If you’ve never experienced a whale watching tour before, you’re in for quite the experience! Before getting aboard with West Coast Aquatic Safaris some of our guests have never even experienced the ocean, or the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. If you’ve never been on a whale watching tour, here’s everything you can expect!

What Types of Whales Will I See On A Tofino Whale Watching Tour?

The Tofino whale watching season runs from March, until roughly the end of October when the whales are passing through our Pacific waters. Tofino and the ocean waters of the Pacific Northwest are home to three main types of whales:

Humpback Whales
Humpback whales are the largest whale species you’ll see on our whale watching tour, growing up to 80,000 pounds!

Orcas
Orcas are affectionately known as ‘killer whales’, and these notable black and white whales actually belong to the dolphin family!

Grey Whales
Grey whales are the ones more frequently spotted on our tours and identified by their gray colour, and barnacles encrusted on them.

Ready to see some of Canada’s most iconic mammals? Book your whale watching tour now.

Frequently Asked Questions About Whale Watching Tours

What should I wear?
Whale watching attire is casual and comfortable. You should wear clothes that allow you to move around easily, a hat with a brim, sunglasses and water-friendly shoes. Tofino is notorious for its rainy weather, so bring a jacket and wear layers. Sunburns are very probable in windy weather, as the sun burns harshly even through haze - we recommend sunscreen. Weather in Tofino is often windy, so you may want to bring along a waterproof jacket as well. We’re equipped with umbrellas for particularly rainy days. Additionally, our boats are covered, keeping you from the possible brunt of rain, or stormy ocean weather.

Should I bring food?

We recommend if you do eat beforehand to make it a light meal.

Are there wheelchair accessible tours?

West Coast Aquatic Safaris is proud to have multiple vessels for our whale watching tours - and to be one of Tofino’s tourism companies to provide wheelchair accessible whale watching tours.

What boats do you use?

Our fleet contains two different types of boats and vessels for our tours.

• NANUQ
  NANUQ is our 36 passenger wheelchair accessible vessel and offers a heated and closed cabin. Accessibility is important to our company, and we’re happy to accommodate so everybody can experience these tours in Tofino.
• WASCO
  WASCO is a cruiser designed for 12 passengers. Though it is a smaller vessel, it still offers the heated cabin and washroom on board, but guests have the choice of enjoying the tour on multiple seated outer decks as well.

Book Your Whale Watching Tour in Tofino

If you’ve been considering a Tofino trip, we recommend making whale watching a priority during your stay. Use our online booking system to book your whale watching tour in Tofino today!

Website: West Coast Aquatic Safaris