4.9 · 339 reviews
R3218OLsandrat
January 2024
Absolutely fabulous from the start, our tour guide, was so passionate and knowledgeable. The trip was the realisation of a lifetimes, dream. A gift from family, the memories I have and the photos are something I will cherish forever.
elizabethvO4838IW
October 2023
My friend and I recently took a boat-tour on October 12, 2023. We absolutely loved our experience! We were able to see humpback whales, sea lions and seals. The best part was, there were only about thirty minutes left on the boat-tour, we thought we had missed our opportunity to see orcas, but Captain Simon really tried to find some! We hear "it's not over until it's over" a transient orca appeared! Captain Simon kindly took an extra hour for us to admire the beautiful lone male orca. This moment will be engraved in my memory and I would like to thank him! I realized one of my biggest dreams of seeing a wild orca. A big thank-you :)
Tania L
September 2023
Very disappointed and agree with the previous reviewer, David H. We know whales are hard to find but we spent 3.5 hours travelling and less than 30 minutes anywhere near any whales which were too far away to see properly. We didn’t get anywhere near the safe recommended distance and certainly didn’t get close enough to take any photos. My husband took a few with his long lens but even they are really disappointing. We felt the female captain didn’t stay where the whales were for more than 5 minutes before moving on with no attempt to give us a good experience - why move on when that’s what we were there for? - and then our boat broke down so we limped along for 30 minutes to where the orca were. I’d estimate we were 500 yards away at the closest so we couldn’t see them properly either. We had to transfer to the second boat where we were all squashed together for the return journey. We know engine failure can happen but there was no apology and nobody from the company even seemed bothered that the trip turned out to be a bust which is pretty poor. Everyone on the boat on the return journey was quiet and subdued as we were all disappointed. When you wait your whole life to see orca but have a bad experience like this then it’s such a letdown, we were so disappointed. Worst whale watching trip we’ve been on.
davidhlavacek
September 2023
My fiancée and I took a morning whale watching tour on 9/20/2023 on the Sonic vessel. We traveled about 2 hours south of Victoria where we finally reached the humpback whales, but spent little time with them. After about 5-10 minutes the female captain, who told us that she had known these particular whales for 15 years, was apparently not very interested in seeing these "known" whales again and to our surprise left the area quickly without us being able to really see such whales (only a few second glimpses). As we were leaving, one of the ship's engines broke down. We were heading in the direction where the orcas were supposed to be, but due to the engine failure it took us forever to reach the orcas, while other boats were there at least 15-20 minutes earlier than us. Once we reached the orcas, we only watched them for a short time (5-10 minutes) and then the captain said we had to leave and transfer to another boat - everyone from the Sonic boat was transferred to another boat with a capacity of 12 people, while there were about 20 people in total. Some people, including elderly people, sat on the floor for more than 1 hour during the bumpy and freezing ride back to Cowichan Bay. What was most ridiculous, the staff acted as if nothing happened - the female captain (can't remember her name) also made a stupid and childish joke by saying to the crowd - "what have we learned today? never buy a boat.. hahaha". Great joke for nearly CAD 400. No apology, no attempt at compensation. In the past we have done over 10 whale watching trips around the world and this was by far the worst experience.
DaphneandGreg
September 2023
Jane was at the helm for our trip and she made the experience so memorable. We had a glorious 4 hour trip, leaving fromFrench Creek and up the Strait of Georgia, the weather was wonderful, the seas, relatively calm and the views amazing. We saw a pod of 3 humpbacks initially and then moved further on and saw a mother and her calf. The calf was inquisitive and came close to the zodiac and then they both put on a show for us, truly spectacular and would thoroughly recommend Ocean EcoVentures for your whale watching experience.
ANASTASIA_P
September 2023
I went with my 2 daughters 18 & 14 years old. It was very well organized trip, our guide gave us so much information. The best part was when hump Whales were jumping and playing in front of us
Malcolm_K
September 2023
Seeing and tracking the orcas, seeing the seals. The Captain was very informative and had many stories to tell. Highly recommend 👌
Heather s
August 2023
We had an amazing trip- we left at 5 pm and saw many whales that included several pods for a celebration. We saw them breach, spy hop, and work together to have a meal. It was truly incredible! On the return home, we were treated to the majestic colors of sunset, a porpoise, and an amazingly full moon. The captain was very knowledgeable about the whales and provided lots of information. The boat is small and holds 12 people. I recommend this whale watching outfit!
