This whale-watching adventure from downtown Vancouver gives you the chance to see whales and other marine life. Hop aboard the 'Salish Sea Dream' our 80-foot flagship catamaran, and keep your eyes peeled from one of several viewing areas.. Learn about the local history and geology from knowledgeable crew on board, and soak up views of the Gulf Islands, San Juan Islands, and Howe Sound.

Half-day whale-watching tour from Vancouver
Board a comfortable vessel equipped with several viewing areas
Explore the waters for sightings of whales, seabirds and other marine life
Gain insight into the local geology and marine life from your crew
Enjoy beautiful views of the Gulf Islands, San Juan Islands and Howe Sound
Choose from several departure times to suit your schedule

What's Included

95-passenger vessel featuring indoor, heated cabin with floor to ceiling windows and open air decks
Captain and expert crew of 3-4 guides/naturalists
Educational materials on board
Complementary tea, coffee & hot chocolate
Two washrooms
Lifetime Whale Sightings Guarantee - return tour from any of our locations until you see whales!
Free photo package of your trip & wildlife, with personal photos of you and your loved ones

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

1666 Duranleau St
1666 Duranleau St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Y1, Canada
Please remember to check-in 30 minutes before your adventure, At 1666 Duranleau st on Granville Island behind Bridges restaurant. We will not hold the boat for late guests.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Fall in love with the beauty of the Gulf Islands, San Juan Islands and Howe Sound on this half-day whale-watching adventure. Informative crew will share their stories and knowledge about the history of the area, industry fun facts and of course, the marine wildlife.

The tour departs from Granville Island, near downtown Vancouver. Step aboard the Salish Sea Dream, a 80-foot catamaran built for whale watching and designed to minimize its ecological footprint.

Have your camera out and ready as you scan the waters for different species of whales, as well as an array of seabirds and other marine life.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, an alternative or full refund will be offered
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Service animals allowed with proper documentation and life jacket
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 95 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

It was a little cold (even in June) so make sure you bring appropriate gear.

Reviews

5.0

1,941 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 1,941 reviews

Great way to spend an afternoon

Lori_B, Nov 2022

The boat ride itself is fun and relaxing. The staff are helpful and friendly. We were able to see Orca, Humpbacks and Sea lions. All in all it was excellent.

Response from Host, Nov 2022

Lori_B, Thank you so much for the review, Lori! We appreciate your kind comments and we're very happy to hear that you had such a successful outing with us :)

Excellent! Knowledgeable. Kind.

Andrea_S, Nov 2022

Everyone was great! The crew were so kind and knowledgeable. They took great care of everyone on the ship.

Response from Host, Nov 2022

Andrea_S, Thank you so much for the great review! We strive to ensure that our guests feel safe and comfortable and are having fun on all of our tour offerings :) We appreciate your kind words and hope to see you again soon.

The best experience prince of whales , whale and wildlife tours

Kevin_K, Nov 2022

Absolutely amazing the crew very knowledgeable captain Ian 1st mate Roman and Stephen Luke Jill we saw harbour seals humpback whales large graphite, strike, dreamer and 6 friends and bird sanctuary would highly recommend something you will never forget

Response from Host, Nov 2022

Kevin_K, Thank you so much for the review! We're so glad that you had a great time and that you were able to remember the humpback whales you encountered -- what an unforgettable day at sea! We hope you'll join us again soon.

Great tour!

HoYeung_C, Oct 2022

Glad to see few whales together, I got sufficient time to take many photos. The explanations of the guides were also very informative.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

HoYeung_C, Woohoo -- we're so glad to hear that you were able to take many photos of the whales! We hope that the photos contain the memories infused from such a successful day at sea. Please join us again in 2023 :)

Another way of exploring Canadian wildlife

susy_k, Oct 2022

It was an exhilarating experience, the guides and captain on board make sure everyone is safe and comfortable. The guides are all very knowledgeable and kind enough to answer all of our questions.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

susy_k, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! We're thrilled to hear that you had such an exhilarating experience onboard our catamaran. We love to share our passion with guests; thank you for being a part of such a special day on the water. We hope we'll see you again soon :)

A day I’ll always remember

Daniel_J, Oct 2022

It was an exceptional experience. The boat is large and comfortable. The crew was knowledgeable and friendly. We saw roughly a dozen humpback whales! Very memorable.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Daniel_J, Thanks for sailing with us and for your review. It is wonderful to hear that the memories you made on board will last a lifetime. The photo package should help to share those memories too. That's a lot of whales! So glad you found the boat comfortable as well. We hope you learned something new and had a relaxing day at sea. Hope to set sail with you again someday!

We saw very quickly two...

Yvonne_L, Oct 2022

We saw very quickly two whales! It is not the perfect time to see whales. The staff was very friendly and explained a lot. The boat is comfortable and fast with a great captain! So we saw further a whale and her calf., a bolt headed american eagle and seelions. It was a great day!

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Yvonne_L, Thanks for joining us, we're so glad to hear you had a great day at sea sighting humpbacks, including a calf! It most certainly is an ideal time to see whales in our wonderful waters, among plenty of other majestic marine wildlife, and all types of birds like bald eagles! We hope you learned something new and made some lasting memories. Hope to sail away with you again someday soon :)

Worth it

Sarah_R, Oct 2022

The staff/crew were all so helpful & knowledgeable & friendly. It was a great experience! Seeing the whales was amazing!

