
Great - Great experience exciting great crew and captain. Wonderful hosts particularly algebra. Saw an orca up close and personal.!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marceld847
Sep 28, 2023
Amazing whale watching tour! - The tour was so much fun!! It was different from the afternoon tour! The tour guides were fantastic!! I love going on the whale watching tours!! I like to go once a year!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Catchthis0905
Sep 28, 2023
Fab ride, knowledgeable crew - We had a fabulous time with the Prince of Whales crew (Richard, Lindsey, Traben &Rajan). Everyone was extremely professional and knowledgeable. The weather didn't exactly cooperate, but they did not shy away from the rain and continued searching / spotting Orcas and Humpback whales. We encountered each multiple times, and then passed by the lighthouse on the way in to see the sealions.
We were torn between the day and the evening tour that we ultimately booked, and it was a great call. The sunset coming back in to Victoria was beautiful.
There's plenty of companies in both Vancover and Victoria that offer various tours, but I would book again with Prince of Whales in a heartbeat. Thank you again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeanete_u
Sep 26, 2023
Fantastic Trip - What a wonderful trip.
We saw four orcas as well as numerous seals.
The crew were fantastic
This was definitely a holiday highlight
Review provided by Viator
Z437evjessicab
Sep 25, 2023
Great Whale Watching Experience - The whales definitely put on a show for us! Michael and Raj were our naturalists and they did a fantastic job giving us great facts and taking amazing photos!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ta1tsontour
Sep 23, 2023
Amazing Whale Watching Experience 21st September 4:30pm - Negatives: Absolutely none!!!
Positives: OMG where do I start?
The team on board were first class; Jesse, Rajan, Francois and Michael. We were introduced to the team by Francois then were given a health and safety talk before getting on board, and then when on board further health and safety information about life jackets and care points to avoid slips and trips. The boat itself was great, warm covered areas, plenty of outside space and seating, no overcrowding, complimentary tea, coffee or hot chocolate.
The team constantly circulated and spoke to everyone keeping us informed about where we were going and what we hoped to find there, stopping when we unexpectedly came across a humpback and telling us about the mammals and other sea life in the area.
We tracked two groups of orcas (6 in total) as they swam along the coastline and then out to sea, where they came across a group of sea lions 🫣 there was only going to be one winner!
We saw more humpbacks and sea lions on the way back, and the sunset from the boat was amazing.
We have absolutely no regrets about choosing Prince of Whales, professional from start to finish and the team couldn’t do enough for you. Michael took some amazing photos and we received them by email only 2 hours after we docked!
Well done guys, keep up the good work!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Svid1710
Sep 22, 2023
Absolutely amazing!! - The trip was very professional from start to finish, booking was easy and the crew were really knowledgeable. Jesse, Rajan and Michael were really friendly and informative and it was obvious they were passionate about the marine wildlife. Captains Francois and Tom made sure we had great views and didn’t encroach on the animals’ space. It was thrilling watching the orcas hunt down seals…but I’m glad they got away!! A really memorable experience!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mike61060
Sep 22, 2023
Awsome trip - fulfilling a lifetime dream - The tour fulfilled one of my a lifetime dreams - allowing me to see a pod of wild orcas hunting seals. The boat was clean and well presented and the staff (especially Michael) were very engaging and knowledgeable. I would have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone who is considering it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rerry51627384
Oct 14, 2023
Don’t bother. Letdown. - We were on our honeymoon and had arranged a sunset tour since we arrived to Victoria in the morning, so the whole day was arranged around the sunset tour.
When we arrived at the tour checkin, we were told the tour was cancelled due to ‘boat maintenance issues’. It was too late to arrange another whale watching tour with another company. We were offered the option of booking another sunset tour on another day, which obviously we didn’t accept as there was no guarantee this wouldn’t be cancelled due to last minute boat issues too. We did get a full refund.
We were told they had tried to contact us by phone to inform of the cancellation but we hadn’t received any calls or missed calls. An email was sent (that morning) to tell us the tour was cancelled but we hadn’t received it as we’d been without WiFi all day plus checking my emails isn’t a priority whilst I’m on honeymoon!
Very disappointed by the last minute cancellation and the excuse given. I’m sure “customer safety” will be the feedback given to this review but maybe don’t accept bookings if your boats aren’t maintained and need a last minute service. Plus there must be other boats available in the fleet. Maybe I’m just cynical but it was very disappointing and annoying.
To compound the annoyance, orcas were spotted on other tours that evening which we missed. So.. thanks for nothing!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
