Aboriginal Journeys - Wildlife And Adventure Tours
Aboriginal Journeys - Wildlife And Adventure Tours
Aboriginal Journeys - Wildlife And Adventure Tours
5
Boat ToursEco ToursPrivate ToursDolphin & Whale WatchingNature & Wildlife Tours
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
A local family owned tour company located in Campbell River, British Columbia. See Killer Whales (Orcas), Dolphins, Humpback Whales, Eagles, Black Bears and other Marine Wildlife in their natural environment on our Wildlife ,Whale Watching and Adventure Tours. See majestic fjords and enjoy breathtaking nature viewing boat tours throughout the Discovery Passage, Johnstone Strait and Mainland Inlet areas. We have a 28 foot covered vessel with a open viewing deck and onboard washroom and heater. Our experienced and locally born Transport Canada certified guides have a minimum 45 years experience working and traveling within these waters. We look forward in creating long lasting memories for you and your families. Our floating office is located at the Discovery Harbour Marina (G Dock)in Campbell River. Please use the South ramp. "A Spectacular Adventure Awaits!" CAMPBELL RIVER's longest running Whale Watching and Wildlife Adventure Tour company . Established in 2000.
Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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Aboriginal Journeys - Wildlife And Adventure Tours
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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
5.0
437 reviews
Excellent
410
Very good
14
Average
9
Poor
3
Terrible
1
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jocelynpanton
Richmond, Canada19 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
Had a great time out with Garry from Aboriginal Journeys recently! It was an amazing bucket list experience. We saw 9 orcas (2 different families) that we watched for quite a while and saw a humpback who also did his special tail flip for us. Garry really knows his stuff and is very respectful of these beautiful creatures. We will definitely use this company again when we’re back in the area.
Written September 8, 2020
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.
wilkyian
Southampton, UK10 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
Just back from an amazing whale watching trip with Garry on his boat Laker II out of Campbell River. Safety briefing before embarking, the boat has an enclosed seating area and washroom.
You remain seated until you arrive in the area where the wildlife are, then go out on the rear deck to view, take photographs. On the 5 hour trip we did lunch was provided.
Garry is a genial tour guide, so local we had the chance to wave to his father in law on the way out. We saw many birds, seals, orcas and humpback whales in lots of different locations. Garry is extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of the area and has a passion for wildlife. We were blessed with perfect sunny skies and a calm sea.
We were visiting from England, made to feel welcome and valued as clients.
It was the best day whale watching ever, I would definitely recommend Aboriginal Journeys and go again myself, thank you Garry.
You remain seated until you arrive in the area where the wildlife are, then go out on the rear deck to view, take photographs. On the 5 hour trip we did lunch was provided.
Garry is a genial tour guide, so local we had the chance to wave to his father in law on the way out. We saw many birds, seals, orcas and humpback whales in lots of different locations. Garry is extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of the area and has a passion for wildlife. We were blessed with perfect sunny skies and a calm sea.
We were visiting from England, made to feel welcome and valued as clients.
It was the best day whale watching ever, I would definitely recommend Aboriginal Journeys and go again myself, thank you Garry.
Written July 9, 2023
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.
Julesandjack
Cambridgeshire, UK2 contributions
Oct 2022
My son, daughter (both adults) and I had a fantastic trip with Garry last week. Despite Garry having carried out 1000's of similar trips, his humour and enthusiasm to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable and informative trip still shines through! We were fortunate to see a few singular whales at the start, then a group of 6-8 whales at the end of the trip, with Garry going out of his way to ensure that we stayed long enough to enjoy the experience and take photo's etc.
One of our best experiences and I would not hesitate to recommend Garry and this tour
One of our best experiences and I would not hesitate to recommend Garry and this tour
Written October 11, 2022
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.
Georgia
United Kingdom27 contributions
Oct 2022
We booked this tour very last minute and were delighted that we did.
From the very beginning Garry was an incredible guide, telling us all about the animals as well as some of the local history of the area. On our trip we saw so many Humpback Whales as well as a huge pod of White Sided Dolphins - not forgetting Stellar Sealions & amazing birds. Garry went above and beyond ensure that the boat was in the best position for us to get the best pictures without ever disturbing the animals! Thank you so much - lifelong memories made!
From the very beginning Garry was an incredible guide, telling us all about the animals as well as some of the local history of the area. On our trip we saw so many Humpback Whales as well as a huge pod of White Sided Dolphins - not forgetting Stellar Sealions & amazing birds. Garry went above and beyond ensure that the boat was in the best position for us to get the best pictures without ever disturbing the animals! Thank you so much - lifelong memories made!