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Sarah_R, Thank you so much for this review! We truly appreciate the feedback and we are thrilled to hear that you had such a great encounter with the whales. We sure hope that you will join us again soon!

Amazing experience

Tim_H, Oct 2022

We were fortunate that we got to see at least six humpbacks up close. More in the distance. It was an overcast day but that did not diminish this amazing experience. The captain did a great job of maneuvering the boat to maximize the experience. The two naturalists (in yellow) did a great job of sharing their knowledge and experiences. Boat was clean and provided ample space for viewings

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Tim_H, Thank you very much for leaving a review! We're glad that you had a great experience despite the weather, and that you felt our captain and crew of naturalists did a great job. We hope you decide to come back again in the future so that we can provide a five star experience!

Great day.

Rachelle_F, Oct 2022

Had a great day out. A rare occurrence of humpbacks circulating the boat. The tour guides/hosts are friendly and helpful.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Rachelle_F, Thank you for your review! We're happy to hear that you had a great day on your tour and that you got to see some humpback whales! We hope you decide to return soon for another wonderful Prince of Whales adventure!

Great whale-watching experience with a wonderful team qon-board!

Jukka_L, Oct 2022

Not only that we saw two types of whales, sealions, seals and eagles, but the crew was fantastic as well! Especially we enjoyed Wilma's guidance throughout the cruise, but as said all crew members were great!

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Jukka_L, Thank you so much for your review! It's fantastic that you got to see two types of whales and some incredible marine wildlife on your tour! We're glad you had a great time, and we hope to see you again soon!

A must do excursion

Brigitte_M, Oct 2022

A must do excursion! We saw Humpback, Orca whales in two different locations and seals. The guides were very good and informative.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Brigitte_M, Thank you so much for taking the time to review your experience! We're so happy that your tour was such a resounding success; your lucky day! We hope to see you again very soon.

Definitely worth the trip

Signe_B, Oct 2022

Amazing and bery nice crew and a gorgeous view - plus we saw a lot of humpback whales, so it was a huge success.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Signe_B, Thank you so much for taking the time to write this wonderful review -- we're so happy that you had such a successful day exploring the Salish Sea with us! We hope that we'll see you again soon for more adventures on the water :)

A Whale of a Time!

Ruth_P, Oct 2022

One of the most beautiful experiences of my life! The humpback whales gave us a show! The crew were top notch and so knowledgeable!

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Ruth_P, Thank you very much for taking the time to write this 5 star review! We're so glad that you had such a great day with us and we hope we'll see you again soon!

Best Whale 🐳 mugging ever

Felicia_M, Oct 2022

The hump back whales decided to give us N unforgettable experience by circling the boat for close to 30 minutes. The crew called it a mugging and it was definitely the best mugging any of us ever experienced. Great vibes on the ship

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Felicia_M, The best mugging imagineable, that's for sure! Thank you so much for joining us on such an unforgettable trip. We hope your next whale watching experience is just as exhilirating :)

Great trip and beautiful...

Bruce_E, Oct 2022

Great trip and beautiful scenery. We saw many orcas. The staff was very knowledgeable and helpful. Thanks

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Bruce_E, Thank you so much for your kind words and for the 5 star review! We appreciate the feedback and we can't say how glad we are to hear that your tour was successful and that you were able to learn a lot from our naturalists.

Beautiful

Antonio_M, Oct 2022

Beautiful views and we saw a variety of sea creatures, love the adventure, a bit cold but well Worth it.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Antonio_M, Thank you so much for your review! We agree with your feedback: it can get chilly, so we highly recommend bundling up in layers to remain comfortable while at sea :) We hope that you'll join us again soon!

Amazing Adventure

Elizabeth_T, Oct 2022

The whole staff was amazing and made the experience absolutely fantastic! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Vancouver area.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Elizabeth_T, Thanks for the five stars! It is great to hear that you enjoyed a fantastic experience on board. We hope you had some awesome sightings and made some lasting memories. Hope to seal you again whale soon!

Wonderful Whale Watching

Roberta_S, Oct 2022

Great staff! Loved the interactions with them and how we were pointed towards the whales and seals. Beautiful photos included with the package.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Roberta_S, Thanks for the five-star review! We are so glad you had a wonderful time sailing with our lovely crew, sighting some majestic marine wildlife. We hope you learned something new about our underwater neighbours. Glad you liked the photos! This is a wonderful way to make those memories last, and perhaps more importantly, to show off to your friends and family! Thanks for being a five-star guest, we would love to sail away with you again soon.

Wonderful experience from...

barbrara_s, Oct 2022

Wonderful experience from the staff to the whales who came up to the boat!! djdnfh wdjdyfbcd idnu s i ws d

Response from Host, Oct 2022

barbrara_s, Thank you for your review! We're happy to hear that you had a great experience on your tour and that you got to see whales! Whale watching is always an incredible experience and we're glad you chose us to take you on a tour. We hope to see you again soon!

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