Simon_T
July 2023
A very enjoyable blast in a fast boat. Got a very good, close look at a humpback whale, and saw some seals and eagles.
Y6158QRjennyk
July 2023
We had an awesome experience on this tour! The sun was out (early July) but it wasn't too hot and the water was very calm. Everything was organized and as advertised. Just being out on the water was really enjoyable. We got lucky and saw two different pods of orcas, porpoises, all kinds of birds and some jellyfish. Our guide, Nick, was knowledgable and seemed very connected to the wildlife and surrounding area. Overall made our trip to Vancouver Island a memorable experience! (side note - I didn't bring my sunglasses for some reason and the visor I had was very flimsy. I would recommend bringing something to block the sun from your eyes.)
sheilaa274
June 2023
Saw a whole pod of whales. So much activity, talking, splashing, singing! It was an absolutely amazing experience. Mind you, the captain reminded us this was not typical behaviour so we felt very lucky to have witnessed it all!
Jorick_S
June 2023
It was really awesome. The captain and co-captain really knew how to spot the wildlife and were clearly passionate and well informed about them, sharing facts along the way. 10/10 would visit again!
Alena_S
May 2023
Super fun, educational, and friendly trip! Our guide was great to speak to and learn from. Would definitely do this again if I’m ever lucky enough to come to CA again in the future.
LeeAnn N
May 2023
Captain Simon gave us a great day! We saw both Orcas and humpbacks as well as many other wildlife. Two of us have back issues and the boat seats were very comfortable. The scenery was amazing. The company’s philosophy on eco management is commendable.
MBain
September 2022
We had an excellent trip with Ocean Ecoventures. We had Tax as our captain, who was brilliant. The information she was able to give us really enhanced our trip and her ability to identify each whale activity was amazing. We were fortunate enough to see 8 humpbacks on our trip and being able to spend time watching them, listening to them and even smelling their breath is a memory that will last. Would thoroughly recommend this trip.
lisambrandt1
September 2022
We had a great time and were overjoyed to be surrounded by humpback whales! Captain Shaun obviously loves the whales because his excitement was as great as our own. We weren't able to find a pod of orcas from earlier in the day but speaking for my friend and me, we weren't disappointed. That's nature for you!
Gerald_G
August 2022
We travelled to the island for a family vacation in July. We were very pleased to be a part of this tour. Our tour guide Lauren was very knowledgeable and informative. He really took his time explaining whales and their mannerisms to us. We seen humpback whales jumping out of the water, harbor seals, bald eagles and the most random goats on a lone island. It was a blast. I would highly recommend a tour with this company.
Simon B
August 2022
A really professional outfit ,our skipper Taz was a bona fide whale nut and a very good helm. Went on an evening cruise and saw a family of orca in very calm sea conditions . Added bonuses were harbour seals and a rhinoceros auklet with its mouth stuffed full of fish . Don’t expect to get too close because this outfit are very respectful of the whales’ space . Take binoculars and a long lens for photos . The RIB ( called Sonic) was super fast and covets great distances quickly but is surprisingly unbumpy We were also lucky enough to get the most stupendous sunset
564saskian
August 2022
First time seeing orcas and it was amazing; we were able to watch a family of four orcas demonstrate hunting behaviours which was very cool as well as see bald Eagles and harbour seals. Captain Jane was very kind and knowledgeable and even though I was white knuckling it a bit in the speedy zodiac she made us feel very safe. Overall, definitely recommend!
Melanie O
July 2022
Friendly and helpful staff. Captain was knowledgeable and confident. We saw 2 orcas and 3 humpbacks. Wish we could have gotten closer, but they are respectful of the wildlife, and we loved that about them. Stopped to see some birds and seals as well. Beautiful day on the water.

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