Jamie's Whaling Station And Adventure Centres
Jamie's Whaling Station And Adventure Centres
Jamie's Whaling Station And Adventure Centres
4.7
Boat ToursHiking & Camping ToursDolphin & Whale WatchingNature & Wildlife ToursKayaking & Canoeing
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Jamie's Whaling Station has been offering authentic, family-friendly eco-adventures since 1982. We are your connection to Whales, Bears, and Hot Springs Cove in Tofino & Ucluelet. Join us for one of many adventures on our larger family-friendly vessels or on our fast-paced Zodiac vessels. We also offer Water Taxi service, private charters and Kayaking tours through our partner Paddle West Kayaking. Whatever West Coast adventure you're looking for we're ready to get you out on the water to create some lifelong memories.
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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Jamie's Whaling Station And Adventure Centres
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.7
1,998 reviews
Excellent
1,615
Very good
226
Average
82
Poor
43
Terrible
32
john p
Leeds, UK65 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
The 2 of us took 2 tours on consecutive days – a black bear tour and a whale tour. The venue was easy to find, a ten minute walk along the main road from downtown. We checked in first and were given a safety talk before being taken on the boats. The bear tour was on a covered boat which we could open the windows fully if we needed to (we did!) We sped very quickly for about half an hour and when we got close to some shorelines we slowed right down. Straight away we saw a bear! The engine was turned off and we all watched in silence, getting very close. The bear didn’t seem disturbed by us at all. Later on we also saw a mother and cub and then another mother and cub. If you bring binoculars you will have an even better view. The crew did not rush, they let us watch for long periods. On the 2nd tour the next day we were on a more open boat but went just as fast. There was a big team on this boat with a guide on every deck telling us about the wildlife we saw. We saw bald eagles, one of which swooped down to catch a fish! We also saw a pair of grey whales after a while – the crew did really well to find them. A bit later on we also found a 3rd whale, getting close enough to see it coming up for air several times. On our way back we saw a colony of seals swimming next to the boat and then a big family of sea otters just lying back and watching us. Maybe we were lucky but the crew did their very best to get to the right places. A very enjoyable couple of tours. (Sorry I didn’t remember the names of the crews – we went on 24 & 25 August at 8am and 10.30am).
Written September 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OakvilleHS
Oakville, Canada39 contributions
Sept 2024 • Family
Our family had a fantastic trip to Hot Springs Cove with Jamie’s Whaling Station and Adventure Centres. Our captain, Scott, was an exceptionally competent pilot with decades of experience as a former commercial fisherman—exactly the kind of expertise you want when venturing into the Pacific Ocean.
Before departure, safety procedures were thoroughly explained, and then we set off. As we travelled toward the hot springs, Scott spotted sea lions and otters, skillfully maneuvering the boat for us to get a closer look. He was very knowledgeable about the wildlife, which added greatly to the experience.
Upon docking at Hot Springs Island, we embarked on a 2 km trek along a wooden boardwalk to reach the springs. It’s a decent workout but well worth it. The springs were lovely, and I recommend taking the earliest possible trip, as they were getting quite busy as we were leaving.
On the way back, Scott radioed ashore to find out where whales might be and navigated us there. Sure enough, we witnessed 2-3 whales surfacing for about 15 minutes—it was unbelievable.
Great time, great company, and an excellent job by Captain Scott. Highly recommend!
Before departure, safety procedures were thoroughly explained, and then we set off. As we travelled toward the hot springs, Scott spotted sea lions and otters, skillfully maneuvering the boat for us to get a closer look. He was very knowledgeable about the wildlife, which added greatly to the experience.
Upon docking at Hot Springs Island, we embarked on a 2 km trek along a wooden boardwalk to reach the springs. It’s a decent workout but well worth it. The springs were lovely, and I recommend taking the earliest possible trip, as they were getting quite busy as we were leaving.
On the way back, Scott radioed ashore to find out where whales might be and navigated us there. Sure enough, we witnessed 2-3 whales surfacing for about 15 minutes—it was unbelievable.
Great time, great company, and an excellent job by Captain Scott. Highly recommend!
Written September 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vicky S
2 contributions
May 2024 • Family
We went on the hot springs tour yesterday, with Chris our pilot. The springs are amazing, incredibly warm and right next to the sea - almost unreal. The walk through the woods is magical with ancient trees in a lush forest. The trip would've been worth it for just the springs, but we were very lucky on the way there to see a large amount of wildlife: grey whales, Californian seal lions, sea otter and even a black bear. Chris was incredibly good at spotting the wildlife and was full of interesting information about them and the local area. We've been on a lot of boat trips around the world and this was definitely one of the best - cannot recommend it enough!
Written May 9, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Vicky,
Thank you for your review and for the 5 stars! We are happy to hear you enjoyed the trip up to the hot springs with Chris. You could not have described the tour better, it truly includes everything. Seas, trees and the relaxing soak in the springs and loads of wildlife along the way. This half day adventure is a great way to see and experience the west coast. We appreciate your recommendation and hope you can visit with us again soon!
