This post is also available in: 
Nederlands
If you’re visiting Vancouver during your trip to the Canadian Rockies you should definitely book a tour to go whale watching.
It’s one of the best things to do in British Columbia and an incredible activity.
Seeing a whale in its natural habitat is an indescribable feeling and a once in a lifetime experience. The most common types of whales to watch out for around Vancouver Island include resident and transient Orcas, humpback whales, and Pacific gray whales
In this guide I will give you a full review of our whale watching experience from Vancouver.
The Ultimate Guide To Whale Watching From Vancouver
The city of Vancouver will most likely be the starting point or end of your holiday in Canada (or both). We both started and ended our road trip through the Canadian Rockies in Vancouver. And what better way to end this incredible holiday than to end it with a whale watching tour.
We already had an incredible experience in Iceland seeing whales up close for the very first time. But in Vancouver you actually have very high chances of spotting a killer whale (orca).
It’s safe to say we were very excited for our whale watching tour!
🎫 I always book my tours through GetYourGuide due to their free cancellation policy of up to 24 hours before the tour starts.
🐳 This is the exact whale watching tour from Vancouver that we booked – Vancouver, BC: Whale Watching Tour
Which whales can be found in Vancouver?
There is a great variety of whales that make their way along Vancouver’s coastline. You can expect to see killer whales, humpback whales, grey whales and mink whales, depending on the time of year.
But besides whales you can also spot a variety of other sea- and wildlife such as dolphins, seals and we even saw two bald eagles sitting high up in a tree!
When is the best time to go whale watching in Vancouver
The best time to see whales in Vancouver depends on which type of whale you’re hoping to see.
Here’s when you should go whale watching in Vancouver, depending on the type of whale you’re wanting to see:
Killer Whales (Orcas) – The best time to see an Orca in Vancouver is between May and October. This is when they return to the Vancouver area to feed on all of the fresh salmon. They are pretty used to human activity and aren’t afraid to reveal themselves.
Humpback Whales – They can be spotted in the area all year round but you’ll have the highest chance of seeing one between April and November. Due to their size and colour they are also fairly easy to spot.
Grey Whales – They tend to stay lower underneath the surface which makes it a lot higher to see them. You’ll have the highest chance between January and May.
Mink Whales – Most sightings happen between May and October
🐳 This is the exact whale watching tour from Vancouver that we booked – Vancouver, BC: Whale Watching Tour
What to expect from a whale watching tour from Vancouver
Most whale watching tours that depart from Vancouver will leave from the harbor in Granville Island. This part of the city is easy accessible, especially if you’re staying in Downtown Vancouver.
Most of the whales however reside around the islands around Vancouver Island. This means that you’ll also spend a significant time crossing the ocean looking for the whales. But as an added bonus you’ll also have scenic views over the city.
After a while you’ll leave the city and the mountains behind and you’ll make your way towards Vancouver Island.
🐳 This is the exact whale watching tour from Vancouver that we booked – Vancouver, BC: Whale Watching Tour
Our boat had two levels: one upper deck with several viewing platforms and a lower deck where you could also go inside and get a free hot coco.
Good to know is that it’s an 80-foot covered vessel built for whale watching, and designed to minimize its ecological footprint.
I choose this kind of boat specifically to have the best photography options. I was able to move around freely whereas in a zodiac you’re stuck in the very same spot.
Also this tour guarantees a whale sighting, which means that a tour can last from 3 up to 7 hours in total! The extra comfort of being able to go inside now and then was very welcome.
Our experience on a whale watching tour from Vancouver
We started our whale watching tour from Granville Island and even before the start of the tour we already had an incredibly positive experience. Our tour company offered a pick up service in Downtown Vancouver but since we were with our camper there was just no way we would able to park somewhere.
So the owner sent us all of the bus options and kept in contact with us the entire morning. A short bus ride later we arrived in Downtown Vancouver and he picked us up to drop us off at the harbor in Granville Island.
He even snapped these cute photos of us before we started our tour.
We boarded half an hour later and departed for Vancouver Island. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and a marine biologist who gave a ton of information about the killer whales. He clearly knew what he was talking about.
For years they have been documenting all of the orca sightings around the area and every single one is documented in a book. Each orca has its own serial number and family that it likes to hang out with.
If it’s a group of killer whales that you see it’s usually a mother and her male children. The females go off on their own to start their own family. But the male killer whales always return to their mother.
During our tour we had an incredibly rare sighting. We saw two brothers, completely by themselves, named Flotsam and Jetsam.
I absolutely loved photographing these handsome brothers. But damn, it’s not easy to shoot a sharp photo with a big zoom lens when you’re standing on a boat that’s bopping up and down!
After a while I got the hang of it and I took a ton of photos. About a hundred photos later I put away my camera and simply enjoyed the moment by staring at these magnificent creatures.
I was also pleased to hear that there is a certain “whale watching etiquette” that these boat tours need to follow:
- Don’t get too close
- Never chase a whale
- Don’t cross the path of the animal
This is also one of the main reasons why I consider this an ethical animal encounter.
On our way back to Vancouver we also spotted a herd of seals chilling and two bald eagles sitting high up in a tree.
5 hours later we arrived back at Granville Island, grabbed some food at the local market and walked around the area for a bit.
🐳 This is the exact whale watching tour from Vancouver that we booked – Vancouver, BC: Whale Watching Tour
This was definitely one of the highlights from our trip! Even that we didn’t see an orca breaching from the water. Spotting animals in the wild also includes a ton of luck but I did love all of the effort our tour company put into locating the killer whales!
Leave a Reply