A Day with Us

Your day begins by checking in at our office 45 minutes before your scheduled departure time. Our office is located at the harbourfront walkway in downtown Nanaimo, and paid parking is available nearby. If you need a last-minute snack or coffee, there are a number of vendors along the harbour. At the office, we'll check you in before you head to the dock for your adventure! 

Once underway, your captain and marine naturalist will give a safety briefing as required by Transport Canada. You'll then be introduced to the Salish Sea ecosystem as you cruise through the Gulf Islands archipelago in search of marine life. While on tour, you'll learn about the different types of whales that are found in the Salish Sea ecosystem and search for them as you travel through our waters. Your captain will be in touch with local whale-watching companies via VHF radio and will plan your route to maximize the area our vessels cover. Tours will also look for other wildlife along the way and learn the roles these animals play in our local ecosystem.

Guests will spend an hour viewing whales, and your marine naturalist will provide real-time insights into their behaviour. Onboard catalogues are used to identify individual whales, and the data collected throughout the season is sent to the Centre for Whale Research, Keta Coastal Conservation, and the BC Cetacean Sightings Network at the end of the year.

Your tour will wrap up with an educational lecture on marine conservation relevant to our local ecosystem, and conservation initiatives will be discussed.

Once you are back in the harbour, your naturalist will show you the tour’s route on a chart. You will then have the opportunity to ask any final questions before we bid you farewell for the day.

A few days after your adventure with us, you will receive an email linking you to an entry in our Recent Sightings blog, specially crafted for your tour! This blog post will provide photos and information about your tour, including the individual whale IDs!

We can’t wait to have you onboard!