Kindly, Kelso
Visitor Experience Manager
Written May 12, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
IainRH
Cheltenham, UK82 contributions
Sept 2024 • Family
Arranged a private whale and bear watching trip for our family group of 5 as part of my wife's birthday celebration. We were taken out by the centre manager, Ashley. Weather was not great but it really just added to the atmosphere and we loved the trip from beginning to end, seeing grey whales, sea otters and a black bear amongst a myriad of sea birds. Ashley is very knowledgeable and was in constant contact with other boats to maximise our viewing. Would definitely recommend.
(Note to bookers, if going on Zodiac trips, you are provided with full body floatation suits so think carefully about what you wear and the weather on the day.)
(Note to bookers, if going on Zodiac trips, you are provided with full body floatation suits so think carefully about what you wear and the weather on the day.)
Written September 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Theo V
Amsterdam, The Netherlands1,556 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
We took two watching-tours a:: bear watching at a very early hour and whale watching in the afternoon.
The bear watching is our favorite: beautiful surroundings while searching for bears, sea otters, sea lions etc. Canada on the water in between islands is amazing. We were lucky enough to have nice weather and skipper and guide made sure we saw everything we hoped to see. With ample time to enjoy the sight. As well as keeping enough distance from the animals. Excellent! We did miss coffee, especially since it is real early you are expected to be at the office. That should be there. If we had known, we would have got some on our way. The day before we were told there would be some. We do recommend microfoon and speaker so we can enjoy what the knowledgeable quite says about the animals better.
The whale watching had a good team as well and good fun. We had a good ride. Unfortunately only far away sightings. The crew tried hard enough. They showed us done seals, otters and eagles. Good enough. We missed coffee or tea etc on board. Other watchings in countries like Australia, New Zealand, places in Europe etc has that. Which is good, since you are appt 3 hours (with others 3-4) hours on board.
Having said that: we enjoyed both trips. The crews were both outstanding. Safety first and really trying to get the sightings and, in a safe way for the animals. We recommend. Have warm clothes: it is cold in April.
The bear watching is our favorite: beautiful surroundings while searching for bears, sea otters, sea lions etc. Canada on the water in between islands is amazing. We were lucky enough to have nice weather and skipper and guide made sure we saw everything we hoped to see. With ample time to enjoy the sight. As well as keeping enough distance from the animals. Excellent! We did miss coffee, especially since it is real early you are expected to be at the office. That should be there. If we had known, we would have got some on our way. The day before we were told there would be some. We do recommend microfoon and speaker so we can enjoy what the knowledgeable quite says about the animals better.
The whale watching had a good team as well and good fun. We had a good ride. Unfortunately only far away sightings. The crew tried hard enough. They showed us done seals, otters and eagles. Good enough. We missed coffee or tea etc on board. Other watchings in countries like Australia, New Zealand, places in Europe etc has that. Which is good, since you are appt 3 hours (with others 3-4) hours on board.
Having said that: we enjoyed both trips. The crews were both outstanding. Safety first and really trying to get the sightings and, in a safe way for the animals. We recommend. Have warm clothes: it is cold in April.
Written April 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Theo,
Thank you for your detailed review and for coming out with us on two different trips during your visit. We are not surprised the bear tour was your favourite. Its one of the most beautiful scenic tours in Clayoquot Sound. Aside from spotting the bears, the views along the way are some of the most beautiful in the world. We are sorry about the misunderstanding with the coffee. While there is a cafe across the street, we have not offered coffee in our office for several years. The recommendation of a speaker is something we have considered before, however, for the bear tour, we must keep our volume level quite low as to not spook the bears. Our deckhand on board is providing information to guests during the tour about what they are seeing and what areas we are exploring.
We are glad you found the whale watcing tour fun with the crew on board. The trip that day went down to Long Beach where were able to spot some whales close to the shore there feeding in the sand as they do. Our allowable distance is 100m for whales and depending on what behaviors they are exhibiting we may give them more space or see different behaviors from them. We do have beverages and snacks on board our larger whale watching vessel starting in the summer.
Thank you for mentioning our safety first approach and for understanding that our crew take special care to ensure the wildlife is also protected while viewing them from a safe distance. We agree, warm layers are a great idea year round. Its always colder out on the water even on the sunniest of days.
It was our pleasure to have you onboard with us and we hope you left with some magical memories that will last a lifetime.
Kindly, Kelso
Visitor Experience Manager
Written April 16, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MBSLT17
Wigan, UK29 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
3 hour zodiac whale watching experience… we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience; from being kitted out in our buoyancy suits & mackintoshes to bouncing along on the open seas. Wowzer… people pay this money for THAT experience alone and we got to see sea lions AND humpback whales ( well their spouts and tails!) into the bargain. Great fun, great skipper, fabulous trip.