Written October 2, 2022
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.
jean0124
Olhao, Portugal56 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
I booked this tour based on the reviews that i had read & also from the pictures on their website, the tour on the water was brilliant we saw orcas, dolphins, porpoise, humpbacks & seals & sea lions all brilliant but when i booked this tour it was with the main intention off going to look for bears which is what the website with pictures claims to do, but when we got there & the tour guide Garry got talking he said that he had stopped doing the bear tours about 3yrs ago that was news to me as i book this tour in February 2023, so if you want to see bears i would not recommend this company. This was a bucket list trip & probably the last long haul that we will do as our healths are not so good these days, so a good day out on the water but also a let down as i mainly wanted to see the bears. They need to state on their website that they no longer do bear tours.
Written September 9, 2023
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.
Thomas V
2 contributions
Sept 2021 • Couples
This tour was one of the highlights of our 14 trip trough West-Canada. Garry is a great guide, with a lot of experience and knowlegde about the surrounding waters. We booked a 3,5 hour whale & whildlife tour and saw some seals, eagles and dolphins.
However, at the end of the tour he got a message some orca's and humpback whales were spotted 1 hour away from our path. He offered the possibility to extend the tour to a 5 hour one (with some small compensation for the extra fuel used) so we could have a chance to see a pod of orca's. He went out of his way to provide us the most beautiful viewes of those creatures. It is clear he really wants his customers to have the best experience. We ended up getting a 5,5 hour tour with beautiful shots of both orca's and whales. Of course, this was a one time thing because of the orca's that were spotted. It does show Garry is very passionate and wants his customers to have the best time! All in all, would certainly recommend!
However, at the end of the tour he got a message some orca's and humpback whales were spotted 1 hour away from our path. He offered the possibility to extend the tour to a 5 hour one (with some small compensation for the extra fuel used) so we could have a chance to see a pod of orca's. He went out of his way to provide us the most beautiful viewes of those creatures. It is clear he really wants his customers to have the best experience. We ended up getting a 5,5 hour tour with beautiful shots of both orca's and whales. Of course, this was a one time thing because of the orca's that were spotted. It does show Garry is very passionate and wants his customers to have the best time! All in all, would certainly recommend!
Written September 24, 2021
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.
Thank you very much for your nice words. Greatly appreciated. It was a pleasure having you onboard for such a memorable day. :)
Written October 13, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
wns141
Saskatchewan, Canada303 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
Absolutely spectacular! Garry was a wonderful guide. He taught us so much about the land, ocean and animals. The boat was comfortable with indoor seating plus a deck to stand on for viewing. We were lucky to see five orcas, sea lions and some eagles. As we were viewing orcas from a distance one orca surprised us by popping up beside us to say hello. It was super surprising and exciting that the orca showed themselves to us. Garry has been doing these tours for 23 years and has fished these waters his whole life - he has the local knowledge and it shows. Fabulous experience!!!
Written April 16, 2022
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.
UliS
Aachen, Germany82 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
This was not our first, and hopefully not last, Wildlife/Whalewatching tour but so far Gary has been the best guide we have ever had. In a small covered boat we set off with a manageable group of 7 people the maritime life to locate Vancouver Island. While sailing out to sea, Gary, a local with a family First Nations connection, had so much information about Vancouver Island as well as his own experiences and stories that it never got boring for a second. If the man ever writes a book, I'll buy it.
Of course, it wasn’t primarily about Gary, but about the wildlife and again we weren’t disappointed. We saw a group of orcas, bald eagles and vultures, sea lions and seals, and four humpback whales. Of which a mother and calf were accompanied by another very large humpback whale. During the animal sightings we were able to leave the seats in the cabin and go to the outside of the boat. Due to the pleasant size of the group, everyone could see something here.
It is important to me that the animals were not hunted. Gary is very respectful of the environment and doesn't get too close to the animals, when they get closer to the boat what happened with the humpback whales, it's their own decision and the boat engine was off for so long.
Should I ever return to Vancouver Island I would immediately book a tour with Aboriginal Journey again.
Good to know is perhaps that you can easily take a backpack on the tour and also everything stays dry due to the inside cabin of the boat.
Of course, it wasn’t primarily about Gary, but about the wildlife and again we weren’t disappointed. We saw a group of orcas, bald eagles and vultures, sea lions and seals, and four humpback whales. Of which a mother and calf were accompanied by another very large humpback whale. During the animal sightings we were able to leave the seats in the cabin and go to the outside of the boat. Due to the pleasant size of the group, everyone could see something here.
It is important to me that the animals were not hunted. Gary is very respectful of the environment and doesn't get too close to the animals, when they get closer to the boat what happened with the humpback whales, it's their own decision and the boat engine was off for so long.
Should I ever return to Vancouver Island I would immediately book a tour with Aboriginal Journey again.
Good to know is perhaps that you can easily take a backpack on the tour and also everything stays dry due to the inside cabin of the boat.
Automatically translated
Written July 25, 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.
