Experience the wild
On an exhilarating Whale & Wildlife Watching Tour with Victoria’s leading Eco-Tourism Company
Whale & Wildlife Watching Adventures
Nothing quite compares to watching a thirty-foot killer whale launch its twenty thousand pound body into the air before sliding gracefully back to the ocean depths with a slap of its tail. Our whale and wildlife watching tours let you experience BC’s enchanting marine wildlife – orcas, porpoises, sea lions, humpback whales, bald eagles and more, while respecting the natural environment along the spectacular coastline of Vancouver Island.
Top Rated by Guests on Tripadvisor
Brilliant! Amazing! A Dream Come True! It’s easy to see why guests give Orca Spirit whale watching tours a big thumbs up.
Whale Sighting Guarantee
We don’t stop at a 98% success rate. If your tour doesn’t experience a sighting, we’ll invite you to join us again.
Best Selection of Open & Covered Boats
From luxury yachts to wind-in-your-hair zodiacs, we operate Victoria’s biggest fleet of fully equipped and certified vessels.
Free Downtown Hotel Shuttle Service
Hop on our courtesy shuttle for a short trip from your downtown Victoria hotel to our dock and back, or elsewhere in the city core.
Thrilling Tours
Orca Spirit’s three hour whale watching tours run daily from April through October. Every trip is led by a certified marine naturalist whose knowledge and passion for Vancouver Island’s marine wildlife is unequaled in the industry, and every vessel in our fleet is equipped with hydrophones to bring the underwater experience to light.
Tours from
Victoria
TOURS FROM VICTORIA
Two docks, multiple departure times, and a variety of vessels make Victoria the ideal launching pad for viewing whales in the wild.
TOUR INFOTours from
Port Renfrew
TOURS FROM PORT RENFREW
The quaint village of Port Renfrew is perfectly place to go off grid on a truly west coast whale watching adventure.
TOUR INFOTours from
Vancouver
TOURS FROM VANCOUVER
Enjoy a scenic float plane ride from Vancouver to Victoria, then come tour the killer whales’ ocean playground with us.
TOUR INFOWinter
Wildlife Tours
WINTER WILDLIFE TOURS
Experience the calm of a winter cruise through Juan de Fuca Strait, home to sea lions, humpback whales and other marine life.
View TourCharters &
Private Tours
CHARTERS & PRIVATE TOURS
We host memorable wedding receptions, family reunions, corporate celebrations and other special events for 12 to 200 guests.
View Tour“WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!”
“The trip lasts about 3 hrs – and it is awesome!! The staff is extremely knowledgeable and attentive. We saw orca and humpback whales – an amazing experience. This is an extremely professional organization with a group of very professional staff. Having sponsored a whale for many many years it was, for me, a dream come true – an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life – thank you Orca Spirit Adventures.”
15naples, UK
“BEST EVER WHALE WATCHING TOUR!”
“Superlatives galore! No doubt aided by the most fabulous weather and a calm sea, today my family and I had an unforgettable day out sighting Orca, Seal, Sealion and Humpback with Greg and his crew. Beautiful scenery and the crew’s humour and local natural history knowledge really enhanced our experience.”
AgooHostelAccra, Ghana
“FANTASTIC TRIP, GREAT WILDLIFE!
“Fantastic trip – wasn’t just about the Orcas (although they were brilliant!), we saw humpback whale, sea otter, bald eagle, sea lions, harbour and elephant seals too. Staff onboard were really knowledgeable and the backdrop of the mountains in Washington State was just spectacular. All in all, a great trip and sensitively done.”
Stephen I, UK
WHY ORCA SPIRIT
We’ve been creating extraordinary whale watching and marine wildlife experiences for guests from around the world for over 20 years.
Most Experienced & Knowledgeable Team
Your tour is led by a trained Marine Naturalist. Not only are they experts in ecology and wildlife, they’re also trained in emergency duties.
Victoria’s Largest & Best Selection of Boats
From yachts to zodiacs, we operate Victoria’s finest fleet of Transport Canada-certified whale watching and private charter vessels.
Multiple Award Winning Company
From climate action and sustainability awards to Business of the Year, we’re proud to show off our gold star standings.
Leaders in Responsible Eco-Tourism
We’ve been protecting our natural surroundings and improving the social and economic well being of local communities for over 20 years.
