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 ten 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, dolphins, sea lions, 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 certified 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: 3 Humpback Whales & Race Rocks Ecological Reserve
October 15, 2019
10am Tour! Guests and crew were eager to start our whale watching adventure this morning as we boarded the Orca Spirit and entered the Juan de Fuca Strait. We started our search for puffy, white blows, fins and splashes by heading south and west towards the Olympic Pennisula of Washington. We moved west of Race […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: The Pinnipeds of Race Rocks Ecological Reserve & More!
October 13, 2019
Morning Tour! On this trip, we got to visit a few ecological reserves, starting with Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. This is one of the only Pinniped haul-out sites in the world with four different species that are regular there. Race Rocks is home to Harbour Seals, Californian Sea Lions, Steller Sea Lions, and in […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: "T-Party", An Epic Gathering Of Mammal-Hunting Killer Whales!
October 12, 2019
10AM Tour! Our whale watching tours this October continues to be very successful when it comes to viewing wildlife. Today we were in for a treat with reports of mammal-hunting killer whales known as Bigg’s or Transient orcas, south of the city of Victoria. We cruised in that direction and started to see the tall, […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Humpback Whales, Harbour Seals & Ollie The Sea Otter
October 11, 2019
2pm Tour! The afternoon ended up being beautifully sunny and low winds prevailed. We cruised out of the Victoria Harbour and aimed southwest in the Juan de Fuca Strait. With such clear skies, we had excellent views of the Olympic Mountain range and Mount Baker was visible to the east, with its giant snow-capped peak! […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Mouflon Sheep, A Minke Whale and a Daring Bald Eagle!
October 11, 2019
MORNING TOUR! We were enjoying the blue skies and sunshine this morning as we moved east of Victoria into Haro Strait. We then turned north to check out who might be swimming amongst the Gulf and San Juan Islands. We made a quick stop at Mandarte Island to see the bird sanctuary where cormorants build […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Humpback Whales, Sea Lions & Ollie The Sea Otter!
October 10, 2019
2pm tour! While on our way out of the harbor this afternoon, we spotted an Ocean Clean Up vessel collecting debris. It is quite amusing watching how they complete these big debris removals. This also provided a great conversation towards the need for changes in our ecosystems. While traveling south, we spotted blows of a […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Ollie The Sea Otter & A Humpback Whale!
October 9, 2019
2PM TOUR This afternoon we headed west following a call from another vessel regarding wildlife. Our initial destination point was quite a drive away, however, we were able to find animals closer. While pointed southwest, just past Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, we could see blows of a humpback. In our area, we have had an […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Humpback Whales & Sea Lions!
October 7, 2019
10AM TOUR! The wet west coast was really living up to its name this morning as the rain came down over the Salish Sea! Good thing whales are already wet and could not care less about the water coming from the sky! Despite the rainy conditions, we were still able to spot the cloudy puff […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: Double Creature Feature: Killer Whales & Humpback Whales!
October 6, 2019
10AM TOUR! Chilly mornings greet us this time of year as we embark on adventures to find whales! We left the Victoria Harbour, immediately on the lookout for wildlife. We traveled southwest into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and soon found the largest of all Salish Sea whales- the Humpbacks! Humpbacks are so […]
Victoria Whale Watching Report: The T018 and T037 Killer Whale Families & Humpbacks!
October 5, 2019
10 am tour This morning we headed east, all abord the Catalina Adventure in search of wildlife. We passed by the exquisite homes of Oak Bay, ranging in price from four to twenty-four million dollars. Located along the waterfront in this area is Canada’s oldest golf course, open mostly year-round and is priced for those […]
Leaders in responsible Eco-Tourism
