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Canada whale watching holidays

4.8/5

Average Customer Score
Based On 1280 Reviews

4.8/5

Average Customer Score
Based On 1280 Reviews

Overview

Canada is a whale watching super power. You can experience superb encounters with whales off both coasts, from orcas around British Columbia on the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast where the world’s largest population of humpback whales can be found off Newfoundland.

April to October is prime whale watching time in Canada – the best time to seek out some of the 33 plus species of whale that live in country’s oceans. There are plenty of opportunities for whale watching with trips offered in small zodiacs, sailing boats, comfortable cruisers, kayaks and, in Newfoundland, from the shore.

Nova Scotia, Quebec and the Canadian Arctic join BC and Newfoundland as whale watching locations with the rarer species such as the North Atlantic right whale, beluga and narwhal adding to the diversity.

I understand that one size doesn’t fit all, and that’s why you have the freedom to design your experience, your way.
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  • Highlights

    Tadoussac is the whale-watching capital of Québec where humpback, fin and pilot whales can be seen and is the gateway to Saguenay Fjord, home to a resident population of beluga

  • Highlights

    Seek out the world’s largest population of humpbacks off Newfoundland on a boat trip or from shore

  • Highlights

    British Columbia’s coast has one of the highest populations of orca in the world with summer the best time to see them

  • Highlights

    The nutrient-rich Bay of Fundy is another hotspot, where huge tides churn up a great supply of food to attract cetaceans including fin, minkes, humpbacks and the rare North Atlantic right whale

Whale watching holidays in Canada

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Whale watching on Canada’s Pacific coast

On the Pacific west coast, the Johnstone Strait, between Vancouver Island and the British Columbian mainland, is one of the best places in the world to see orcas. From late June to October this spot is home to nearly 300 of these majestic, playful creatures. Experience the thrill of kayaking with orcas and on a boat cruise look out for humpback and minke whales, porpoise, seals and otters too. Enormous grey whales can be seen blowing fountains of sea water off the coast of Vancouver Island as they migrate northwards between March and April.

Whale watching on the Atlantic coast

Over in eastern Canada, the spring thaw sparks a food-chain reaction in the Gulf of St Lawrence that lures a variety of whales, including beluga, fin, minke, humpback and blue. Spend time with the world’s largest population of humpbacks off the Newfoundland coast, an astonishing 5000 humpbacks visit during the summer months. Witnessing the sight of 50 tons of whale breaching and landing in an explosive splash is a truly memorable experience.

  • Travel guide

    Your Guide to Whale Watching in Canada

    Canada is a renowned whale watching hotspot and witnessing them up close should be on everyone’s wish list.

    Discover More