Indigenous Whale Watching

Whale watching tours in BC fill up fast! Book now for Summer-Fall 2024

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Witness the Sublime

Watch plumes of salt spray as the sun sets on the horizon. Listen to an orca mother and her calf exhaling in the dark near a fireside dock. Find yourself too close for comfort but just the right distance to witness something that feels like a primordial secret.

This sublime beauty borders sacred–you will never feel so small as when a humpback swims up to your boat and exhales with a life force more incredible than you’ve ever encountered.

Book Your Whale Watching Experience With Indigenous Ecologists

Responsible whale watching is not invasive, it is inclusive, and the guides themselves are more like siblings than spectators of the whales. BC waters are some of the best places to see whales: orcas, humpbacks, grey whales, and minkes. And Indigenous hosts in British Columbia are the best guides for this trip of a lifetime.

They are there to introduce you to their family, teach you about house rules, and share life memories on the water with these magnificent creatures. 

Whale watching tours in BC fill up fast! Book now for Summer-Fall 2023:

Clayoquot Wild

?Tofino
Whale Watching | Fishing | Hot Springs Tour | History Tour
Clayoquot Wild specializes in custom and wildlife tours in local Ahousat waters. Hosted by elder Moses Martin, these small-group tours depart from the dock in Tofino. Discover the wild of Clayoquot Sound with our local experts. Encounters may include gray whales, humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, eagles, sea otters, harbour porpoise, puffins and many varieties of marine birds and much more. Spend time in sacred pools cooled by the Pacific in their Hot Springs & Wildlife Tour.

Book with Clayoquot Wild

Coastal Rainforest Safaris

? Port Hardy
Whale Watching | Wildlife Watching | Grizzly Bear Tours | Otter Tours
Coastal Rainforest Safaris Coastal Rainforest Safaris delivers exciting wilderness experiences rooted in the territories of the Kwakwaka’wakw people. Explore the diverse wildlife of British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest from rigid hull inflatable viewing boats. Their current Whales, Otters, and Grizzly Bears package combines a six-hour sea otter viewing and whale watching tour from Port Hardy, a day of grizzly bear viewing from Port McNeill, and two nights accommodation at the Kwa’lilas Hotel in Port Hardy.

Book with Coastal Rainforest Safaris

Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours

?Campbell River
Whale Watching | Grizzly Bear Tours | Cultural Tours
Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours and its staff have invite you to explore the Salish Sea in search of humpbacks, orcas, dolphins, sea lions, other marine mammals, and a variety of sea birds in their natural habitat. The Whales, Wildlife, and Culture experience includes both a skipper and an Indigenous guide to provide a full First Nation experience right from Campbell River. Tours depart from the Coast Marina in Campbell River, BC. 

Book with Homalco Tours

Sea Wolf Adventures

?Port Hardy
Grizzly Bear Tours | Whale Watching | Otter Viewing
Sea Wolf Adventures offers whale watching tours through the Broughton Archipelago and the Great Bear Rainforest on Northern Vancouver Island, with  opportunities to learn about the traditions and history of Kwakwaka’wakw People. The Whales, Otters, and Grizzly Bears package combines a six-hour Sea Otter Viewing and Whale Watching tour from Port Hardy with Coastal Rainforest Safaris, a day of grizzly bear viewing from Port McNeill with Sea Wolf Adventures, and two nights accommodation at the Kwa’lilas Hotel in Port Hardy.

Book with Sea Wolf Adventures

Sidney Whale Watching

? Sidney
Sidney Whale Watching operates on WSANEC First Nation territory and the Salish Sea, home to transient and resident orca, humpback, grey, minke, and fin whales. Porpoises, sea lions, seals, river otters, a huge variety of seabirds, and some very exotic land mammals that have been imported to the Gulf Islands are just a few of the many marine animals you may see. The three-hour whale watching tour runs through the beautiful Gulf Island Archipelago everyday from March to October.

Book with Sidney Whale Watching

Ahous Adventures

? Tofino
Ahous Adventures provides eco-tours lead by Indigenous guides that explore the incredible biodiversity of Vancouver Island. Their Whale Watching Tours operate on 12-passenger vessels with the option to choose between a Zodiac or a Covered Cruiser. The 2.5-3 hour tour offers guests the opportunity to view gray whales, humpback whales, and transient orcas in the wild. Keep an eye out for sea otters, seals, sea lions, and an assortment of seabirds, including bald eagles, murrelets, and tufted puffins. Ahous’ expert guides share their knowledge of the local marine life as well as stories passed down through generations about Ahousaht haḥuułii.

Book with Ahous Adventures

GROUND YOUR ADVENTURE WITH TRANSGENERATIONAL KNOWLEDGE

Combine this firsthand awe as a witness with the lifelong learning and transgenerational knowledge of local Indigenous guides.

Your experience will be out to the wide and wholly grounded. Indigenous whale-watching guides in BC are true ecologists, always prioritizing systems and practices that place the highest value on the wellness of the home and the family members who live in it.

Indigenous Tourism BC encourages responsible travel for all visitors to Indigenous communities.