Winter Victoria Whale And Wildlife Zodiac Tour

Popped as was walking by, and they had 3 spaces left for the boat about to leave. The location is very handy for the city centre, right next to the harbour airport. The sun was shining and I was wearing a polo shirt and sunglasses. That was absolutely fine under the crew suits provided for the trip, though woolly hats and goggles were available. You would almost certainly want them on a cold day, as well as a jacket. Our guide, Liam, was great... knowledgeable, and very patient with my many questions. Excellent boat handler too, as you'd expect. We saw lots of humpback, a small pod of 4 Orcas (T065B and her 3 sons), and loads of sea lions.

Orca Spirit Adventures was definitely one of the highlights of our trip! There were only 12 passengers on the zodiac, which made the experience feel very personal and special. Shannon, our captain, was amazing — friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what she does. We saw orcas, whales, and so many birds throughout the excursion. What we especially appreciated was how respectful the tour was toward the wildlife, always keeping an appropriate distance and observing the animals without disturbing them. Unfortunately, not every boat on the water seemed to show the same level of respect, which made us appreciate Orca Spirit Adventures even more. An unforgettable experience and one we would absolutely recommend! A big thank you from our family from French Polynesia !

Shannon was fantastic! She took her time to tell us everything about the animals we saw. We where very lucky to see a whale and orca's.

Awesome! Comfortable warm body suit/ life jacket provided to go over our clothes. Travelled at great speed so we were able to cover lots of ground (sea) and see many things during our tour. Informative and excited guide - Jake. Thank you Orca Spirit Adventures.

Amazing experience with Ryan as our guide and Captain. Beautiful weather and got to see two pods of Orcas! Also saw a sea otter, many seals and eagles. Definitely Recommend!

My daughter and I did a morning zodiac tour with Luke as our guide. We had a fantastic time and saw sea lions, seals, a porpoise, and a pod of four killer whales. Luke shared plenty of interesting info and made us feel safe the whole time (important for young kids).

I can’t say enough about how wonderful my experience was! Drove from Ottawa for this. Watched Orcas hunting and so much more! My guide was the best!!

This was a wonderful experience which exceeded my expectations. We saw 2 beautiful humpback whales from a good distance (bearing in mind it is not good practice to get too close). We were close enough to hear as well as see them spouting and got wonderful sightings of their flukes as they dived periodically. A sight which inspired the awe and wonder you might imagine. We also saw orcas, seals and sea lions and bald eagles. All this against the beautiful backdrop of snow covered mountains in Washington state. Our guide and skipper was Luke who is a local to Victoria, born and raised, and very friendly, knowledgeable and fun. I should add that speeding between locations in the zodiac was lots of fun. The survival suits which were provided, kept us warm and snug, but also looked hilarious on everyone who wore them, so that gave us all a laugh as well. Highly recommended - thank you!

Excursion was great- saw lots of whale action. Naturalist was good right up until she discredited the bible about the story of Jonah and the whale, which was totally unnecessary. She actually used foul language when saying the story was untrue. Serval people on board were offended by her comments. My advice is ...Next time keep your non-religious remarks out of the commentary. Would I recommend Orca Spirit for whale watching? Yes I would. Just be aware that some of the staff is super liberal and you may get offended by her comments.

WOW! What an amazing experience! This was the best part of our trip to the West Coast. The day of the tour we had experienced a couple of unfortunate setbacks but the team at Orca Spirit stepped up to the plate to ensure we didn't miss out on this experience! Liam (I think) and Ryan were our guides and we're friendly, knowledgeable and attentive! The ladies at the desk were top notch as well! On our tour we followed a pod of Orcas for about 20 minutes and were filled in on the family structure of this particular pod. They know all of the pods by look. This was amazing and would have been more than enough for the price of admission but there is more. We moved on from the Orca pod in search of some humpbacks and boy did we find them! What I am trying to say is we saw a full double breach!!!! Talk about a once in a lifetime memory, we were in awe! All of this is to say that if you are thinking about doing something like this please be sure to book your tour with Orca Spirit Adventures in Victoria BC !!! You will not be disappointed!!!

It was excellent. Crew was super friendly and knowledgeable. Jake great photographer shared photos!!! Saw Or as and they swam under boat!!! Best day ever. Also saw humpbacks and sea lions. Beautiful lighthouse. A fabulous trip would do it again.

My wife and I booked the Eagle watching tour through our cruise ship. This company was great and I would recommend them to anyone. The crew was real knowledgeable on the animals and were able to answer all questions. We saw many whales while we were out, one of the crew members took pictures and sent us some amazing pictures.

What an absolutely amazing time we had, from the thrilling Zodiac ride to seeing a number of Orca whale's from a respectful distance. Our guide on the day was fantastic she kept us out late so we could enjoy the encounter. On the way back we were also lucky enough to encounter 3 Humpbacked whales. Would definitely recommend this trip. If we had anymore time we would go again.

We chose Orca Spirit Adventures Whale Watching because of their ‘sustainability’ track record and this was demonstrated out on the water with great respect for the wildlife. We had a great tour west of Victoria with our guide Shannon with good sightings of humpback whales feeding close to shore. Shannon was very knowledgeable, witty and informative about the wildlife and locality of the East Sook coastline. Our tour finished with time viewing the lighthouse sealion colony providing a perfect end.

