06/20/2024
Happy first day of summer! The orcas playing in our local waters signal that now is the perfect time to explore and enjoy the sea. 🌊🐋 We look forward to welcoming all who join us on our eco adventures this season!
Sidney Whale Watching
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Indigenous & family-owned whale watching company in Sidney, B.C. We all agree that there is no better day than a day spent on the water.
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Sidney Whale Watching is a family-owned and operated company that has been serving Sidney and the Saanich Peninsula for over 20 years. We are on the offer daily whale watching trips, culinary tours on the Gulf Islands, and charters for private events. Each of our team members loves what we do, and therefore, we strive to make our tours as memorable as possible.
06/17/2024
A glimpse of the wildlife that our guests have been fortunate to witness recently. Our tours have encountered transient orcas, humpback whales, eagles, cormorants, seals, sea lions, and more.
Our skippers have taken these amazing wildlife photos and we are so grateful for them!
06/15/2024
Evening tours have returned!
Come and capture the evening sun and return to Sidney as dusk rolls in, enhancing the spectacular scene of your whale watching tour.
As of today, we will be operating three tours daily throughout summer. Join us on a tour that departs at 10am, 1:30pm, or 5pm.
If you’re visiting Victoria and Vancouver Island this summer, add us to your list of things to do!
Follow the link to book your whale watching trip online: https://tinyurl.com/book-whalewatching
06/14/2024
⚠️ SEAL PUP PSA ⚠️
Mother seals leave their pups alone while foraging. If you see an unattended pup on the beach, it's probably exactly where mom wants it to be. Please give it plenty of space, do NOT touch or move it, and keep all dogs on leashes. If you *do* see a seal pup in distress, please call:
🇨🇦 : 604-258-SEAL (7325)
🇺🇸 : 866-767-6114
📷: Orion Giles, Sidney Whale Watching
06/14/2024
: Humpback whales have two blowholes, one for each lung, and their lungs are a similar size to a Toyota Prius!
They are mammals and cannot breathe underwater, which is why you’ll see them surface every few minutes. Having said that, an adult humpback can hold its breath for up to an hour without surfacing.
06/08/2024
06/08/2024
Today is World Ocean Day, a day that inspires collective action for a healthy ocean and stable environment. Not only on June 8th, but every day we want to see our ocean, and the host of life it supports, thrive.
Due to the worrying decline of Southern Resident Orcas and their main food staple, Chinook Salmon, Sidney Whale Watching donates 1% of all sales to support the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
Not only that, but a $2 conservation fee is added to every tour ticket, with 100% of that money forwarded to whale conservation efforts in the Salish Sea. We support groups such as the Center for Whale Research, Save our Wild Salmon, the Whale Museum, Sooke Chinook, and Humpback Whale Research.
If you’re near the water today, take an extra 5 minutes and comb the beach for trash. What we might see as a small effort, can make a huge impact for our marine life, especially if we collectively take action.
06/05/2024
Beacon Avenue, the main street running through Sidney, will come alive every Thursday night again! We are looking forward to the Sidney Street Market re-opening for another season as of tomorrow.
For guests visiting the area, plan ahead and book a Thursday afternoon whale watching tour, and not long after you return from your excursion on the water, the market will be in full swing!
We love exploring all of the local artists, businesses, and food stalls!
Sidney Street Market, every Thursday from June 6 to September 5, between 5:30pm and 8:30pm.
📷 Vadym Graifer Photography
06/03/2024
Whether it’s an online review, email after your tour, telling your friends, or tagging us in your social media posts, we always love to hear about your experience on one of our whale watching tours. Not only that, but when you share your experience in your own words, you help other customers learn more about us and maybe even answer their burning questions.
Thank you to everyone that has toured with us and allowed us to continue doing what we love for over 20 years!
05/31/2024
Stellar sea lions, on average, need to consume approximately 6% of their body weight in food each day. That means a full grown male - who could weigh up to 2,500 pounds - will eat 150 pounds of fish, cephalopods, and occasionally seal pups in a single day! Adult female sea lions, weighing up to 1,000 pounds, will need about 60 pounds of food each day.
Click through the images to see some stellar shots that one of our captains captured earlier this year of a sea lion enjoying their lunch.
05/07/2024
We've had a great start to the season!🐋
March and April brought us many sightings of transient killer whales, humpback whales, sea lions, seals, eagles, and more!
With May here, we're happy to see the sun shining and the temperature rising – perfect conditions for an adventure on the water.
Pacific Whale Watch Association Destination British Columbia Indigenous Tourism BC Explore Sidney
10/17/2023
Our whale watching season is almost over. 🥺
We haven't been posting a lot lately, but still had some amazing wildlife encounters the past few weeks.
Enjoy these tour highlights!
📸 Captain Orion
Pacific Whale Watch Association Destination British Columbia Explore Sidney Indigenous Tourism BC
10/05/2023
Shoutout to Captain Orion of Sidney Whale Watching for getting this 🤯 shot of a Bigg's killer whale breaking the surface!
