Explore The Wildlife of Northern Vancouver Island
Explore The Wildlife of Northern Vancouver Island
Private Charters
Book our entire boat for a private tour for your family and friends. For private charters we can accommodate up to twelve passengers.
You can easily book our regular Sea Otter and Whale Watching or Evening Wildlife Viewing tours as a private charter online. If you want to book a charter outside our regularly scheduled tour times please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Private Evening Wildlife Viewing
3 to 3 ½ Hour Tour
$1150 CAD private charter
Private Sea Otter and Whale Watching
5 ½ to 6 Hour Tour
$1925 CAD private charter
Up to 8 passengers are included in the base price. Add $20 per person for each person over 8 passengers to a maximum of 12.
Tour Details
- Minimum age of 8 years old. All passengers 18 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
- Tours depart from Coastal Rainforest Safari’s office at 7185 Market Street in Port Hardy, BC on Northern Vancouver Island.
- Please arrive 30 minutes before the tour’s departure time to be outfitted in floater suits and sign a waiver. At the office, your guide will provide a safety briefing plus an overview of the tour and area we will be exploring. The boat is docked a short one minute walk from our office.
- The open zodiac style vessel has comfortable bench seating and has a small on-board toilet.
- While there is comfortable seating for 12 passengers, our scheduled tours are limited to only eight guests – two people per bench seat so no one needs to sit in the middle. On private charters, you may choose to have as many twelve passengers.
- Zodiac style boats are not suitable for people with a history of back or neck injuries, recent surgery, or are pregnant.
- Please dress warmly. You will be provided with flotation suits, warm hats, and binoculars.
- Plenty of wildlife photography opportunities are available but please do not bring tripods on board.
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Outstanding sea otter and wildlife tour with Coastal Rainforest Safaris! We had a fabulous wildlife tour with Andrew! We saw dozens of sea otters, Dall's porpoises, humpback whales, stellar sea lions, seals, and orcas! Andrew is an excellent and knowledgeable guide, who went the extra mile (many miles, actually!) to locate a large pod of orcas that had been spotted in the area. It was such as bonus to... read moreWe had a fabulous wildlife tour with Andrew! We saw dozens of sea otters, Dall's porpoises, humpback whales, stellar sea lions, seals, and orcas! Andrew is an excellent and knowledgeable guide, who went the extra mile (many miles, actually!) to locate a large pod of orcas that had been spotted in the area. It was such as bonus to see them as part of this tour. Thank you - we heartily recommend this tour! … read less
Deb R. -
Wildlife, Knowledge and Skill!!! Thank you again for the wonderful experience first hand to observe wildlife in their element. Andrew led a wonderful trip and shared his abundant knowledge of the area. We witnessed Sea Otters cleaning, feeding and relaxing with hands behind head, mama Humpback and calf diving deep, showing tail fins again and again, hearing each blow... Many Sheerwater... read moreThank you again for the wonderful experience first hand to observe wildlife in their element. Andrew led a wonderful trip and shared his abundant knowledge of the area. We witnessed Sea Otters cleaning, feeding and relaxing with hands behind head, mama Humpback and calf diving deep, showing tail fins again and again, hearing each blow... Many Sheerwater birds, Rhinosoraus Aucklets, and more, and Stellar Sealions on haul outs! We even had Dalls Porpoise join us at the end. What I loved most was that the animals weren't disturbed by us, that I was super warm in the outfit attire provided by CRS, and the abundance of skill and knowledge by the guide! Can't wait for my next visit!!! This is must up here! read less
Wild R. -
Fun, informative and professional We had a wonderful time today with Andrew our guide, visiting the islands, coves and waters around Port Hardy. Andrew (one of the owners of the company) was a terrific host and guide, as he was very safety oriented, respectful of the wildlife and knowledgeable about the area. We saw Humpback whales, sea otters, sea lions, seals, bald eagles... read moreWe had a wonderful time today with Andrew our guide, visiting the islands, coves and waters around Port Hardy. Andrew (one of the owners of the company) was a terrific host and guide, as he was very safety oriented, respectful of the wildlife and knowledgeable about the area. We saw Humpback whales, sea otters, sea lions, seals, bald eagles and many birds, as well as breathtaking scenery. Lunch was a bonus, with a healthy salad, well made sandwich and home baked cookie, with your choice of hot beverage. This was one of the highlights of our three week Island tour - highly recommend. Great value for the money spent. A shout out to Zoe in the office as well - she was very friendly and helpful. Thanks! … read less
NorthVanPat -
A great tour of local wildlife! I took the 6hr tour from 10-4 and it was great. I don't expect any guides to produce wildlife for guests. I just expect that they put us in a position to see wildlife using their knowledge of the area. In this case our guide fully delivered. We saw a large pod of orcas, sea otters, 5-6 humpback whales, pacific... read moreI took the 6hr tour from 10-4 and it was great. I don't expect any guides to produce wildlife for guests. I just expect that they put us in a position to see wildlife using their knowledge of the area. In this case our guide fully delivered. We saw a large pod of orcas, sea otters, 5-6 humpback whales, pacific white-sided dolphins, bald eagles and a sea lions. Everything you could want in 6hrs. Also very knowledgeable about the indigenous cultures and traditions in the area. The boat ride was really smooth as well and a great lunch was provided. read less
Justin C. -
Spectacular wildlife experience Wow, did this trip deliver! Although the weather did not fully co-operate, we saw 2 black bears, hundreds of sea lions, 20+ sea otters, 2 minke whales, 28 northern resident orcas, 4 humpback whales, and Dall porpoises .