We had lucky Sunday! The Zodiac took us already out on a fantastic boatride experience towards an area where marine mammals were spotted. And there it just happened that we got lucky to see spot of killer whales, fantastic! The guide was extremely informative, cautious about not getting to close and very enthusiastic about his job. Later the orcas even gave us a show, unbelievable! And just before we wanted to take off we were treated with a beautiful humpback whale further out. It was literally our lucky Sunday afternoon! Nobody could get the smiles from our faces on the fabulous boat ride back to Victoria!

This tour was so fun! The staff was knowledgeable and eager to answer any questions. They created a safe environment with space to roam, guests could also stay warm inside. Would recommend 1000%

This was the experience of a lifetime!! I never could have dreamed I would see a breaching Orca and a humpback whale feeding right next to our boat in the same trip, let alone in my lifetime! Thank you to the crew for extending our trip to make sure we got to experience all of this and thank you to Briar for sharing these fabulous photos!

My wife and I have taken many excursions while vacationing, but this experience with Orca Spirit was the BEST EVER!! What made it so great was the passion, knowledge and genuine excitement of the crew - specifically BRIAR and JAKE. And the whale watching experience itself was incredible and unique. Thank you BRIAR and JAKE. YOU made this excursion so special. We highly recommend this company!

We booked this tour through Royal Caribbean and it was great. The naturalist on board, Briar, was super knowledgeable. Saw a killer whale. Overall a great experience.

We had an awesome time. We saw a few humpback whales and sea lions. The boat driver did a great job maneuvering so we could get good views. The naturalists on board were very knowledgeable and pleasant.

We had a wonderfull and impressive experience with Orca Spirit and guide/captain Shannon. After a 20 min ride in the very stable zodiac we already spotted our first Humpback Whale. Shannon gave explanation about the whales and the environment. The next two hours were truly amazing! We saw over 10 humpback whales all over the place! We did not know where to look because of this amazing experience. Our 16, 14 and 11 year old were so enthousiastic end impressed! Thank you Shannon for this!

We had a wonderful trip and saw 5 or 6 humpback whales as well as many sea lions and seals. The naturalist Liam on board was very knowledgeable and took pictures which were shared with us so that we didn’t have to fumble with cameras and could enjoy the experience. I would not have had such great pics if not for him with his zoom camera. The customer service from this company is excellent.

I booked a tour at 6PM but was the only one for that time and they asked if I wanted to join the tour at 5PM. It was late when I saw the mail but they arrenged a taxi to pick me up at my hotel and bring me to the start point. The tour was a very nice experience. We saw 4 killer whales and a humpback whale. T-The guide provided a lot of information about the environment and the animals. I thought it was a shame that it was all from quite a distance, but I understand.

I saw three whales! The guide was so passionate, one of the most beautiful experiences ever.Thanks to the guide, I also discovered a lot of information about the area.

My husband and I had an amazing trip with Orca Spirit Adventures. We were able to see so many Orcas, humpback whales, porpoises, sea lions. Shannon our vessel captain was extremely informative. The zodiac was so much fun. I can’t wait to go again. Not many pictures as we just sat and watched the experience. Next time I might bring binoculars to see a little closer as you have to keep a safe distance for the whales safety as well as your own.

We had an amazing afternoon with Skipper "G". We were traveling with our two daughters and their families (with 4 grandchildren). We were able to see orcas, humpbacks, jumping fish (very strange), harbor seals and many types of birds. Skipper "G" went out of his way to make our viewing special, especially for our grandchildren. I can't recommend them high enough! Amazing trip!!

We had a beautiful day and were lucky enough to encounter both Humpback whales and Orcas. Ryan, Bree and the Captain were great at making sure we saw them and gave us great info about their differences in the water.

8/7 2025 we got a wonderful experience to joint ORCA spirit adventures whales watching, just expect saw ORCA whales, the big surprise was the last minute a humpback whale through under our board. what a wonderful day! the whole trip with nice crews explained the very clear information and knowledge about the whales. the most exciting event was we saw two seal fighting each other in front of ORCA spirit adventures whale watching over 40 mins.......

Our family of 10 thoroughly enjoyed our time. Captain Phoenix was a very skilled , energetic and engaging captain . The office staff were very friendly, professional and accommodating. We were blessed to see 16 humpback whales- so it was a wonderful time out on the water it was a fantastic family adventure.

We did a 6pm zodiac tour and had a great time with Victoria. She was very knowledgable, friendly and was an excellent zodiac pilot. We saw a beautiful pod of Orcas and enjoyed watching them ( and learning about them) for a while before having to head back a little early due to Tsunami warnings after an earthquake in Russia. Safety first. We at no time felt worried or in danger. Definitely book here. I have no photos because I wanted to enjoy the experience in the moment.

A very unique experience. Extremely good guides, who know everything about whales. Highly recommended !! Rally worth its price !

