Sea Otter Viewing and Whale Watching Tour

Spend the day exploring the wildlife rich waters, islands and shores off northern Vancouver Island in search of sea otters, humpback whales, orcas, Dalls’ porpoises, Pacific white-side dolphins, Steller sea lions, bald eagles and a multitude of sea birds.

This longer 5 ½ to 6 hour tour combined with the speed of our vessel allows us to cover a large area and provides us with greater opportunities to see as much wildlife as possible; However, we are still dealing with wildlife and nothing is guaranteed. We may not see all the above animals on every trip but our guides are well acquainted with the local waters and the best places to see wildlife. If a slightly shorter tour is more of what you are looking for consider our Evening Wildlife Viewing tour.

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.

Lunch and warm drinks are provided on our 5 ½ to 6 hour tours.