Victoria Whale Watching Cruises

(Victoria, British Columbia - BC, Canada)

British Columbia has become well known for its whale watching expeditions, which each year draw many visitors to the Victoria area. Whale watching cruises are available at Victoria all through the year and head out into the Pacific Ocean, where they boasts a very high success rate in locating on of the resident pods of Killer Whales (Orcinus orca), which are actually the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family and amongst the fastest of all marine mammals.

Killer Whales are often referred to as 'Orca' and males of this graceful species can reach up to 8 metres / 26 feet in length, weighing more than 6 tonnes, therefore being quite a sight for visitors onboard a cruise from Victoria. Females tend to be a little smaller in size, while all Orcas are uniquely marked, usually around their saddle patch and dorsal fin, meaning that experience guides can point out individual members of the pod, which are often named and feature individual characters and traits.

General Information

Those tourists from Victoria who are lucky enough to be enjoying a whale watching excursion during the months of May, June, July, August and even September may also be treated to sights of migrating giants, such as the Grey whales, Humpbacks and Minkes, when are heading to the very fertile feeding grounds around Alaska.

Most whale watching cruises tend to last around three hours and have a 97% success rate of sightings, usually offering a further tour free of charge in the unlikely event that you are unlikely enough not to find the Orca pods.

A plethora of different companies compete for your business around the waterfront, so you can be assured of plenty of choice, and very competitive prices. Whale watching has recently been voted as one of the top reasons for a vacation at Victoria, and so really is not something to overlook, with cameras being an essential piece of luggage.