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British Columbia Sailing trips & boat tours

Our most recommended British Columbia Sailing trips & boat tours

Whale Watching Tour in Victoria, BC

1. Whale Watching Tour in Victoria, BC

Have the chance to witness the area's diversity of whale species including humpback whales, Bigg's orcas, minke whales, and gray whales. The spotting network and years of experience in locating the whales ensure a high success rate for tours. The area of operations in the water surrounding Southern Vancouver Island, Victoria, the Gulf Islands, and Juan de Fuca Strait is a critical area for multiple species of whales, including other marine animals like seals, sea lions, sea otters, and marine birds. You may even spot more rare species such as elephant seals and dolphins. Listen as your crew introduces you to these magnificent animals and share with you the myriad of other natural wonders abundant in this pristine marine environment. The Salish Sea, the water off Victoria, is home to an abundance of marine wildlife. During the tour, explore various feeding areas that attract whales to local waters. Have the opportunity to see orcas and humpback whales in their natural habitat.  Other possible encounters include minke and gray whales. The Salish Sea is also home to seals, sea lions, porpoises, otters, and many more sea animals. Let five-star whale watching introduce you to the wonders of the Salish Sea.

Victoria: Whale and Wildlife Semi-Covered Boating Tour

2. Victoria: Whale and Wildlife Semi-Covered Boating Tour

After gathering at the pier you will meet with your guides before boarding your boat. The vessel for this tour will be a semi-covered catamaran with both indoor and outdoor seating. This vessel offers both an indoor viewing area as well as multiple outdoor viewing decks, and includes on-board restrooms. Once hitting the water, you'll begin your over 4-hour experience which includes a 98% sighting success rate. Your team members will be excited to share everything that this natural treasure chest has to offer, as you make multiple wildlife stops throughout your journey. At each stop your guides will provide world-class interpretation and personalized service to help you best understand this unique ecosystem. Throughout the experience you will have the chance to encounter whales, seals, and eagles, among other residents of the region. At the conclusion of your tour, you'll make your way back to the tour starting point.

Victoria: Sunset Whale Watching Tour on Semi-Covered Boat

3. Victoria: Sunset Whale Watching Tour on Semi-Covered Boat

Set sail after dinner and enjoy the chance to see waters in the water with fewer boats and fewer people. Enjoy the unique atmosphere of a 3-hour tour that returns to Victoria's Harbor as the sun is setting. Head out to the Salish Sea, take in the spectacular scenery and look out for whales, seals, and eagles. Relax aboard a semi-covered catamaran, the high-performance vessel that is used for this whale watching tour. The comfortable catamaran features onboard bathrooms, and guests are provided with jackets, blankets, sunglasses, toques, gloves, and sunscreen.

Vancouver: Private Tour and Seaplane Excursion

4. Vancouver: Private Tour and Seaplane Excursion

Explore Vancouver from above with this lovely scenic journey for 20 minutes on a seaplane, starting from Vancouver downtown harbor and fly over Stanley Park English Bay, Lions Gate, North Shore and Vancouver city. The itinerary includes a Vancouver downtown overview of major historic landmark buildings, Canada Place, Robson and Georgia Street, China Town, Historic Gastown, Stanley Park with Totem Poles and Prospect Point.  Explore the public market at the Granville Island for one hour. The last stop on the tour is a visit to Queen Elizabeth park.

Vancouver Lower Mainland: Sailing Adventures in Squamish

5. Vancouver Lower Mainland: Sailing Adventures in Squamish

Prepare yourself for an adventure that balances the thrill of sailing Howe Sound's legendary winds with the breathtaking views of the Coastal and Tantalus mountain ranges. We will depart from the docks in Squamish (about 40 minutes north of Vancouver on the highway to Whistler) and raise the sails as we pass beneath the legendary Stawamus Chief granite monolith and Shannon Falls. Regardless of expertise or ability, you will learn about sailing and experience unbounded excitement as the wind fills our sails and accelerates our 40' sailboat across the waters of Canada's southernmost fjord. Take a turn at the helm or grind a winch to trim sails - the more involved you become, the more fun you will have. We will explore the northern section of the Howe Sound fjord and promise many photo opportunities that will stand amongst the highlights of your trip. With a little luck, we may even sight a pod of dolphins or Orcas! Welcome aboard - let's have some fun.

Victoria: Guided Whale and Wildlife-Watching Cruise

6. Victoria: Guided Whale and Wildlife-Watching Cruise

Spot a variety of beautiful ocean species on a guided boat trip departing from Victoria. Navigate aboard a spacious vessel with panoramic viewing decks and stay on the lookout for whales, seals, and more. Learn about the local ecosystem from a certified guide. Gather at the pier and meet with your guides before boarding your boat. Climb aboard a semi-covered catamaran with both indoor and outdoor seating. Hit the water and begin your exciting adventure, stopping every now and then to look quietly for marine wildlife. Listen to insightful commentary about the species you come across and the fascinating West Coast ecosystem. Throughout your journey, enjoy the possibility to encounter whales, seals, eagles, and other residents of the region. Admire the view on your way back to the starting point.

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What people are saying about British Columbia

Overall rating

4.6 / 5

based on 481 reviews

What a great experience. The Crew was awesome! Captain Trev, Izzy, Sierra and Ryleigh were so great. It's obvious that they enjoy what they do and went out of their way to ensure a good time by all. We were fortunate enough to see a family of Humpback Wales, Killer Wales, many Steller and California Sea Lions and Harbour Seals. I would recommend this tour to anyone.

Both Captain and guide Jim were excellent. Very knowledgable and informative I learned loads about the local environment and animal species to be found in it. They were also spot on at finding the Humpbacks. The afternoon will be a standout high point of a very memorable trip.

Amazing trip, very knowledgeable guide and we saw about 12 humpback whales, sea lions and sea birds. A highlight of our Canada trip. The staff were so friendly and you could tell were genuinely excited to share their knowledge.

These guys were great! They did an excellent job of finding porpoises & humpback whales for us to see! Really nice staff too!

Great experience! Knowledgeable staff. Very enjoyable.