Deb F.
Yelp
I researched different whale watching companies before our trip and decided on Eagle Wing even though their tours cost a little bit more. Now that we went on the trip, I can say it was totally worth every penny.
Derek and Jeff were our guides and they were incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. They guarantee that you will see whales on the tour, and if for some reason you don't, you can keep going back on their tours until you do. We asked how often they didn't see them and said about 2% of the time. That's pretty good. They know the spots where the resident orcas hang out at different times of the day, and were on the radio to various other boats, all sharing tips on where the whales are.
We saw the J and K pods all sort of mixing together. Dozens and dozens of orcas! We saw them doing spy hops, a few breaches, some tail slapping, and they put the hydrophone into the water and we heard them vocalizing a number of times. So much fun! We also saw a couple bald eagles, and on the way back, one was flying alongside the boat just a few yards away. Unreal!
We took their larger boat (the Gold Wing) that seats 26 people. It was a good size, still plenty of room to move around and see, and heavy enough that we weren't getting tossed around too badly in the choppy areas.
The wild ride part was especially fun for our son (age 12) - right after you get out of Victoria Harbor, things are pretty rough out there until you round the corner and get into smoother waters. Both the ride out and back were like roller coaster rides in this section, and yeah, you do get a bit wet. Luckily, they suit you up with waterproof pants, jackets, gloves, and give you hats and sunglasses/sunscreen should you need it.
We were out there for at least 3.5 hours, which is a bit longer than many other tours. One of the other tours was going out when we were, and they were in a Zodiac boat, and I could see the passengers turning green in the choppy parts. Glad we weren't on that boat!! See, the little bit extra you pay is worth it in the long run.
Go see the whales with Eagle Wing - you'll be glad you did!