Organization of the trip was very good and their equipment excellent.
Covid-19 practices were also very good.
Spectacular trip!ATL-YVR -
Otters Everywhere!! Our day on the water with guide Tommy Child was amazing - his professionalism, traditional knowledge, and the abundance of wildlife made for an epic day. We set out of Port Hardy in a fog bank but were quickly clear of it and learning about ancient First Nations use of all that the land and waters had to offer.
We were... read moreOur day on the water with guide Tommy Child was amazing - his professionalism, traditional knowledge, and the abundance of wildlife made for an epic day. We set out of Port Hardy in a fog bank but were quickly clear of it and learning about ancient First Nations use of all that the land and waters had to offer.
We were mesmerized by Dall and Harbour porpoises, sea lions, large numbers of sea otters (our main attraction) and we finished off the day being entertained by humpback whales. I really appreciated that Tom ensured that we were leaving ample room between the boat and the animals and at no point did I feel like we were harassing them.
The open zodiac tour was a lot of fun and by providing us all with buffs it ensured that we all wore masks when we weren't able to keep distant from each other. Just a stunning trip that I look forward to taking in again in the future.
I strongly recommend this company. read lessAJWheel -
Exciting!!! This day trip was so much fun! William was able to keep us safe & calm amid rough water while still looking out for mammals for us to see! we were lucky enough to see humpbacks, orcas, otters and more. we appreciated that once we had been around an animal for a bit, we drove off and didn’t overstay... read moreThis day trip was so much fun! William was able to keep us safe & calm amid rough water while still looking out for mammals for us to see! we were lucky enough to see humpbacks, orcas, otters and more. we appreciated that once we had been around an animal for a bit, we drove off and didn’t overstay our welcome. Anna back at the shop was super friendly and helpful. we felt grateful that Andrew, one of the owners, came along and shared his knowledge and stories with us. Special thanks to Zoe, who was absolutely incredible over email and helped me book everything that made our trip special, offering her advice and knowledge along the way. thank you for having us. … read less
Annick K. -
Brilliant day out Had an unbelievable tour with Andrew! We were so fortunate to see a few whales breaching and all the animals we had seen along the way were just amazing! Andrew and his team run these tours incredibly and his genuine love for these tours makes it all the better! I would definitely recommend this tour if your looking for... read moreHad an unbelievable tour with Andrew! We were so fortunate to see a few whales breaching and all the animals we had seen along the way were just amazing! Andrew and his team run these tours incredibly and his genuine love for these tours makes it all the better! I would definitely recommend this tour if your looking for a more detailed and personal adventure. … read less
Christopher C. -
Wildlife, Knowledge and Skill!!! Thank you again for the wonderful experience first hand to observe wildlife in their element. Andrew led a wonderful trip and shared his abundant knowledge of the area. We witnessed Sea Otters cleaning, feeding and relaxing with hands behind head, mama Humpback and calf diving deep, showing tail fins again and again, hearing each blow... Many Sheerwater... read moreThank you again for the wonderful experience first hand to observe wildlife in their element. Andrew led a wonderful trip and shared his abundant knowledge of the area. We witnessed Sea Otters cleaning, feeding and relaxing with hands behind head, mama Humpback and calf diving deep, showing tail fins again and again, hearing each blow... Many Sheerwater birds, Rhinosoraus Aucklets, and more, and Stellar Sealions on haul outs! We even had Dalls Porpoise join us at the end. What I loved most was that the animals weren't disturbed by us, that I was super warm in the outfit attire provided by CRS, and the abundance of skill and knowledge by the guide! Can't wait for my next visit!!! This is must up here! … read less
Wild R. -
