We did the hot springs tour with Captain Alastair. We had the chance to book a slightly cheaper tour with our hotel, but I'm so glad we stuck with the Whale Centre bc of Captain Alastair. He was exactly who I imagine a wise grey-haired sea captain to be. He started the tour by acknowledging that we're in the unceded lands of First Nation tribes and shared many stories about the islands and animals we saw. He also knew that there were swells and took us on a slightly longer route that kept us out of super bumpy water. We heard later that the other boats took the typical route and a ton of ppl got seasick, while we were all fine. We saw otters, seas, hawks, and Captain Alastair even took "a diversion" to make sure we got to see a grey whale. We were also in a "cabin cruiser" which was covered and made it a very comfortable ride. I also appreciated their grey life buoy vests which were less obstructive/bulky than the usual life vests. The hot springs were as we expected based on reading reviews. Cramped but still so cool being in a natural hot spring. We enjoyed the long walking there and back too (prepare for a lot of up and down)! It was a great experience overall and I highly recommend the Whale Centre if you can get captain Alastair! read more

Manuel was our guide and was a wealth of local and sea life knowledge. We really enjoyed the biat ride, walk and springs. Although, the hot springs were smaller than expected, but overall a great experience! read more

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We had a great experience with JY as our captain in their enclosed boat. Highly recommend.

We had an amazing trip to the hot springs! We spotted sea otters, sea wolves, orca whales and a humpback. The captain was very knowledgeable about the local waters and marine life. I highly recommend The Whale Centre over other outfits because of their research focus. read more

Riley took us out whale watching a few days ago. We saw a few grey whales, some sea otters, and learned a ton about the area and its wildlife. Riley went out of his way to make sure we had a good experience. Plus the boat had a covered area which kept us from getting soaked. Highly recommend. read more

Alistair was an amazing skipper. Super friendly and knowledgeable. We did the hot springs, but also saw whales and sea otters. The hot springs get crowded, so it's worth hustling there. All you need is 10-20 mins and then it's nice to go to the lower pools. read more

Riley provided a great experience for my family. I highly recommend this tour. Riley's knowledge of the history of Tofino was an added bonus! read more

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Captain Jay-Y was fantastic! Very knowledgeable about all the different sea-life we saw, knew almost exactly where to go/look and the passion he has for his job is something I wish everyone had! I've been whale watching in California, Maui, and Cabo... saw more on this trip than all three of the above combined. Worth every dime! Highly recommend! read more

My family went on two separate tours with Ash and Riley and these tours were the best whale watching tours we have ever participated in. Perfect day, smooth waters, boat was comfortable and held about 10 people, and we saw several whales (humpbacks, greys), a few sunfish (mola mola), small sharks, plenty of otters, seals, porpoises, and a lone sea lion. Thank goodness much of the wildnerness is not available for private purchases - the pristine wilderness of the Clayoquot Sound and various islands were a magnificent background for appreciating the wilderness. read more

Fantastic time was had by all in our group of four adults! Our boat captain Alistair was friendly, funny, knowledgeable, and considerate; we could have talked with him for hours. The rest of the staff at The Whale Centre were equally as kind and accommodating. Would highly recommend if it's first time in the area. Some words of warning and advice: - The boat ride there is choppy and rough, so bring plenty of Gravol if you are the least bit susceptible to motion/sea sickness. - The hot springs can become crowded if various tour groups arrive around the same time. If that is the case, don't worry: just be mindful of others there and do not hog the springs. Enjoy for some time in then exit so others can also partake. It's actually better enjoyed if you take breaks out in the fresh air in between dips. There's really only one way in and out, so make sure to scoot so others can go around you easily. - The rocks are SLIPPERY! Bring water shoes/waterproof shoes with decent grip. - Try to make your way to the one hot spring "tub" by the ocean, so that you are sitting in the heated water from the spring and the cool waves cresting in. - You will be tired after the springs, and it's a minimum 30 minute walk back to the dock. Plan enough time for you to change, pack up, and take a leisurely walk back to the boat (and to check out the amazing old growth!). read more

Captain Manuel confidently toured us around the bays of Tofino. With him, we had the rare opportunity to see a pair of gray whales sharking or swimming on their sides with tails finning above! He knew exactly where to look and had so much respect for the animals! read more

Overpriced and uncomfortable. Three boats were used to bring about 24 people to the springs which amount to a small rocky stream with only enough room for 10 people to sit. The hot springs themselves are small and dirty with what looks like bits of toilet paper floating around when you disturb the bottom. Not even deep or wide enough to submerge a person. Waste of money, there are far better hot springs for much cheaper read more

We booked our 'Whale Centre' tour and booked the whale watching/hot-springs tour, with the option for a plane ride back over the phone we then signed the waivers online and phoned back and they said everything was accepted and our plane ride home would happen as we had dinner booked early. (also the advertised time they say it takes is a lie, add 15 minutes for active and 20 for non active people. Meaning soaking time is cut by half hour. Everyone in the group was upset with the lie) Once it was over we waited for the plane, and then was told we had to go back on the boat(over 2 hrs home missed our reservation) because no one had any idea. It was a beautiful clear blue day, once we got back we weren't asked how the trip was or anything. We have sent them multiple emails with zero replies. Skip THE WHALE CENTRE read more

