Vancouver Whale Watch

08/03/2024

This week, for our Fun Fact Friday, we are going to learn a bit more about sea lions.

There are many different species, the ones that you will see on our tours are the Steller Sea Lions and occasionally California Sea Lions. The latter will usually be on the jetty when coming out of Steveston Harbour.

They are very social creatures and each colony can have thousands of members. June is the month when pups are born, you can see a couple at the bottom of the photo. Although they spend some time on land, they are excellent divers and can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes.

There is one body of water on the planet where you cannot find sea lions, and this is the Northern Atlantic. The reason is unknown.

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07/30/2024

Come out on the adventure of a lifetime and check whale watching off your summer bucket list!

Witness the beauty of the Pacific North West with a fully guided tour of the wildlife in the Strait of Georgia. Encounter graceful humpbacks, majestic orcas, and other marine mammals.

Use the code "SummerFun24" when booking on our website for 10% off of our large vessel tours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays until August 29th.

07/19/2024

It’s been a while since we have done a Fun Fact Friday but it is back! This one will be about bald eagles. We thought we would give some credit to these beautiful birds.

Their eyesight is 8 times stronger than ours! They can spot small animals about two miles away, their peripheral vision is even better than owls.

Baby eagles reach their full growth at 12 weeks. The feathers on their heads are first dark and transition to white during their first 4-5 years when they reach their adult plumage.

Their speed is probably a lot faster than you imagined. Each specie of eagles has different speeds, the bald eagle can go up to 160km/h when diving!

It is very frequent to see bald eagles during our tours, try and spot them when coming out of the harbour, along the jetty.

📸: .photography

05/06/2024

Get your May promo code to see whales!! Join our professional wildlife guides on a tour with Vancouver Whale Watch, we depart from Steveston BC, the gateway to the whales! Follow the steps below to get your code:

1- Follow us
2- Tag someone you would like to share an adventure with in the comments below.

After you’ve completed the steps, we’ll send you a direct message with your promo code.

The code is valid for 12pm large boat tours until May 31st, for May bookings only.

04/12/2024

We missed a Friday Fun Fact but we are back with one today!

Transient orcas along the entire coast of British Columbia all use a distinctive set of calls, with some additional calls that can be specific to a region. For example, killer whales from BC and killer whales in Norway will use completely different types of calls and sounds (pulsing whistles, clicks and calls).

Transients tend to do calls after successful hunts or when multiple matrilines are present and they are socializing. Otherwise, they tend to be quieter because they are hunting marine mammals and want to be able to sneak up on their prey.

The bump on their head (the melon) is used for echolocation to know if there is prey in the area.

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04/10/2024

🚨 Exciting News! 🚨

Our Zodiac Strider is making an early appearance this year.

If you are looking for an exhilarating and adventurous whale watching experience, this is for you. You can now book your tour on the small zodiac every weekend, starting this week!

It fits up to 12 people and a mustang suit is provided for the ride, it will protect you from the wind as this zodiac goes faster and is open air. It's not for the faint of heart but it's extremely fun and addicting.

Please note that the 15% discount code for April does not apply to the small zodiac tours. Passengers must be above 8 years old.

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03/22/2024

Here we are for another Friday Fun Fact!

Did you know that seals (Photo 2), also known as “earless”, don’t have any external ear flaps? They have little ear holes. They can hear very well above and under the water. Sea lions (Photo 1), on the other hand, have tiny little flaps covering their ears. Seal lions are also a lot louder than seals as they bark.

First 📸:
Second 📸: Andy Scheffler

03/15/2024

We are starting a new series called Fun Fact Friday! If you want to learn new facts about marine life, this is for you!

Our first Fun Fact Friday is about humpbacks.
Did you know they have one of the longest migration on the planet?
Some travel as far as 5,000 miles (8,000km) a year between their breeding / nursing grounds and feeding grounds. As there is no food in the former, they have to eat as much as possible before starting their migration.

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03/06/2024

Just popping up to say hi!