Fun, informative and professional We had a wonderful time today with Andrew our guide, visiting the islands, coves and waters around Port Hardy. Andrew (one of the owners of the company) was a terrific host and guide, as he was very safety oriented, respectful of the wildlife and knowledgeable about the area. We saw Humpback whales, sea otters, sea lions, seals, bald eagles and... read moreWe had a wonderful time today with Andrew our guide, visiting the islands, coves and waters around Port Hardy. Andrew (one of the owners of the company) was a terrific host and guide, as he was very safety oriented, respectful of the wildlife and knowledgeable about the area. We saw Humpback whales, sea otters, sea lions, seals, bald eagles and many birds, as well as breathtaking scenery. Lunch was a bonus, with a healthy salad, well made sandwich and home baked cookie, with your choice of hot beverage. This was one of the highlights of our three week Island tour - highly recommend. Great value for the money spent. A shout out to Zoe in the office as well - she was very friendly and helpful. Thanks! read less
NorthVanPat -
Outstanding sea otter and wildlife tour with Coastal Rainforest Safaris! We had a fabulous wildlife tour with Andrew! We saw dozens of sea otters, Dall's porpoises, humpback whales, stellar sea lions, seals, and orcas! Andrew is an excellent and knowledgeable guide, who went the extra mile (many miles, actually!) to locate a large pod of orcas that had been spotted in the area. It was such as bonus to see... read moreWe had a fabulous wildlife tour with Andrew! We saw dozens of sea otters, Dall's porpoises, humpback whales, stellar sea lions, seals, and orcas! Andrew is an excellent and knowledgeable guide, who went the extra mile (many miles, actually!) to locate a large pod of orcas that had been spotted in the area. It was such as bonus to see them as part of this tour. Thank you - we heartily recommend this tour! read less
debr832
Port Hardy Whale Watching and Sea Otter Viewing Tours
We are located in Port Hardy at the north end of Vancouver Island.
Ḵ̓asa-Sea Otter. It’s great to see these wonderful beings come back to repopulate our homeland. We will see the ecosystem come back to how it used to be, in time! #coastalrainforestsafaris #crs #seaotter #cuteness #gonorthisland ...
Puffins! Saw well over a thousand of these guys off the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island at Triangle Island on Thursday during our Scott Island Birding trip. There were even higher numbers of common murres. Many other species were also seen.
We have three spots still available on Saturday's tour. To learn more and book online visit our website.
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#puffin #tuftedpuffin #birding #trianlgeisland #wildlifephotography #visitporthardy #gonorthisland #explorevancouverisland #explorebc #explorecanada #goindigenous #indigenousbc #indigenouscanada #bcbirdtrail
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@canada
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GIVEAWAY ALERT! @coastalrainforestsafaris would like to offer our HeartsofCanada.com email newsletter subscribers a chance to win a true Northern Vancouver Island getaway experience for two!
The prize is Coastal Rainforest Safaris’ Whales, Otters, and Grizzly Bears package, which combines their six-hour Sea Otter Viewing and Whale Watching Tour from Port Hardy with a day of grizzly bear viewing from Port McNeill with @seawolfadventures, plus three nights accommodation in Port Hardy.
Please show our friends @coastalrainforestsafaris some love and give them a follow, then check out the link in our bio or our IG stories for information on how to enter!
Good luck! ...
repost from @jenn.the.explorer who saw lots of great wildlife in a Sea Otter and Whale Watching trip with us last week, " ya just never knows what’s around the next bend."
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#wolf #coastalwolf #visitporthardy #gonorthisland #explorevancouverisland #explorebc #explorecanada #goindigenous #indigenousbc #indigenouscanada ...
repost from @jenn.the.explorer 👋🏼
#theoutbound #landscape #landscapephotography #naturelovers #nature_seekers #wildernessculture #vancouverislandlife #justgoshoot #ohcanada #vancouverisland #discoverbc #livefolk #folkcreative #getoutstayout #enjoycanada #adventurethatislife #goexplore #escapetoronto #tourcanada #canadaday #canadasworld #imagesofcanada #thankyoucanada #folkscenery #thecanadiancollective #liveauthentic #lifeunscripted #documentyourdays #marinelife ...
repost from @jenn.the.explorer who joined us on a tour last week, "a steller sea lion with a glance over its shoulder. this one was smaller, but the big boys can weigh up to 1,000kgs. 😯"
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#vancouverisland #marinebiology #marinelife #westcoast #queencharlottestrait #greatbearrainforest
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#visitporthardy #gonorthisland #explorevancouverisland #explorebc #explorecanada #goindigenous #indigenousbc #indigenouscanada #sealion ...