We had the best experience with Howie. He is very experienced, knowledgable and friendly with a great sense of humor to boot. He knows the water and where to find the eagles, harbor seals, sea lions, sea otters, and of course the grey whales. We saw all of these that I just mentioned. We made our reservation on short notice and were able to get join a tour for the next morning. We arrived 30 minutes prior to tour and suited up in orange Mustang suits and then made our way down to the dock. The boat was smaller than I'm used to, at only 32 feet, but Howie did an excellent job navigating the little boat through the waters. We had a great view of everything by sitting at the front of the boat. Our next trip to Tofino will likely include another trip with Howie. I highly recommend! read more

we had an amazing day on the water with Alistair. he shared some great stories and was a wealth of knowledge. the check in process was easy and all the store cree were super welcoming. so glad we did this trip! we also got out early which allowed our boat to be the first at the pools so enjoyed the calm before the other groups arrived. read more

We did a hot springs tour and here's my take: -the people working for this company were great. Front desk staff were very helpful and a delight to be around. -We especially enjoyed Alistair, our guide and captain. Very knowledgeable about a range of local topics and he put on a great tour of Clayoquot Sound, really wanting to ensure a good experience. -The boat tour itself was the highlight, with wildlife, a gorgeous land and sea scape, and class on local resource management and environmental issues. We learned a lot and saw otters, whales, porpoises, salmon, and lots of birds. -the hot springs use is poorly managed. They were crowded, with people stepping on each other seeking an open spot that wasn't there. And it only appeared to be getting worse as we left. The government really needs to limit how many licenses it hands out to tour companies because it seems like anyone who wants to get in is trying to milk the cash cow, at the expense of the experience. Tour companies need to push the government to step in for the good of their businesses. Put some controls in place to preserve the experience. Limit the number of companies based on seniority, limit the number of boats or people daily, and stagger arrivals. The place itself is beautiful, but greed is spoiling it. read more

The best company for whale watching in Tofino. It's my opinion but it was pretty clear and it' s because of Howie who was our guide. That guy grew up here and he knows local waters as his shoes. They call him whale whisperer and I could hear in boat radio the other captains to ask him where to go, where is gonna be the best spot today. So that's why I think that you can' t pick any better guide for whale watching. And we will let you enjoy some wild boat ride too. He is truly amazing. They use zodiac boats which is the best boat for whale watching. It's usually max for 12 people and you can get pretty close to whales. Definitely closer than in a big boat for 30 people or more. Prices are very reasonable and everything went just fine. I love it. I can definitely recommend this company to everybody. Especially if you will have a Howie as your guide. Trust me, you can't do any better . read more

My wife and I went for a whale watching tour late this morning and we had a great time. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. I enjoyed the personal touch they added to the day's trip. John, our skipper, is also the owner of the business. I'm a little surprised we went out, actually, considering it's nearly the end of whale watching season... There was only one other person on our tour. They use Boston Islanders for their tours which lived up to their reputations as a stable platform in the water for taking photos. The staff mentioned these boats are less harsh on the body than Zodiacs when pounding through the ocean swells but still an open air boat, like Zodiacs. Whatever, it was a great time, anyway! We saw just about everything advertised except the Orcas which are transient here, so that was a long shot anyway. One of the notable things about their tours is they start them about a half hour later than some of the other outfits in town, John says, which allowed us to view the whales and other sea life alone and in quiet... I like that. John seems to really respect the wildlife he shares with us. When we got back to our hotel, we saw three tour boats go by in a line. John was right on the money! read more

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They say they have the best boats for whale watching and they do. We had the opportunity to jump right in the front and ge the two seats with an unobstructed view. As our skipper Howie said these were the bumpy ones but it's really fun if you like a small boat... We saw sea otters, seals, sea lions and two impressive grey whales and felt like seeing all big mamals you could meet in the area ;=) We spend a long time with them and got to see the whales very closely without disturbing them. Howie is an amazing skipper and we even had a very interesting conversation with him afterwards about the region and the first nation. He genuinely loves his job, showing people around in the area he was born and has a deep connection to nature. read more

Not only was the hot springs tour incredible but the Whale center was extremely accommodating. We showed up the day before we wanted to go on tour and they only had three spots left on the boat for the next day which was the final day of our vacation. They ended up allowing all 4 of us to go on the tour just with the understanding that someone wouldn't have a seat. We were more then happy with this as the boys wanted to stand outside the whole time anyways. The captain was very helpful in answering any questions about the area and local wildlife. He went out of his way to make sure we were able to see a few whales in the area along with the sea lions and sea otters. Its a great bang for your buck to go on the hot spring tour! Thanks Whale Centre! read more

Friendly staff, great scenery, very experienced skippers to give you a lot of information on the tours! I've done all three tours and I can't pick a favourite! They're all unique and I enjoyed everyone of them!! read more

Went on a hot springs tour with a group of friends to Maquinna Park. Although pricey at $120/person it was more of a boat ride, shuttle, bear, bird, and whale watching tour in one! On the foggy early morning boat ride our captain spotted some black bears along the shore and on our return ride the fog lifted and we saw it all - orcas, grey whales, eagles and sea otters! We were likely lucky with our wildlife viewing, but the staff at the whale centre were friendly and knowledgeable and I would love to go back to the hot springs again with the whale centre next time I'm in Tofino. read more