We’re getting ready and excited for the season.
Our tours will start again (for our 26th year!!) on April 1st with a tour at 12pm every day until June 14th. Then we will have 2 tours a day!

We’re busy getting the boats and office ready to welcome you all and give you the best experience possible.

Don’t forget about our current promo code for April bookings: WHALES2024 to get 15% off!

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03/04/2024

If you’ve been thinking about booking a tour with us for a while, this is your sign!

Get 15% off when booking through our website on bookings from April 1st to April 30th.

Follow the link and use the code WHALES2024 at the checkout to get 15% off. The code is valid to use right now.

WHO WE ARE Established in 1998, Vancouver Whale Watch is the original whale watching company in Vancouver. Departing from the charming historic fishing village of Steveston, every year we welcome visitors locally and from around the world. Travelling through the spectacular Gulf and

12/08/2023

Remember we have gift certificates ideal for this holiday season!

🎁Our gift certificates are available either digitally or physically. Please note, physical gift certificates must be ordered and picked up before December 20th, 2023.

Our office will be closed during December 21 to 27th, 2023.

For more information or to place an order, visit our webpage: www.vancouverwhalewatch.com give us a call at 604-274-9565 or send us an email at [email protected]

12/04/2023

Are you still looking for the perfect present for friends and family?

🎁Give the gift of an unforgettable whale watching experience this holiday season!

We even have two boat options to choose from: our large, partially covered zodiac style vessels or, for the more adventurous, smaller 12-person zodiacs!

We have digital and physical gift certificates available on our webpage: https://vancouverwhalewatch.com/gift-certificates/

Bookings are open for the 2024 season! Call or go online to book today!

11/08/2023

We are back with our new Instagram!!!

Come check us out!!


With a 95% whale viewing success rate, Professional Wildlife Guides, Zodiac style vessels custom designed for marine wildlife viewing.

Our 2024 tour dates are ready to Book Now!
https://vancouverwhalewatch.com/
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📷by: Naturalist Joan Lopez

01/28/2023

It’s our 25th Anniversary! 🎉

As the original whale watching company on the mainland, Vancouver Whale Watch paves the way and celebrates 25 years of sharing adventures on the water with guests from around the world. Join us this year in another season of seeing magnificent whales, porpoises, seals, sea lions, eagles, and more!

And stay tuned on our social media as we will be celebrating with contests and giveaways throughout the season!
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01/13/2023

Happy Friday! A playful Bigg's killer whale to brighten up the start of the weekend.

📸 taken by Wildlife Guide Sue Davies.

12/25/2022

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

From the Vancouver Whale Watch Team

12/20/2022

During the cold winter days, we can’t help but reminisce about the warm summer days with whales.

📸 taken by Wildlife Guide Sebastian Velasquez.

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12/08/2022

Looking for a special holiday gift for that special someone? How about a gift certificate for a whale watching trip! Our gift certificates will be a gift that they will never forget!

Our gift certificates are available either digitally online by ordering through our website; or physically by visiting, emailing, or calling our office. Please note, physical gift certificates (ones not ordered online) must be ordered and picked up before Friday, December 23rd.

For more information or to place an order, please contact us at 604-274-9565 or at [email protected]

11/25/2022

Happy Friday!

Hope everyone has a relaxing and peaceful weekend 🦭

📸 taken by Wildlife Guide Sebastian Velasquez.
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11/11/2022

Ever wonder how killer whales (orcas) navigate their ocean home? They do it by echolocation! They produce clicks in their nasal sacs which are amplified by the jelly-like melon on their rostrum located at the front of their head. The clicks travel through the water and bounce back when they come in contact with objects like rocks, fish, boats, and other whales.

The returning sound is “heard” by their lower jawbone and travels to their inner ear. Killer whales’ brains are highly evolved to process sound information and they are able to create a mental picture of their surroundings with this information. They are able to not only see the size, shape and how far objects are to them, but also what is inside!

Their hearing is impeccable, able to distinguish different prey species and hear other pod members up to 15 kilometres away!

