Do you have a question about our Whale Watching, Bear Watching, or Hot Springs Cove tours? Hopefully, you can find the answer to your question below. If you have a question that isn’t listed below feel free to contact us directly and we’ll gladly help you find your answer.
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Gray Whales: Are the most common whale we see on our tours in Tofino from March through October.
Humpback Whales: Starting in the spring we start to see Humpbacks around Tofino and Ucluelet. We see these whales more often on our Ucluelet tours than our Tofino tours throughout the summer months.
Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales: In both Tofino & Ucluelet we commonly see Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales. These whales are seen throughout the entire year.
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Whales: In our experience, there isn’t any better time of day for whale sightings. Whales are actively feeding throughout the day which gives us lots of opportunities to watch them in their natural habitat.
Bears: On our bear watching tours we set our departure times according to low tide, as that is when the bears come down to the shoreline to find crabs and other shellfish to feast on.
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Jamie’s Whaling Station has operated for over 40 years allowing us to learn the habits and behaviour of both the whales and bears that frequent our areas. It’s this knowledge that allows us to find whales and bears on a majority of our tours.
Whales: Whales are always present along our coastlines but we primarily will see them throughout our main operating season from March through October. We can also have whale encounters from November through February on our Hot Spring Cove tours.
Bears: Our bear watching tours run April through October when the bears are out and about feeding and raising their young offering us plenty of great opportunities to be in their presence.
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Whales: We are regulated by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans to stay at least 100 meters away from most whales. Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales we must not approach closer than 200m. Jamie’s are also committed to not viewing the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population if they show up in our waters as a protective measure to ensure their safety during this critical time for their population. At times, when our vessels are turned off, curious whales will approach our vessels. If this happens we will retreat to the mandated distances when it’s safe to do so.
Bears: On our bear watching tours we aim to keep a safe and respectful distance from the bears to ensure that they never feel threatened by our presence or that we affect their behaviours in any way.
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Tours from both Tofino & Ucluelet offer you the opportunity to witness an ecosystem rich in diversity. Aside from whales or bears, we commonly see on our tours Bald Eagles and endless amounts of other amazing birds, Sea Lions, Seals, Porpoise, adorable Sea Otters and much more. Every tour is a different experience and you never know what you’ll see on a tour with us.
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With over 40 years in business, our guides have become experts at knowing where and when to find the whales or bears you’ve come to Tofino or Ucluelet to see. Over the years, Jamie’s has a high success rate in locating whales and bears on our tours. With that in mind, as with any wildlife viewing tours, we cannot say with 100% certainty that we will find the animals we are seeking due to a variety of factors such as visibility and sea conditions. It’s also important to remember that these animals are wild. While our guides are experts at finding these animals, they sometimes can be elusive. If we are unable to locate a whale or bear during your tour, we’re pleased to offer you a Raincheck Ticket to take another tour with us FREE of charge. Click here for more information on Jamie’s Raincheck Guarantee.
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What vessel you travel on is completely up to you and your personal preferences. Our large covered cruisers and cabin cruisers are suitable for those who enjoy a more relaxing and comfortable ride while also being able to freely move around throughout your tour.
Our Zodiac vessels are for those who are looking for a truly adventurous and thrilling ride in between viewing wildlife. These vessels are not suitable for anyone under 4’8″ (142cm). We also do not recommend this tour for anyone with a history of serious medical conditions. These include, but are not limited to, anyone who is pregnant, those with back or neck problems, osteoporosis, incontinence or recent surgery.
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Weather on the West Coast of Vancouver Island can at times be unpredictable. This occurs mostly from October through March. From April through September, the weather is generally quite nice on our coast. In Tofino and Ucluelet, we are surrounded by a temperate rainforest which means we do get about 10-feet of rain every year. While the weather tends to be a bit drier between April and September we can still experience days of heavy rain. Our tours are Rain or Shine and we ask that you check the forecast prior to arriving for your departure and dress accordingly.
On occasion, if the sea conditions are too rough we will cancel or delay our departures as your safety is our #1 concern and we will not travel in any conditions that we deem to be unsafe based on our strict operating procedures.
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Our whale tours are 2.5 to 3 hours and bear tours are 2 to 2.5 hours in length. The length of the tour is dependent on multiple variables including sea conditions and the locations of the various wildlife we see on our tours. Please note that every tour has an allotted time slot of 2.5 to 3-hours to allow you to plan for the maximum amount of time spent on your tour. All guests should arrive 30-minutes prior to departure to check in and allow for an additional 15-30 minutes upon the competition of the tour to disembark, desuit (Zodiac tours), use the washrooms and visit the gift shop. Total time spent with Jamie’s for Whale & Bear Watching tours will vary between 3 to 4 hours.