Written June 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Navigator93084
1 contribution
Aug 2024 • Couples
Very fun trip on the Zodiak for whale watching. We saw several grey whales--air puffs, backs out of the water and 2 tail flips. And we did get to see a humpback come all the way out of the water and spin!! Very exciting! We also saw many species of birds including a Tufted Puffin. We saw several otters both in and out of the water. Our captain and guide Greg was awesome. He was very informative and fun and was very diligent at trying to find wildlife to make our adventure unforgettable.
Written September 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
epaste
Berkeley, CA17 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
We went on the bear tour with Jamie’s, on the covered boat out of Tofino. It was a lot of fun, educational and joyful. Captain Warren and Sarah were great guides and worked hard to find us bears to watch, even staying out a little longer to make sure it was a great experience. The boat was comfortable and even though fully booked, plenty of room for everyone to get a lot of good sightings. Go!
Written June 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vicky D
13 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
Fabulous day on the hot springs tour with Captain Chris. The whole process from booking to trip was very professional and well organised. Not only did we have the hot springs experience but was also stopped to see grey whales, sea otters and eagles. Would definitely recommend …probably one of the best visits in the month we have been in Canada
Written September 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
271anja
Culcheth, UK127 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
Went on a bear tour and boy did we not get disappointed- it was about 30 minutes before we saw our first bear… just walking along the shoreline and flipping over rocks. In total we say 3 grown bears and one had two cubs with them.
Bring your binoculars so you can get real close, but without it was still amazing.
We also did a whale watching cruise - this I wouldn’t recommend - there are whales and we did see them, but they only come up for such a short amount of time. Blink and you’ve missed it.
Bring your binoculars so you can get real close, but without it was still amazing.
We also did a whale watching cruise - this I wouldn’t recommend - there are whales and we did see them, but they only come up for such a short amount of time. Blink and you’ve missed it.
Written June 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi ! Yes we do! Please call us to reserve a kennel. Cheers!
Written July 3, 2018
Bonjour,
C'est par notre hôtel ; Pacific Sand Beach Resort; que j'aie eu votre adresse. Nous rêvons des voir des baleines, en petit groupe et en zodiac.
Nous sommes 3 adultes, et n'avons que le 1 septembre 2016 comme possibilité, est encore possible ?, si oui venez vous nous chercher à 'hôtel ? Si c'est possible, je suppose qu'il faut réserver par votre cite internet.
Merci pour votre réponse par avance. Dominique
Written May 31, 2016
Bonjour Dominique,
C'est possible de reserver un tour de zodiac pour voir les baleines le 1er Septembre, nous avons des departs a 9am, 12pm, et 3pm.
Vous pouvez reserver en ligne, ou par telephone: 250.725.3919.
Nous ne fesons pas le transport de l'hotel a la station, mais Pacific Sands a une navette qui peut vous amener a la station, ou l'autre option c'est prendre le taxi!
A la prochaine,
Merci!
Written June 5, 2016
Hi hoping to visit mid July, hoping to see as much wildlife as possible. How many days would you recommend we set aside and which tours would you recommend? Is there accommodation close to where the tours leave from? Thanks in advance
Written February 13, 2016
We stayed at Jamie's Rainforest Inn, short drive outside Tofino for 3 nights in August as part of a trip around BC and Alberta. Didn't book trips until arrival but reception were able to arrange bear watching trip (larger boat) for next morning (saw 11 bears, blue heron, bald eagles, harbour seals, jellyfish etc) and whale watching (whale, sea otters, seals) second morning. Read guidance for tours using Zodiac boats - depends on state of your health. Staying at Inn gave us discount with Jamie's Whaling Station. Left us time to do part of Wild Pacific trail in Uclulet, Wicknannish beach, Rainforest trail, and some other shorter ones. Do Cathedral Grove on your 3 hour drive across the island. Recommend eating at Shelter opposite Jamie's Whaling Station.
Written February 15, 2016
Bonjour! Oui, nous vous recommandons de réserver à l'avance au cours de notre saison occupée . Nous avons hâte d'avoir de tes nouvelles.
Written July 16, 2015
Im planning to holiday in tofino sept 2016. Could anyone who has been recommend good budget accommodation for my stay. Im trying to work out how much i need to save up. Thanks, audrey
Written May 25, 2015
Hi Audrey, We offer great, affordable accommodation in a rainforest setting. Jamie's Rainforest Inn offers many room types for multiple budgets and there is a restaurant in the hotel. There are special rates for our adventure tours for guests staying at Jamie's Rainforest Inn.
In general, Tofino can be an expensive place to visit, mostly due to the location. We are very remote, being a 1.5 hour drive from the nearest large town. Accommodation is between $0-$500/a night for the various providers in Tofino and food prices range, depending on your preference and budget. It is very helpful to have a vehicle out here, but not necessary as there are bus options.
I hope this answers your question.
See you next year!
Jamie
Written May 30, 2015
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