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. To view all whale watching guidelines regulated by the Pacific Whale Watch Association, click here.
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
Victoria Whale Watching Report: What a Week of Killer Whales, Humpbacks, Seals, and Sea Lions!
July 27, 2021
Written by: Rachael, Lead Naturalist As always, the past week has been full of excitement and indescribable moments with the wonderful animals of the Salish Sea. In our little corner of the world, the ocean abounds with mammals, birds, fish, gorgeous seaweeds and interesting invertebrates! The diversity of the straights are backed by stunning scenery […]
Port Renfrew Whale Watching Report: How Do We Find Whales Around Port Renfrew?
July 23, 2021
Written by: Matt Burnaby, Zodiac Captain Halfway through our fifth season here in Port Renfrew, Sarah and I often ask ourselves how it is possible that we have managed to find whales on every single voyage. While there are only a handful of exceptions where we have not been able to access the waters outside […]
Victoria Sightings Report: Brown Pelicans, Whales, Ollie the Sea Otter, and Much More!
July 22, 2021
Weekly Sightings Summary July 12th to 18th As we approach the middle of summer, sightings of wildlife continue to be diverse and abundant here in the Salish Sea! This week was full of experiences with creatures who depend on the salty waters that surround south Vancouver Island, including rare species like Brown Pelicans, mammal hunting […]
Port Renfrew Whale Watching Report: Happywhale.com: Facebook but for Whales!
July 14, 2021
Written by: Matt Burnaby, Zodiac Captain Having access to waters that no other whale watching vessel goes to allows us the unique opportunity to gather data on wildlife through citizen science. We are the only whale watching company based in Port Renfrew, amidst the numerous sports fishing boats in the area. That said, these incredible […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Steller and California Sea Lions, Bald Eagles, Killer Whales, and More!
July 13, 2021
Written by: Rachael Merrett, Lead Naturalist It has been a week of exciting visits with creatures we haven’t seen very much in the past couple of months, making for very memorable tours on the water! The waters surrounding Victoria are home to hundreds of male Steller and California Sea Lions who ship out to the […]
Port Renfrew Whale Watching Report: Nature in Renny!
July 11, 2021
Written by Matt Burnaby, Zodiac Captain Driving from Victoria to Port Renfrew is where the adventure begins. Part of the Pacific Marine Loop, Port Renfrew sits between Victoria and Cowichan. Coming from either direction takes you down a winding paved road leading you through the wild coastlines, valleys and rivers of the Pacific temperate rainforests. […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Bigg's Killer Whales, Humpbacks, and So Much More!
July 6, 2021
Week of July 1st, 2021 – Covered Vessel Tours What a week on the water it has been! Sightings of whales and other marine wildlife has been spectacular with whales spotted on all of our tours. We started the week off with sightings of one of our favourite seasonally returning humpback whales named Divot and […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Killer Whales, Humpbacks, Race Rocks Lighthouse, and So Much More!
June 29, 2021
Week of June 21st, 2021 – Covered Vessel Tours What a week it has been on the waters surrounding Victoria! Hot, hot temperatures and hot, hot whale sightings too! Humpback whales are back in droves and Bigg’s Killer Whales are cruising the Salish Sea in large groups made up of multiple families in search of […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: The Return of the Humpbacks!
June 25, 2021
Sunday, June 20th- 12pm Tour It was a perfect day to be on the water surrounding south Vancouver Island! We headed out on the Orca Mist to look for the abundant wildlife that call the Salish Sea home. We made our way southwest when we saw the spouts of a Humpback Whale! This young creature […]
Port Renfrew Whale Watching Report: What a Start to the 2021 Season!!
June 23, 2021
Written by: Matt Burnaby, Zodiac Captain Our 2021 season here in Port Renfrew has begun. What a start it has been so far! Beautiful weather almost every day with hot sunny days and calm seas. Each year at the start of the season we never know what to expect. Our remote little town sits on […]
Leaders in responsible Eco-Tourism
