Whales and orcas watching excursion departing from Victoria
- cam.campo
- Jul 8
- 4 min read
Located in the south of Vancouver Island, Victoria — the capital of British Columbia — is a city where life is good. This charming port city with British flair makes for a pleasant stopover for one or two days. After a short visit of the town, don’t miss the must-do activity: a boat tour to observe whales and orcas in their natural habitat.
For this excursion, we booked our tour with Prince of Whales, the whale watching experts who have received multiple awards on TripAdvisor — and we totally agree with the reviews. The tour was incredible and is now one of our favorite memories from our stay on Vancouver Island. Prince of Whales offers several types of excursions departing from Victoria (and also from Vancouver), which we’ll detail at the end of this article. We personally chose the classic 3-hour catamaran tour.
We boarded the catamaran at 9:30 a.m., where a very friendly crew welcomed us and explained the safety rules and how the tour would unfold. The explanations were, of course, in English, but digital guides are available in French and other languages (though we didn’t test them ourselves).
One important note is mentioned right from the start: these are wild animals, and there’s never a 100% guarantee of spotting them — although it’s quite rare not to see any.
Comfortably seated on the open upper deck, we began the cruise by taking in the sights of Victoria’s harbor, the Ship Point Wharf, and watching the city fade into the distance. Then it was time to keep our eyes open in search of orcas, whales, and birds.
Orcas near the Port Angeles
After about 50 minutes, there they were! Black dorsal fins appeared in the distance in a small harbor called Port Angeles, a tiny U.S. port near the Canadian border. The catamaran slowly approached, and the crew helped us spot the orcas. We could see them more and more clearly. It was incredible! I didn’t imagine they’d be that big — or come so close to the shore! The scenery was breathtaking too, with the snow-capped peaks of Olympic National Park in the background. Truly a feast for the eyes!
The crew, who also serve as guides, provided us with lots of fascinating information about orcas — their way of life and how to identify them. They even maintain a family tree of the local orcas, based on their dorsal fins and the shapes of their white patches. We were especially lucky to witness a meeting between two orca families trying to mate their offspring. The future orca mother will give birth in about 18 months — far from the father, as orcas return to their respective families after mating.
Humpback whales – the acrobats of the sea
After spending a good half-hour observing the orcas, we sailed off again in search of whales.
We took this moment to warm up on the lower deck and enjoy the hot drinks offered for free by Prince of Whales.
Soon, the crew announced we were approaching whales. This time, we decided to head outside on the lower deck for a new point of view. One of the great things about the catamaran is that, thanks to its size, you can choose from three different vantage points to best admire the marine mammals.
There they were! In the distance, we saw little water spouts — humpback whales! Two of them! One of them swam on her back, almost as if she were waving at us. She dove, then suddenly leapt out of the water, twisting as she landed on her back. It was absolutely magical!
The guides explained that after swimming on their backs, humpbacks dive to gain speed and then leap 2 to 3 times before swimming normally again. So we waited for the second jump. Wow — there it was! The boat slowly got closer. It was truly awe-inspiring — not just their size, but also the thunderous splash as they hit the water. I had goosebumps! For the humpbacks as well, Prince of Whales maintains a genealogical chart you can consult during the tour. We’re really lucky to have come across this acrobatic whale, as repeated jumps like the ones we witnessed are quite rare.
At the end of the cruise, the company marks on a map the species you observed and where you saw them. The crew also takes professional photos of the animals, which are sent to you for free in the days following the excursion.
Why choose Prince of Whales for your whale and orca watching tour?
The real highlights of a tour with Prince of Whales:
Friendly, knowledgeable staff
Commentary from marine life experts
360° visibility from multiple decks
Free hot drinks during the cruise
Free professional photos of your experience
A 3-hour tour from Victoria for CAD $179 per person
Prince of Whales also offers two other types of excursions from Victoria:
Zodiac whale and orca watching tour – Approximately 3 hours for CAD $189 per person.
Private Zodiac whale and orca watching tour – Approximately 3 hours for CAD $1,900 per boat. The Zodiac can accommodate up to 12 people.
These catamaran and Zodiac tours are also offered departing from Vancouver and Telegraph Cove.
For all of these excursions, and even though hot drinks are offered on the catamaran, make sure to bring warm clothing, as it gets very cold out at sea!
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