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How in advance you need to book your tour depends on when you’re travelling to Tofino or Ucluelet.
March – May: This time of the season is generally a bit quieter in Tofino and Ucluelet which means you can probably book your tours closer to your arrival.
June – September: This is our peak season and it is highly recommended that you book as soon as you have made your other travel plans which will allow you to choose your preferred date and time for your tours.
October: Like earlier in the season, October is generally a bit quieter in Tofino and Ucluelet allowing you to book your tours closer to your arrival.
November – February: If you’re booking a Hot Springs Cove tour with us throughout the winter months you can often book these tours a few days in advance of your planned departure.
*Please note that if you’re travelling in a large group it is highly recommended that you book well in advance no matter what time of year.
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All Tours: We recommend that you dress in warm layered clothing for all our tours. It is always cooler on the water, even in the warm days of summer. Also recommended are a camera, sunscreen, gloves, hat, rain gear (if raining), binoculars, and most importantly – your sense of adventure!
Zodiac Tours: We provide a full-body zodiac suit that provides some warmth and floatation, however, we still recommend wearing warm layers and jackets underneath. Also wear enclosed shoes with socks as we don’t recommend flip-flops or open sandals. Sunglasses are a great idea for protection against the wind, sun, glare, and splashing water.
Hot Springs Cove Tours: For our Hot Springs Cove tours you will need to bring the following…
-Comfortable walking shoes for the trail
-Swimsuit and towel
-Full lunch & beverages (no glass please). There is no fresh-water drinking source available.
-Although not necessary, water shoes, sandals or old running shoes are recommended if you have them. The terrain is rocky and can often be slippery.
-A backpack or tote bag to comfortably carry your belongings.
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Absolutely! Jamie’s Whaling Station is proud to offer many opportunities for families to experience an adventure on the water. We have many large vessels that are perfect for family members of any age. We do ask that any guest under the age of 19 travels with a supervising adult.
At this time, we do not offer infant (0-2 years) seating on any of our bear watching tours or on our cabin cruiser vessels. Families travelling with infants are welcome to join us on our Tofino Large Cruiser Whale Watching Tour.
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If you are prone to motion sickness while in a car or have experienced seasickness in the past, we recommend being prepared by visiting a pharmacy to discuss the best option for you. Fortunately, there are many options to reduce the risk of becoming seasick. We recommend taking any over-the-counter seasickness remedies a few hours prior to your departure to allow you to see the best results.
Generally, seasickness only occurs on our whale watching tours. It’s rare for guests to feel seasick on our Hot Springs Cove tours and guests never get ill on our bear watching tours as we are always in sheltered waters.
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For all tours except bear watching tours, you are allowed to bring your food and drinks with you. We recommend that you refrain from any foods or drinks that are high in sugar content as this can often lead to seasickness.
For our bear watching tours, we ask that you do not bring any food or drinks other than water as bears have a strong sense of smell and we do not want the bears to associate us with food in any way for their health and safety.
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Depending on what vessel you are travelling on during your tour you may or may not have access to a washroom. Our larger vessels all have washrooms onboard for use. On our smaller vessels including our Zodiacs, we have small marine toilets that are for emergency use only.
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You can absolutely bring your camera on your Zodiac tour. We do recommend that you bring a protective bag to help keep your camera equipment dry throughout your tour.
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If you had a 5-star experience on your tour and feel that your crew went above and beyond, you are welcome to leave them with a tip. If you prefer to leave a contactless tip you can do so by having our office team process a payment on your behalf for your guides. You can do this either in the office directly or by calling the office after your tour.
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In Tofino, we offer a large parking lot for our guests. This includes parking for RV motorhomes. All parking is FREE with your tour.
In Ucluelet, there is parking in front of the Jamie’s building as well as along the roads near our offices. All parking is FREE in these areas.
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We do not have a shuttle service, unfortunately. If you are in need of transportation to and from Jamie’s Whaling Station you can contact the following:
Tofino
Pacific Rim Navigators: 250-725-8393
Tofino Taxi: 250-725-3333
TikiBus: 250-266-1521
Coastal Rides : Website to Sign up
Ucluelet
Ucluelet Taxi: 250-726-4415
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We are happy to welcome service dogs onboard our large vessels (Lukwa, Stellar Sea). Guests must present a valid service dog certificate. This does not currently include therapy or emotional support dogs.