Prince of Whales excursions leave Victoria’s Inner Harbour on a regular schedule throughout the spring, summer and fall. Passengers embark on a wildlife cruise up to 100-kilometres in length in search of Killer Whales, Humpback Whales, Minke Whales, or even Gray Whales. A variety of smaller marine mammals and sea birds are often seen as well. Our passion is sharing the experience of seeing whales in their natural habitat with guests from all over the world. 

Company History

IT ALL STARTED WITH ONE DELIVERY BOAT

In the early 1990’s, Alan McGillivray ran a marine mail service out of Victoria, that delivered newspapers and mail to the Southern Gulf Islands every morning. Al couldn’t help but notice how often he saw members of the Southern Resident community of killer whales (also known as orcas). He spotted them almost 95% of the time he was on the water. Alan and his partner Chris Hall thought to themselves about the idea of whale-watching. The whale watching industry at that time was virtually non-existent in the area, but they knew that the whales were out there. And thus, Prince of Whales was born. By 2004, Prince of Whales had expanded to include two Daigle EagleCrafts, a fleet of 10 rigid-hulled inflatable Zodiacs, and later, two 74-passenger Ocean Magic Expedition Cruisers. With its large number of vessels, locations in both Victoria and Vancouver, and almost 50 staff in peak season, Prince of Whales is now the largest whale watching company in British Columbia.

The size of Prince of Whales in no way affects the quality and customer service people have come to associate with us. Our earliest staff members set the tone for our tours to this day. Our veteran skipper Mark Malleson has over 16 years of experience as a whale watcher. Not only is he a star member of our team, he is also a renowned killer whale researcher. He works with expert Ken Balcomb at the Center for Whale Research and works to catalogue Southern Resident Orcas, and transient orcas in an effort to monitor their general well-being and behaviour. We also employ Dr. Anna Hall, PhD., and Rhonda Reidy, M.Sc. as our resident marine mammal experts. Between Mark, Anna, and Rhonda, the tours at Prince of Whales are cutting-edge, informative, and exciting. Our team works to make sure that all our guests have the adventure of a lifetime.

As the largest Whale Watching and Eco-Adventure Company in BC, we are proud to be a leader in responsible whale watching and to have served as teaching platforms for whale research.

As an industry leader, Prince of Whales is committed to safe, environmentally responsible whale watching. We work with other members of the eco-tourism industry to continue conservation efforts, and to make sure that the whales’ habitat remains pristine for years to come.

Choose Prince of Whales for the adventure of a lifetime.