My Husband daughter (17) and myself will be in Vancouver Early August and wondered if anyone could recommend a particular company that we could use to go whale watching.
Also we awnt to go to Victoria vai seaplane so any recommendations would be great.
Thanks
Vancouver Whale watching
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I visited Vancouver in 2003 and used Vancouver Whale Watch (I opted for the Zodiac boat which I think is a MUCH MORE AWESOME experience.)
We were on the water a long time and it was worth every penny! They are a very professional and Eco-friendly company and I highly recommend them. - I have such great memories! When whales are close by, they turn the motor off and the curious whales came so close to us! There were whales diving in and out of the water practically right in front of us! - That experience was one of the best of my life ... so much so that I am doing it again this Summer. I would definitely use Vancouver Whale Watch again, but I am also spending a week in Victoria and it fits my schedule better to go whale watching from there.
You will LOVE it! It really is an experience of a lifetime. (FYI - you see A LOT more than just whales. I loved seeing the rock covered with a colony of sun-bathing sea lions. I think we passed a really pretty lighthouse too)
http://www.vancouverwhalewatch.com/
Why not go whale watching while you're in Victoria? I believe the companies that operate out of Vancouver have to go over towards Victoria anyway (to see the pods that are resident in and around the San Juan Islands), so you'll just spend more time on the boat if you go out of Vancouver.
I know Harbour Air has flights from Vancouver to Victoria--not sure if there are other companies.
Can I just add something...
When I went to Boston I also went whale watching - but it was very different. It was a big harbor ferry and once we left Boston Harbor, there was NOTHING to see. We were on the boat A LONG TIME before we saw a "whale." By the time we saw a fin sticking out of the water it was time to head back! It was a 4 hour waste of time. I was so disappointed!!
But in Vancouver, on a 12 passenger zodiac the time flies by. It is exciting and exhilarating!
I will be going out from Victoria this year because of my schedule ... but there is nothing wrong with going from Vancouver.
NWWanderer has a very valid point though. (Some people don't like to be on the water for so long) Victoria has many nice whale watch companies as well, so that may be an option if you are planning on spending more than 1 day there. (If it is just a short trip though, it would be better to just reserve your time for sight seeing)
Thanks for the advice , really looking forward to it.
We went whale watching from Victoria 3 weeks ago = we saw J pod and you spemd more time with them when using a Victoria company as J pod are usually half an hour away - we used Naturally Salty - a two man band - very friendly and we got the impression that you were giving them the money not some faceless orgisation - they were also very environmentally aware