SERIOUS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY
We believe that our presence shouldn’t have a negative impact on the environment, so we’re doing everything we can to preserve the spectacular natural surroundings we do business in. From carbon neutral tours and local sourcing, to extensive recycling and energy and water efficiency initiatives, our many sustainable business practices are helping protect the planet for future generations.
LEARN MORETop Rated Packages
Whale Watching, Butchart Gardens and Butterfly Gardens
After a morning on the water, we shuttle over to the tropical Butterfly Gardens, and beautifully manicured grounds at Butchart Gardens.
Whale Watching & Harbour Air Adventure
Cruise over snow-capped mountains in a seaplane from Vancouver, then join a 3 hour tour on one of our luxurious covered vessels or open air zodiacs.
Whale Watching & Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA
After a hearty breakfast at the oceanfront Coast Victoria Hotel, we hit the seas for an action-packed 3 hour whale watching tour.
The Captain’s Blog
"Why are they called Transient Killer Whales if they aren't Transient?"
November 27, 2019
A frequent discussion we have on our whale watching trips is the difference between the types of Killer Whales we have in the Salish Sea. Yes, you read that right! Types! This means that there is more than one kind of Killer Whale that inhabit our water; the one you are most likely to see […]
2019 Victoria Whale Watching Season Highlights
November 24, 2019
The 2019 season was full of diverse wildlife and amazing sightings on the waters of the Salish Sea! We keep track of our daily sightings and this year our success rate of sighting whales was over 95% from April until the end of October. Orcas were the species of whale that we saw the most […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Humpback Whales & Ollie the Sea Otter - Our Last Summer Tour For 2019!
October 31, 2019
10am TOUR! Today was our final covered vessel tour of the season and we really went out with a bang! It was a beautiful day with sunshine and no wind, perfect conditions to be on the Salish Sea at the end of October. As we headed out, Captain Mick was also doing a zodiac trip! […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Mama Humpback & Calf & The Southern Resident Killer Whales
October 29, 2019
Afternoon Tour! As the end of October nears and our covered vessel tours wind down for the season, we are extra, extra excited to be on the water! We boarded the speedy Orca Spirit and traveled east in the Juan de Fuca Strait before turning north into Haro Strait. This area is very beautiful as […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Humpback Whales & T049C "Janet" The Killer Whale
October 26, 2019
Afternoon Tour! This afternoon as we headed out of the harbor, it was calm enough to see the exhales of whales from miles away. We headed south towards the groupings of humpbacks and were able to watch them feed for quite a while. At first, it was two, then another two, and seeing more spread out […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Multiple Humpback Whales & The Wildlife of Race Rocks Ecological Reserve!
October 24, 2019
10am Tour! We were excited to get on the water this morning and search for west coast wildlife in the Salish Sea! After just thirty minutes traveling southwest, Captain Jordan spotted at least 5 humpback whales exhaling ahead of us! It was humpback-palooza out there! We slowed our vessel down to a creep to make […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: "Big Mama" The Humpback Whale & Furry Friends at Race Rocks!
October 22, 2019
10am Tour! Each morning is the start of a new adventure on the Salish Sea as nature is constantly changing. With guests aboard the speedy Orca Spirit, we set course southwest into the Juan de Fuca Strait. We do not always find whales in the first 20 minutes of a trip, but today was a […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Breaching Humpback Whale!
October 19, 2019
Afternoon Tour! It was a windy afternoon on the Juan de Fuca Strait with white caps whipping up in all directions. Fortunately, whales exhale really high into the air, so we are still able to find them on choppy waters. We cruised the shoreline west towards Race Rocks Lighthouse. We went right into the islands […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Triple Humpback Whale Tour!
October 18, 2019
Morning Tours! The Juan de Fuca Strait has been a haven for whale sightings all season and today was no different. Within 20 minutes of leaving the dock, we were spotting whales! This morning it was humpbacks that caught our eye and they were fantastic! They must not be having to dive down very deep […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Humpback Whales MMZ0041 "Pong" and BCX1251 "Orion"!
October 17, 2019
1:15pm tour! For our chartered tour today we headed south in search of wildlife. Not long into our journey, we spotted the tall exhales of a couple of humpbacks. These baleen whales are traveling thousands of kilometers to reach this area to feed. They are a migratory animal as they spend their year in […]
Leaders in responsible Eco-Tourism
