Excellent Trip

“Our extended family was visiting from Calgary, and we did a private semi-covered boat rental for the eleven of us. Our trip was incredible - and our guide and driver were able to find us a variety of wildlife which included lengthy viewings of humpback and orca. Our driver Rodrigo was exceptional at positioning the boat appropriately and anticipating the whales movements, and our guide Brad was very knowledgeable of wildlife in the area. We were lucky to view orca during a hunt as well as the celebration that followed - and we had sole tickets to the show!

The semi-covered boat was awesome for our group which included 4 kids - the kids were warm and safe from the elements the entire time and were able to move around the boat. It was also great to have the viewing platform on the back of the boat for when there were sitings, though the windows in the boat open up and allow for many to clearly view the wildlife.

I’d strongly recommend VIWW based on our incredible experience. If you have a larger group, seriously consider your own private rental, and it is totally worth it (and for us with 11 people, cheaper than booking individually).

Thanks for an unforgettable tour!”

Jon R via TripAdvisor

Great Experience

“Amazing experience. Got to see a variety of wildlife and learned a lot from our guide. Our guides were super friendly, approachable and we appreciated the priority of our tour experience OVER time. I appreciated the conservation education also shared during this tour, especially with my teens on the tour, to initiate and open minds to issues outside of our normal daily living. Thank you and I highly recommend this tour!”

tmanlangit via TripAdvisor

Amazing Experience with Vancouver Island Whale Watch!!!

“We had the amazing and beautiful experience of taking the open boat tour this past October. Val was our Marine Naturalist and was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, displaying a true passion and love for her Job. We got a chance to see two separate pods of Hump Back Whales, and with every surfacing, every blow and every Tail Slap, we were further wrapped up in the shear beauty and amazement that this tour offered. Also having a chance to see Bald Eagles, Seals and Sea Lions, helped to round out this not to be missed experience. Thanks again to all the staff at Vancouver Island Whale Watch and can't wait till we get to be out on the water with you again!!!!”

muskokamike2016 via TripAdvisor

A Wonderful Experience

“What did we like about the tour? .... Obviously seeing the transient orcas (Big Jack and family), the humpbacks (Smiley and Anvil), the seals and the large number of the cormorants, the scenery (the Gulf Islands and the Salish Sea) and the educational commentary that explained what we were observing and experiencing. This was a wonderful experience and highly recommended.”

Brian B via TripAdvisor

Great crew & great sights

“I’ve been whale watching in Victoria before, but this was my first experience whale watching in Nanaimo. We went on the open boat tour and had an absolute blast. Our guide was fun and engaging. Our captain was skilled and professional. The sights were breathtaking and it felt like a personal, private tour experience. Highly recommend, will definitely go again.”

Kelly H via Google Reviews

Dream come true

“The crew of Vancouver Island Whale Watching made my family and my dreams to see aquatic and marine life come true! Their captain is professional and knowledgeable when it comes to sailing us safely to tourist attractions and finding orcas and whales. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about wildlife, sightings, and facts about whales and other marine life. People need to experience this in their vacation at Nanaimo and Vancouver Island.”

Christian V via Google Reviews

Awe of the Coast

“We had such beautiful weather for our whale watching tour. It was at least 4 hours out on the water, but it went fast!! Val and Vanessa were both awesome to have as Captain and Naturalist.
The boat ride alone is literally worth the cost. We are from Ontario and the scenery here is awe inspiring!! 🌲 🏔We saw, Orcas, I forget the names (numbers) of the pod we saw, but awesome nonetheless. We almost saw a humpback Whale, but it wouldn’t cooperate for us .
We saw bald eagles, harbour seals, a porpoise, and again… just amazing scenery!!
I 100% recommended taking this tour. The whole cast and crew of this business are awesome!!
Side note, we took the covered boat tour which was fantastic as we had the shelter of the roof and windows, but when we slowed down to look at sightings we were able to walk out on the back deck and enjoy the sights up close.
Thank you all!!!”

Mike Y via Google Reviews

Exciting zodiac tours

“We had a fabulous afternoon in the open boat, so close to the wild life. The boat felt very safe and was very exhilarating! Our expert was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and friendly. We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”

Allison via Google Reviews

Adventures for All

“My dad and I went on the open boat in August on a gorgeous, sunny, flat-calm 26 degrees day. Dad is in his 80's and just loved the tour. Just being on the water for 4 hours on a stellar west coast day was fantastic enough, but we also got to see a transient orca pod a bit further away(the T099’s, Bella, Holly, Barakat, Puck, and little T099E), and then a humpback called Potamus (close up). Potamus was napping on the surface for about 15 minutes and then woke up and put on a wonderful tail-slapping show for us before diving down for a snack. She must've slapped the water 30-40 times. We all sat there in awe of the power.

We then saw loads of cute seals on the way back, and 2 other transient orcas in the distance (didn't have enough time left in the tour to go check those ones out). Our guide Rebeka was friendly, knowledgeable and really fun! Highly recommend this tour company👏👏”

Jane W via Google Reviews

Amazing birthday adventure

“I went on a whale watch for my birthday and it was a lifechanging experiencing! Our captain had turned the engines off on our boat and a whale came up to us and swam gently under our boat. I never thought I would get to experience such a peacefully and surreal moment with such a giant creature! The naturalist Vanessa was fabulous and the hours flew by as we saw whales, seals, salmon, sea lions, and a variety of birds. This is a great company with an amazing crew. Highly recommend.”

Naomi B via Google Reviews