📸 taken by Wildlife Guide Sebastian Velasquez.

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10/31/2022

Today is the last day of our 2022 season! We still have seats available for our 12:00pm tour today. Call our office at 604-274-9565 to reserve your seats for your last chance this year to see magnificent humpback whales, like BCZ0414 “Zephyr” and BCX0380 “Zorro”.

📸 taken by Wildlife Guide Sebastian Velasquez.
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10/29/2022

✨ Our 2023 season is now available for bookings! ✨

Visit our website at www.vancouverwhalewatch.com or call our office at 604-274-9565 to reserve your seats early! Our season will begin Saturday, April 1st 2023 and end Tuesday, October 31st 2023.

We look forward to having you on one of our tours!

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10/25/2022

On our October 2nd tour, we got a quick glimpse of a river otter munching on a tasty meal.

River otters spend two-thirds of the time on land and wash themselves after every meal. They do this to keep their fur water resistant and properly insulated.

📸 taken by Wildlife Guide Sebastian Velasquez.
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10/22/2022

On our October 15th tour, we encountered the T49A family pod actively hunting. The youngest, five year old T49A5 “Nebula”, breached several times celebrating a successful hunt.

When pursuing prey, all members of the pod help hunt and kill their prey, and is all coordinated by the matriarch - their mother. Matriarchs are vital to killer whale pod survival, as they pass down their skills and knowledge to their offspring, daughters especially.

When their prey has been captured, it is shared with all members of the pod, reaffirming family bonds and ensuring each family member receives a portion of the meal.

📸 taken by Wildlife Guide Sebastian Velasquez.
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10/19/2022

October continues to be an amazing month for whale watching. Earlier this month, we encountered humpback whale “Anvil”, who was full of energy, breaching several times.

Anvil is a familiar humpback whale in the Salish Sea, seen every summer since 2015. This year, she has her first recorded calf! In a few short weeks, they will leave the Salish Sea and begin their migration south to the tropics.

📸 taken by Wildlife Guide Melanie Warren.
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10/15/2022

October has been a spectacular month for whale watching, especially for seeing humpback whales. This past week, we were lucky enough to witness humpback whales Orion and Trooper doing a synchronized breach! This incredible moment was capture on video by one of our lovely passengers who generously shared it with us.

We still have tours departing daily until October 31st. Book your seats today to see these beautiful whales before the 2022 season ends!

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10/11/2022

Harbour seals are always cute to see, and because they live in the Salish Sea year round, they are seen on almost every tour!

Harbour seals are part of the ‘true seal’ family, which have no external ear flap and short flippers. Because of their short flippers, they are not very mobile on land, moving in a caterpillar-like motion. But don’t be fooled… they are very good swimmers. They are able to swim shortly after birth and when adult, can dive over 300 metres!

📸 taken by Wildlife Guide Susanne Davies.

10/08/2022

A pod of Bigg’s killer whales close to shore in search of their next meal. They are almost completely blended in with the dark backdrop, their exhale giving away their presence.

📸 taken by Wildlife Guide Sebastian Velasquez.

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10/04/2022

The boys are back in town!

Steller sea lions return to the Salish Sea after spending summer at the breeding rookeries, located in northern BC and Alaska. In the fall, they travel to the southern BC coast where they spend their winter. And it looks like they have returned!

Males are always the first to arrive, followed a few weeks later by the females with their pups when the pups are strong enough to make the journey. The most impressive are the adult males, which can grow over 3 metres in length and weigh up to an incredible 1,000 kilograms (1 ton)!

📸 taken by Wildlife Guide Melanie Warren.
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10/01/2022

September was a month filled with incredible humpback whale encounters! On some trips, we saw several individuals and on others, they were full of energy, like BCZ0414 “Zephyr” pictured here. Zephyr is an 11 year old female humpback whale, daughter to BCX1057 “Divot”, who we also see regularly in the Salish Sea.

📸 taken by Wildlife Guide Melanie Warren.
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