Sea Otter and Whale Watching Tour on Northern Vancouver Island
Description
Experience an exciting wilderness experiences rooted in the culturally rich territories of the Kwakwaka’wakw people. Hop aboard our rigid hull inflatable (RHIB) wildlife viewing boat with shock mitigating seats and explore the diverse wildlife of British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest, on the wild West Coast of Canada. Departing from Port Hardy, we spend the day searching for and viewing sea otters, humpback whales, orcas, Dall’s porpoises, Pacific white-side dolphins, Steller sea lions, bald eagles and a multitude of sea birds. Our signature 5 ½ to 6 hour tour showcases the unparalleled waters of northern Vancouver Island. The speed of our vessel allows us to cover a large area and provides us with greater opportunities to see as much wildlife as possible. We may not see all the above animals on every trip but our guides are well acquainted with the local waters and the best places to see wildlife.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Travelling thorough the waters of the the Kwakwaka’wakw we are on the lookout for wildlife in the water, on land, and in the air.
Explore the wildlife rich waters, islands and shores off northern Vancouver Island. Search for sea otters, humpback whales, orcas, porpoises, sea lions, bald eagles and a multitude of sea birds.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Lunch and drinks are provided. Gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and vegan can be accommodated with at least 24 hours notice. Please note dietary restrictions in the special requirements field when booking.
- Please arrive at Coastal Rainforest Safaris' office half an hour before your tour's departure time to be outfitted for floatation suits and sign a waiver.
Reviews(67)
Awesome trip with well informed staff- very knowledgeable re marine mammals and bird life. Also well versed in culture: heritage/ local history
This was an absolutely lovely trip. AJ was very knowledgable and explained so much to us. A lovely happy man obviously loving his job. The other employees were all very helpful and friendly too. We saw humpback whales, orcas, otters, star fish, sea lions, eagles and jumping salmon! Lunch was exceptional, tasty and fresh. Dress warmly although the gear supplied keeps you very warm.
we were picked up by a very nice crew who explained everything to us and were willing to help with our gear. Our two guides were very approachable and gave us a lot of information, taking into account what we wanted to see. Our lunch was excellent, even my son’s veganism was taken care of. We had a really great time, seeing a lot of orcas, sea lions, birds, and otters.
Great tour + guides. Everything was organized well.
That was amazing, breathtaking, ...in one word : waauuw. We had a very warm welcome at the office where we met our two hosts for the day : the boatdriver / guide and first nation speaker. Two amazing guides with a lot of knowledge. The fun already started when we left the harbour and had the harbour porpoises jumping in the bow wave. We saw the whales feeding - you know with the huge mouth open at the surface, closing and diving, the sea otters, the harbour seals, sea lions, the fishing bald eagles and the orca's. Yes we saw the complete package. And this nature story was interspersed with stories about the story and history of the first nations and the settlements on the islands: what not could be seen was documented with pictures.And that makes this trip so good : it's the combo of both worlds you may not miss. We had an excellent lunch on board. The only drawback, you're outside and it rained for 4,5 hours of the 6 hours. But franly speaking, if the guides would have asked, ... "continue for another hour" i would have said yes in a split second. Higly recommended.
Fabulous ttip and one of our best family experiences. Friendly, well run, great boat and kit. We saw orcas hunting, humpback whales,sea otters, eagles and porpoises. Great lunch too!
Just Wow! Absolutely stunning! A truly comfortable, small and safe, super speedy, rib boat where suitable floatation clothing was provided. We had the entire, idyllic, route to ourselves with epic mountains and trees as our backdrop. AJ our Captain and Tyler our naturalist were completely outstanding, ensuring we didnt miss a thing and educating us on the amazing wildlife and First Nations history around the area. We saw countless sea otters (including pups) eagles with juveniles feeding off a giant bait ball and humpbacks (including Hook and her calf) breaching and blowing together. These were just the highlights, porpoises, seals and sealions were also on route and even lunch was a delicious, sustainably packaged, treat - the hot chocolate to die for! We thought long and hard about booking this (and the rest our north island package), maybe because of cost or because of the distance to Port Hardy, but we genuinely couldnt have been more delighted with our experience, completely the right choice - joyous, humbling and truly outstanding! Thank you
Cannot overstate what an amazing and special experience this was. AJ and Tyler took great care of us all and their thoughtful and knowledgeable sharing enriched the experience of being in such a wild and beautiful place. Of the four local wildlife tours we have taken on our holiday this was by far the best, if we could give it more than 5 stars we would! Humpbacks trap feeding, Dall’s porpoise, otters, seals, sea lions fighting and last but not least as we were hunkered down in the rain on the way back to dock - Orca.
Wonderful day on the boat with experienced guides, seeing incredible nature. Our guides knew where to spot bald eagles, sea otters, and whales. Impromptu sightings of dolphins and a stop on the return for Orcas. Our guides were also so kind, friendly, and knowledgeable about First Nations, sharing from a personal, authentic place that made this experience even better. I would highly recommend.
Excellent whale watching and otter trip with Andrew, who is a truly knowledgeable guide and great company. It was a shame the original seabirding trip had to be cancelled because of winds and swell in previous days: the boat is very good for whale watching around sheltered islands and bays, but by no means a deep-sea ocean vessel, so seabirding trips have a significant likelihood of being cancelled. (The 20 June 2026 and at least one 2025 seabirding were cancelled for example).
