Five Star Whale Watching

Fantastic Day on the water. Saw at least 2 pods of Orcas! Staff very knowledgeable and friendly. Def Recommend! Boat was a good size that made it more personal that some of the other operators out there.

ADVENTURE SEEKERS PLEASE BE AWARE Please note that I know this company has many, many 5 star reviews, however this is a topic never discussed prior to taking these adventures. My family and I took a tour with Five Star last September 2021. Before boarding we were made to sign a waiver and given safety instructions. Once on board the operator of the vessel reminded us that we must remain either at the rear of the vessel while at full speed, or in the cabin. We were on the Salish Shadow, a 12 passenger boat. Once we arrived at a site with other boats watching a small pod of orcas, we were allowed to move to the front of the boat to take pictures. My son and I moved up and took pics until the orcas disappeared. After about 10 minutes, the operator yelled he was going to find hump backs and hit the gas. At no point did he instruct us to move or that we were in danger. The boat lurched forward and within seconds we slammed into 6-8 foot swells of a ship that had passed some time ago. We hit the waves sending us into the air, including my wife in the cabin of the boat. We his two waves, causing us to be thrown into the air. I suffered hip, ribs, internal injury, head, neck and a FRACTURED SPINE. The operator was not paying attention to what he was doing. It took an hour to get back to shore where I was extricated from the boat and taken to hospital. The operator and his crew mate disappeared from the shore, my wife could not find them. Since then, I have written to them for some assistance and a apology. What I received was a letter from their lawyer asking for medical history for two years prior to the accident. For what, to see if they could find something to blame me for? PLEASE NOTE THAT IN BC, YOU HAVE NO RECOURSE WHEN YOU SIGN A WAIVER, EVEN WHEN THERE IS NEGLIGENCE ON BEHALF OF THE OPERATOR, AS IN THIS CASE. Yes this is my fourth review as the owner attacks with lies and defends his unsafe company with negligent drivers. Read all his attacks on the negative reviews. NOTHING is ever their fault. EVER

Went out with Five Star recently on their smaller vessel (way better than a Zodiac) and had an amazing time. These folks are professional, responsible and friendly. The boat was safe, comfortable, had a heated cabin area to escape the cold and was a lot of fun. On this trip we got to see Humpbacks, including a Mom & Calf, plus Orcas! Amazing experience and I highly recommend this company.

The people working for this company are really committed to their job. They were always friendly, provided lots of information, and even added one hour to our trip, because we had the chance of spotting another whale which required us to take a different and longer way home. Thus we saw 3 Orcas and 2 humpback whales. Awesome experience!

It was an excellent experience! The staff was very lovely and knowledgeable, giving us plenty of facts about the marine life. We saw grey and killer whales as well as sea lions. The trip was safe and the boat ride was very fun! 100% recommending it.

We went with a very professional crew and gave us the best ocean wildlife experience we ever had! The guide was very informative and also asked us what we have seen until this point. The scenery is breathtaking and we witnessed otters and sea lions close by. From a distance we saw humpback whales.

We had an amazing day with Five Star Whale Watching this past weekend. We highly recommend. The boat was very comfy and even though the sea was a bit rough you could barely tell as the boat handled it so well. The onboard naturalists were very knowledgeable and all the staff were very friendly and helpful. I have mobility issues so the extra care was much appreciated. Best thing of course were the whales! We spent time with two humpback whales. A calf and it's mother who were feeding. The calf was jumping about at one point and the mom swam right up next to the boat while our engines were off. Was an amazing day. Can't wait to go again.

I've had the best experiences (many times now) with Five Star Whale Watching. As a wildlife filmmaker and photographer, I love being able to experience wildlife species in their natural habitat and that's exactly what I've had with Five Star. I've been very fortunate to see either Orcas or Humpback Whales on every trip I've been on, with a sprinkle of bald eagles, porpoise whales, stellar sea lions and more! I could not recommend Five Star more if I tried, they're a really welcoming and friendly crew, with a wealth of knowledge when it comes to marine biology and the surrounding areas. If you're in Victoria for a visit, or if you live here and want to experience what the sea has to offer, Five Star Whale Watching is the group for you!