09/29/2023
Fall is here, but we are still out on the water, having incredible encounters. 🖤🤍
📸 Captain Orion
Pacific Whale Watch Association Explore Sidney Destination British Columbia Indigenous Tourism BC
09/15/2023
The whale watching season is not over yet! Whales and other wildlife are still putting on a show, and the weather ahead looks sunny and warm.
If you've been thinking about a whale watching trip, now's the time to join us: https://sidneywhalewatching.com/whale-watching-tours/
📷 Captain Orion
08/18/2023
Another week with incredible wildife 💙
📷 Captain Orion
Pacific Whale Watch Association Explore Sidney Destination British Columbia
08/17/2023
Wowzers!! There are a lot of whales out there right now!
UNFOLDING NOW:
Based on sightings from our PWWA vessels, research vessels, and reports from shore, there are well over 100 killer whales in the Salish Sea today! After a 6 week absence, researchers confirmed that Southern Residents were spotted this morning, and whale watchers have found approximately FIFTY Bigg's killer whales spread across multiple groups. If you don't have plans this afternoon, you *might* want to get on a whale watch boat! 🤯
08/14/2023
Captain Orion recently took great shots of a transient killer whale hunting a porpoise by throwing it into the air.
Pacific Whale Watch Association
08/11/2023
Caught in the Act: An opportunistic bald eagle stealing food from a pod of killer whale's feast.
📷 Captain Orion
Pacific Whale Watch Association
08/11/2023
💙
Sidney Whale Watching's Captain Orion nailed this shot of three Bigg's killer whale generations: T037 "Rocky" (born in 1979), her daughter T037B "Harald" (born in 1998), and Harald's newest calf, T037B3 (born in 2022). 💙
08/10/2023
Take a peek at our latest tour highlights, showcasing the beauty of the Salish Sea and its incredible inhabitants.
📷 Captain Orion
Pacific Whale Watch Association Explore Sidney Destination British Columbia
08/04/2023
Come and see what makes Sidney truly special – our breathtaking seafront!
While you're here, make sure to stop by our whale watching office located at the end of Beacon Avenue. We always love to chat about whales 🐋
Explore Sidney Destination British Columbia Indigenous Tourism BC
08/04/2023
🌟 The Sidney Sidewalk Sale returns on Saturday, August 12 as one of the region’s biggest seasonal summer shopping events.
This year’s celebration features more than 50 businesses stepping out of their storefronts and offering deeply discounted summer merchandise.
To provide a soundtrack to your strolling, a live stage can be found between Fourth Street and Fifth Street. Make a day of this event by grabbing lunch at your favourite Sidney restaurant, visiting our on-site live photo booth at Sidney Pier Hotel, face painting at Buddies Toys, and lawn games in Beacon Park!
For more information and to view a list of participating businesses, visit, exploresidney.ca/sidewalesale
07/29/2023
What a month spent with transient orcas, humpback whales, sea lions, seals, otters, eagles, cormorants and more. 💙
Explore the memorable snapshots from our recent tours.
📷 Captain Orion & Cal
Pacific Whale Watch Association Explore Sidney Destination British Columbia
07/27/2023
Majestic Bald Eagles 🦅
In Greater Victoria and the southern Gulf Islands, the bald eagle population is healthy, and we are able to see them on most tours.
📸 Captain Orion
Pacific Whale Watch Association Explore Sidney Destination British Columbia Indigenous Tourism BC
07/22/2023
It's Harbour Seal Pupping Season! Join one of our whale watching tours in the coming weeks to spot these little guys. 🦭
Good to know ⚠️
Seal moms often leave their pups alone on a beach or rocks near the water while they look for food. If you see a baby seal alone, it doesn't mean it's an orphan. Please keep your distance, don't touch it, and keep your pets on a leash. If it looks injured or in distress, call the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre at 604-258-SEAL (7325).
📷 Captain Orion
Pacific Whale Watch Association Explore Sidney Destination British Columbia
07/22/2023
Here is our June 2023 Salish Sea orca sightings map! As you can see, Bigg's killer whales continued to be everywhere. They were confirmed present on every day of the month for the sixth time in the last seven years (with only the COVID year of 2020 coming in at less than all 30 days), and also the most unique sightings of any month so far this year at 175.
Some highlights included the T85s making a rare Salish Sea appearance, all of the T124As traveling together for a time, and the T77s making their first documented return to the Salish Sea for the year.
Meanwhile, the Southern Residents were present for 10 days of June, with J-Pod making visits at the beginning and the end of the month, with their second visit being in the company of the L12 sub-group. Not only was it great to see these whales in the Salish Sea for the first time since January, but they were accompanied by TWO new calves in L126 and L127.
Each dot on this map represents a unique group of orcas on a unique day of the month, so while this doesn't represent everywhere the whales traveled, it gives a sense of the number of different groups utilizing the region over the course of the month. This type of wildlife tracking is only possible due to a network of hundreds of individuals that contribute sightings reports and photos to sightings groups throughout the Salish Sea. We confirm all Southern Resident killer whale reports first hand by reviewing photos, videos, and/or acoustic data (if we don't see them ourselves), while for Bigg's killer whales we either do the same thing or rely on a group of skilled observers to confirm IDs. A big THANK YOU to everyone who participates in this tracking to help create these awesome maps!