Although the sea was rough, we had a great time with ‘Skipper G’ and came home much more knowledgeable. Alongside birds and seals, we encountered two pods of orcas. There were several boats around them, and after we’d seen them twice, Skipper G made the call not to disturb them further, so we sailed away. To us, that says a lot about the company’s values. Thank you for giving us lasting memories while at the same time respecting the beautiful and fascinating wildlife around Vancouver Island!

Signed up for this trip specifically because it was a huge boat. When we got there, they switched us to a much smaller boat. The seas were quite rough and I got seasick. They should make it very obvious on the website when you sign up that they may switch it to a smaller boat if they don’t get enough people for the larger boat. I would have signed up with a different whale watch company with a bigger boat

Very good trip . We saw 5 different whales & sea lions . Make sure to you dress warmly & take a waterproof coat as the boat we went in the waves come over the sides if you wete sitting outside .

This was a dream come true, especially for my brother who was visiting from Germany. Seeing transient orcas, humpback whales, stellar sealions and many species of birds 🦅 was an incredible experience. Our captain Ed was always in the perfect position for excellent viewing and our two naturalists Bella and Courtney were fun, knowledgeable and helpful. The trip from dealing with office staff all the way to the finish line was better than expected. Highly recommend Orca Spirit!!

Had a great trip with the family and saw exactly what we were hoping for in Beecher Bay….. Humpbacks and Orcas- awesome experience. The crew were so knowledgeable and friendly, which was ‘the icing on the cake’. Nice photos, taken by Amanda, were also sent to everyone. Thanks to all involved.

I had an incredible whale watching trip with Josh as our guide! We were lucky enough to see majestic orcas swimming gracefully alongside the boat, an unforgettable experience. As a bonus, we spotted a playful stellar sea lion and a charming harbor seal, which added to the excitement of the day. Josh's knowledge and enthusiasm made the trip even more enjoyable; I can't recommend this adventure enough!

Our guide Luke was amazing, incredibly friendly and a skilled navigator in the waters. We did encounter two beautiful pods of orcas which made it all worth it. Just be mindful the zodiac tour is not completely as described. You will get tossed around and soaked; going so fast it’s hard to see anything. Be especially mindful as even in good physical health you will likely wake up sore the next day and be cautious with teens/children as this may be too much for them. More adventure experience than wildlife tour; if it’s whales you come for, do a cabin tour, or to be more sustainable view whales from shore as the hearding of boats around the whales is considered one of the reasons they don’t visit as frequently.

Amazing Orca photos! Staff was attentive, informative and provided a safe experience. We had terrific weather and lovely views.

Amazing trip with Capt. Ed and his crew! really enjoyed every minute of it! Watching whales from a distance was a great experience and we were lucky to see two different species of whales!

Well planed and executed - and best was that we saw a relatively group of Humpbacks and seversl groups of Killers. The whole crew - Gord, Ed, Martin, Jack and Liam gave us an excellent tour - and thanks to Liam for sharing the excellent series of photoes.

We took this amazing trip into the Pacific with Orca Spirit Adventures Whale Watching on 25th June. We started at sharp 10 am and ended the trip at 1 pm. It was amazing and a fantastic trip. We watched a lot of whales and Jake (our guide) took a lot of pictures of these whales deep in the ocean with his 600mm lens and was kind enough to share those pictures as well. The whole trip is quite pricy/expensive for sure but again one does not go to these trips quite often. Some of the downsides of this trip was: a) too many hidden costs (which are itemized when the ticket is printed) other than GST and PST. Some of them are: fuel surcharge, conservation fees. Unfortunately it is the customer who ends up paying for these b) our original trip was on the 24th June for 2 pm. As we were driving to the Tsawwassen Bay terminal at the last minute the office called up and told us that they were cancelling the trip due to lack of interest from others. I found this a bit strange because these trips go full house and find it hard to believe that they were unable to sell all their tickets. We had to go back to Vancouver from the ferry terminal as their last minute call threw things out of gear. I wish they had informed us one day in advance as not everyone lives in Victoria. Other than these two unpleasant surprises everything else was numero uno.

Amazing views and whale encounters. Very experienced and informative naturalist crew. The entire experience was unforgettable and the complementary photos meant we could be in the moment. A highlight of our trip and highly recommended.

My family had the best time and saw so many whales! I would definitely go again with this company because they really took care of us.

What a wonderful experience. Learned such a lot from Amanda and Liam, and captains Gordon, Martin and Ed. So knowledgeable and enthusiastic and explained all about the Wales we saw, both humpback and Killer. Thank you all so much.

Captain and deckhands were amazingly nice, lots of fun and interesting facts during the tour. We saw whales and orcas so it was a big party on the boat!

We had the full whale watching experience- plus! A call for help, a well coordinated rescue by the Coast Guard and a group of whale watchers that diligently tried to help. The crew on board were stellar and Scuttle was cooperative with showing off his beauty. Thank you for the beautiful experience.

Captain Ed, Amanda and Olivia were excellent explaining everything we were seeing. The weather was awful, but we were still able to see some wildlife.

It was amazing and the guide(Taylor) was very informative and nice. I totally recommend this company! The wetsuits were keeping us warm und dry.