Mervyy27
Nanaimo BC78 contributions
Sept 2020
Awesome day full of wildlife. Started with several humpbacks on the 2 hour trip through magnificent fjords/inlets to the salmon stream where Grizzly bears feed.Saw 4 transient orcas on the way and Garry stopped to appreciate the whale views even though long trip to bear feeding area. Lots of great stories/educational info en route from his vast experience growing up on the water in the area.Met Bennie-First Nation guide at the bear site. Taken to the bear viewing areas by the salmon streams. Saw several bears from the viewing platforms. These are grizzly bears in the wild and utmost caution and respect is demonstrated while viewing.We were within 10-20 ' of bears at times. All in all an amazing tour unlike any other I have been on. The boat is comfortable with 4 benches for 2 on one side and 2 benches for 2 on other. Full safety equipment and safety orientation. Garry has been on the water for many years and takes safety very seriously.There is a head on board if needed.I just got home yesterday and already want to go back!! Conditions on the water vary and we had a sunny day with no wind which was awesome. Nature does what it does but we had great success in viewing...thanks Garry and Benny for an amazing encounter!! So nice to see the humpbacks making their return!!
Written September 11, 2020
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.
Laura S
Brighton, United Kingdom19 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
We had perfect weather to start with waters so calm. We saw 2 pods of Orcas, but the hi light was when 3 Humpbacks popped up right next to us!
Gary was great as our tour leader, giving us not only whale info but tales of the currents and seas. Lovely to see someone so passionate on his subject.
Gary was great as our tour leader, giving us not only whale info but tales of the currents and seas. Lovely to see someone so passionate on his subject.
Written September 21, 2023
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.
Aloha, we are planning a trip to BC in this coming May 2020. Probably be there around the 18th of May till the 26. Would love to go on one of your amazing excursions, what kind of trips are offered then and what can we expect to see? Thank you! Tracey
Written March 6, 2020
Hi,
The Grizzly's don't come to the rivers until the end of August so that is out. I'm not sure about the whales. I believe the humpbacks will be mostly in their breeding grounds, but there are resident species as well. Bald Eagles are always present and so are sea lions. The orca's may be seen, but as Resident populations are declining and Transient populations are hard to predict it is not guaranteed. I hope this helps. Linda
Written March 6, 2020
Deciding best time to do tour. 2 couples travelling to Canada doing Rocky Mountains then Inside Passage finishing in late June or late August. Best time to see wildlife bears/whales.
Also staying campbell River or Quadra Island.Looking at April Point but is it better to be closer to your base.
Written September 18, 2018
Hi, Sorry for the delayed replied. From August 20 to October 15 we do Grizzly bear tours to Toba Inlet . This is the only tour we do during this time of the year. We just have the 1 boat. . Please check out our website for more info.
Written February 1, 2019
Hi; After reading an article in last Saturday's (Ocober 21) National Post, I am interested in finding out more about whale-and- Grizzly watching tours. For the past number of years we have travelled overseas (China, Thailand and Vietnam). It would appear that we should explore our own "backyard", for a change.
Are there 7-day packages available? My wife and I are fit, active Senior Citizens (79 & 75). We live in Toronto - your suggestions would be most appreciated.
Written October 23, 2017
hi chad
am travelling to canada and alaska from mid june/early july 2017 and after the rockies and cruise would like to see marine wild life, polar bears and grizzlies. we have about about a week after disembarking in vancouver. what would you suggest and if going with ajw, what would be the best options to get there and back from vancouver?
many thanks
Written March 14, 2017
What time does the trip for bears start on 09/07 and how much is it?
Written August 8, 2016
contact garry by the number provided ((250) 850-1101) and he will be able to answer your questions. Much faster and more reliable to contact the provider by email or phone than asking on a message board. Good luck and enjoy the tour if you go. Or even message them through facebook.
Written August 9, 2016
stulkin
San Mateo, California
what are the differences between the four hour and six hour wildlife and adventure tours
Written December 23, 2015
The two tours (4 hours wildlife and 6 hours whale watching) were actually very similar. The attention was mainly on whale watching (orcas and humpbacks, dolphins and porpoise), for other animals he didn't stop (seals) or only made some remarks (seabirds). Gery only returns once everybody had seen enough, thus we always spent an hour longer at sea than originally scheduled. As he carries food and drinks this was very much welcomed.
Written December 25, 2015
Erika K
Anger, Germany
Hallo, ich möchte gerne wissen, ob es auch Mitte bis Ende Juni Bären zu beobachten gibt.Die Lachs-Saison ist wohl schon vorüber!
Written January 20, 2015
Hello
Our Grizzly bear tours begin August 25 ,2015 and run until October 20,2015. In July we sometimes see black bears.
Thank You
Garry Henkel
Written January 20, 2015
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