07/19/2023
🐋 Our summer season is in full swing, and the Salish Sea is buzzing with wildlife, among Transient Orcas, Humpback Whales, Sea Lions, Seals and many cool Birds!
Take a peek at the photos we've captured during our recent whale watching trips.
📸 Captain Cal & Orion
Pacific Whale Watch Association Explore Sidney Destination British Columbia
07/17/2023
A double delight with two transient orcas breaching in perfect synchrony! 😍
Our lucky guests and crew witnessed quite a show in the Saanich Inlet last week with many hunting, breaching, rolling, and tail-slapping behaviours.
📸 Captain Orion
Pacific Whale Watch Association Explore Sidney Destination British Columbia
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2537 Beacon Avenue # 105
Sidney, BC
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Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 5pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 5pm |
| Friday | 9am - 5pm |
| Saturday | 9am - 5pm |
| Sunday | 9am - 5pm |
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Videos
A little clip from a recent tour. Our captain and guests came across humpback whales, including Big Mama and her new calf. Guests were blown away when one breached. Thanks to Captain Orion for capturing this incredible moment! #humpbackwhale #pacificnorthwest #sidneywhalewatching #whalewatching #explorevictoria
Tours with Sidney Whale Watching are so much more than just whale watching tours. Come and explore the diverse marine and coastal life that can be viewed by boat around the Salish Sea. Currently we are operating two tours a day, 7 days a week, and in mid-June will move to three tours a day. Have you booked your experience yet?
Take a sneak peek at our 3-hour whale watching adventure in just 30 seconds! From happy guests to playful transient orcas, a soaring eagle stealing the killer whales' leftovers, a cute seal and its pup, and the serene beauty of the surrounding islands and the sun going. It's a journey worth sharing. Join us – the whale watching season runs until late October, offering plenty of chances to experience this wild beauty for yourself. 🐳🌅 Pacific Whale Watch Association Destination British Columbia Explore Sidney #whalewatching #wildlifephotography #wildlife #orcas #killerwhales #yesITBC
What a beautiful week to be out on the water! The clear blue sky and warm sunshine are just right for a whale watching trip. Who else is excited to see orcas, humpback whales and other beautiful animals? #whalewatching #orcas #killerwhales #whales #victoriabc #sidneybc #vancouverisland
Whale Watching in Sidney, B.C.
Looking for a responsible and respectful whale watching experience? Choose a member of the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA). The Salish Sea has some of the most precautionary laws in the world when it comes to viewing marine wildlife, thanks to the PWWA, which was the 1st organization to create voluntary guidelines to protect wildlife back in 1994. Parallel viewing, slow speed, safe distance, vessel monitoring, sentinel actions... We comply with regulations and prioritize the health of local whales and other wildlife! #whalewatching #responsiblewhalewatching #guidelines #whales #orcas #vancouverisland
Happy New Year, everyone! We are really excited about our 2023 whale watching season, opening in March.
Did you know male orcas spend their entire lives with their mother and maternal grandmother? They live in matriarchal groups, where older females carry crucial knowledge about food resources. Female orcas often separate from the rest of their family once they begin to have calves of their own, to form a new matriline. As they eat marine mammals, they tend to stay in small groups to hunt more efficiently. 🎥 Kristian Gillies Photography on our whale watching tour #orcas #killerwhales #wildlife #vancouverisland
Sidney Whale Watching
Transient killer whales, also called Bigg’s Killer Whale, move along the coast from Southeast Alaska to Southern California but often stay in the Salish Sea. They are referred to as the wolves of the seas: they only eat marine mammals, particularly harbor seals, porpoises, sea lions, and occasionally hunt larger prey like whales. They live in small pods (family groups) of 2 to 6 individuals and are always on the move, traveling easily 100km per day. 🎥 Kristian Gillies Photography on our whale watching tour
Sidney Whale Watching
Do passengers often get seasick? Seasickness is not a common issue. Sidney has much calmer seas than Victoria or Vancouver, thanks to the protection of the Gulf Islands. If you are often experiencing motion sickness, we suggest you take some medication before the tour. You can also call us so we can work together to find the best solution for you (type of boat, wind forecast, etc.).
Orcas are important to the First Nations cultures, beliefs, symbolism, and art. They are a symbol of strength and power, and are often considered as the guardians of the sea. 🎥 Kristian Gillies Photography on our whale watching tour
We operate on WSANEC First Nation territory and the Salish Sea, home to transient and resident orcas, humpback whales, gray whale, minke whales, porpoises, sea lions, seals, river otters, a huge variety of sea birds, and some very exotic land mammals that have been imported to the Gulf Islands. Sit back and enjoy this inspiring 3-hour experience 🙂
We hope the new baby girl J59 will grow strong and healthy! Orcas' calves depend exclusively on their mothers for milk for up to two years, and then for food until they learn how to hunt.
Sun Bathing Seals 🌞🌊
2018
An evening with Orcas
1 Week With Sidney Whale Watching
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