Whale Watching Vancouver Island

Local Tours

The northern reaches of the Salish Sea that surround Parksville Qualicum Beach are teeming with whales and wildlife. This prolific marine ecosystem supports one of the largest Pacific herring spawning grounds on the British Columbia coast. The Pacific herring is one of the keystone species of the Salish Sea that provides essential nutrients to whales, seals, sea lions, wolves, bears, and sea birds, to name a few. Ocean EcoVentures Whale & Wildlife Adventures offers tours based from the French Creek Marina located half way between Parksville and Qualicum Beach.

While Nanoose Bay's Haida Gold Ocean Adventures (based from Schooner Cove Marina) doesn't specialize in whale watching, it isn't out of the ordinary for guests to see whales as part of one of their fishing, sunset, and picnic cruises.

Campbell River

Many of the whale watching tour companies also offer Black Bear and Grizzly Bear excursions. In just over an hour's drive, you can hop on a Killer Whale watching tour at Campbell River. Campbell River Whale Watching tours let visitors see watching Killer Whales feeding, breaching, hunting, beach rubbing, or playing with each other. You also have the opportunity to see Humpback Whales, Pacific White-Sided Dolphins, and porpoises.

Whale Watching in Tofino & Ucluelet

In a couple of hours, you can see Gray and Humpback whales in Tofino and Ucluelet. Ucluelet and Tofino whale watching tours explore both the sheltered waters of Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds as well as the open ocean with Jamie's Whaling Station & Adventure Centres.