We had a great time. We saw so many humpback whales, apparently unusual to see them in groups. They were slapping the water with their tales and doing cartwheels. The guides were very knowledgeable and helpful explaining what was happening and even identifying some of the whales we saw.

An amazing afternoon spent with expert guides. We learned so much and were mesmerised by the humpbacks we saw, and orca hunting in the kelp (as well as a sea lion heading towards the boat). Our guides were so well informed. One of the best trips of our holiday. Well done to the crew that took us out / your enthusiasm was infectious and just added to the day.

The booking process was great. Genevieve was just lovely. The boat trip itself was disappointing. The crew including the captain, were more interested in taking their own photos, often in front of paying clients. There was a yellow line next to the captain's area which so happened to be the best photographers area.. if you crossed it, you were told off like a child. I am a qualified skipper and have been recently on a number of other whale watching trips. This captain wanted the space to take his own photos. It wasbt a safety issue as the boat was not moving. The priority of the crew was disappointing. Also other boats didn't hang around were we were and they all saw orcas. .. they didn't even try. So don't believe the photos. We hung around most of the time by dormant humpbacks who weren't doing anything. The other boats moved on.

Catherine was an expert tour guide, she provided us with in depth information on whales and was able to identify them by their tails. She explained the threats such as lack of a particular type of salmon that local whales rely on and how this is threatening their populations. The commentary was very informative and showed an obvious interest and concern regarding the welfare of whales. I am soo impressed with the integrity of this tour company. I highly recommend for whale watching and for environmental and conservation reasons !!!Sensational!!

this is the fourth time we have used five star and each time our expectations were exceeded by leaps and bounds..not only are the staff knowledgeable but very friendly and courteous and it was obvious this wasn't a job but a life style. their passion was obvious and they are extremely careful to not infringe on the inhabitants of the ocean and were very respectful of those that reside there..for an unforgettable whale watching experience five star is my only choice

Great friendly, knowledgeable guides. Good boat and lovely sighting of humpback whale and sea lions.

Very cool experience. Small boat, lots of fun, saw orcas and humpback and hundreds of sea lions. The zoologist was very knowledgeable and the crew had the best attitudes!

LET DOWN: Arrived to our tour meeting only to be informed that they had known for 12 days that their boat was broken and dry docked, and the tour was cancelled, but had not tried to contact us to inform. They failed to put us on another boat or tour as well. Unprofessional and negligent - go with another company!

Jose gave us a fantastic land tour of the botanic gardens, the caldera, the volcanic eruption site, the partially buried lighthouse, and the rebuilt whaling house, focusing on our interests in island ecology and whaling history. Then, aware of the presence of a large sperm whale pod nearby, he arranged an impromptu whale watching cruise for us in the evening, where we hung out by sperm whales for about 30 or 40 minutes. To top it off, he gave us a boat ride back to our island, after the whale cruise interfered with our ferry ride back. Most highly recommended.

We were all looking forward to this excursion. But was very disappointed when our morning trip was cancelled to the afternoon due to the boat being in for repair. When we seen the small boat we were going on we were so disappointed to say the least. This trip was a lot of money for what we saw. We only seen the whales at a distance and didn’t get far enough in to see better the guide was good and informative. But the trip was certainly not worth the money. We are all very disappointed.

My experience with 5 Star Whale Watching was incredibly frustrating. We booked a tour, but it was canceled multiple times. The first time, they claimed the boat was broken, and they didn’t even inform us in advance. To avoid this happening again, we requested a tour for the following week, and they assured us they would use their smaller boat to ensure it wouldn't be canceled. However, I was shocked when they called again, claiming the boat was broken once more! This level of unreliability and lack of professionalism is unacceptable. Instead of offering any compensation, they suggested we cancel and book with another company. I strongly advise against booking with 5 Star Whale Watching. There are other companies out there that value their customers and can provide a more reliable and professional service.

We had our entire family get together for several activities in the Victoria area and while it was a bit hectic to get 14 of us including 6 grandkids going in the same direction, it was a great experience. One of the highlights was our Whale watching trip on the morning of August 7. The "Shadow" accommodated 12 of us nicely and with the cabin we were able to keep kids warm in the cool environment on the ocean. The key to our trip was the staff of Five Star with Captain Gordon doing his utmost to find whales and maneuvering around Race Rocks in the currents so we could see seals and sea lions and Naturalist Mika telling us about the wildlife and keeping the younger kids entertained with books and stories we had a great 3 hours on the water. Unfortunately we did not see more than a fleeting glance of a whale and we really appreciated the offer of a repeat trip based on their guarantee. Being local, we plan on another great opportunity to get the family together that i know will be made even more special by our new friends at 5-star.

Naturalist were amazing! Very knowledgeable and excellent with kids. Seeing the whales was amazing, they came really close to our boat. All though the Naturalist said that was rare and we very fortunate. Just an amazing experience!

Best trip ever!!!! We saw so many whales!!! The crew was so knowledgeable, I learned so much. Thank you Captain Gordon and Mika!!

Cancelled two hours before due. Luckily we were able to find an alternative with Prince of Whales. From other reviews it looks like their vessels are a bit unreliable