West Coast Aquatic Safaris Home Business Directory West Coast Aquatic Safaris Website Phone 250.725.9227 Email info@whalesafaris.com Social Media @whalesafaris @whalesafaris @whalesafaris Address 101 Fourth Street, Tofino, BC Tour Tofino’s wild side with West Coast Aquatic Safaris! Enjoy the West Coast of Vancouver Island’s premiere wildlife and sightseeing aboard our all weather tour boats, WASCO and NANUQ, both of which are Transport Canada safety certified. Our professional and knowledgeable staff will make your Tofino experience one to remember. Get off the beaten path and experience ecotourism that is environmentally responsible, safe, and fun for the whole family! Take a whale watching tour, try a bear watching trip from the safety of our boat, visit local Tofino hot springs by boat, and don’t forget our seasonal safaris! West Coast Aquatic Safaris is accessible for all. We look forward to welcoming you aboard! Additional Information Tofino Whale Watching In spring, Gray whales, leave their wintering grounds of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula to feed as far north as Alaska. Clayoquot sound is their migratory corridor. Some remain here to feed. These gentle giants are a common sight from March until late October. Residents, transients, and offshores, scientists are still unsure why some Killer whales also know as orcas, patrol their territory as a pod, while others, rogue hunters, roam up and down the coast, or travel far out to sea, to find their prey. The transient orcas are found in our waters during the spring, summer and fall months and are a spectacle to witness in the wild. Come summer, Humpback whales, travel east from Maui. Enormous, majestic, and mysteriously fond of breaching, a humpback shattering the surface of the water is a truly unforgettable sight. Whale watching trips take place in outside waters on board a vessel specifically designed to optimize your viewing pleasure. Walk around the entire outside deck of the boat or stay inside out of the rain, and on the way expect to see bald eagles, Stellar and California sea lions, and harbour seals. Duration: 2.5 – 3 hours Tofino Bear Watching The Esowista Peninsula and the Islands of the outer Clayoquot Sound shield its inner reaches from stormy waters. A relaxing 30 minute boat ride from Tofino, takes us through the tranquil, inside passages to the North East side of Meares Island to Fortune Channel or Tofino Inlet. Departing on the tours around the lower tides and the cooler periods of the day, provides the best opportunity for viewing Ursus Americanus, or Black Bears. The elevated viewing platforms from our specially designed vessels, WASCO or NANUQ, provide vantage points allowing for unobstructed sightseeing. These vessels have also been designed with comfort, onboard restrooms, and safety as a top priority. Often the best times to see these beautiful creatures, the Black Bear, is when the sun is rising or is lower in the sky (the morning or the afternoon / evenings). After emerging from their winter rest they have great need to feed on the shorelines all spring, summer, and fall. Enjoy your morning coffee or tea, and the fresh air of Clayoquot Sound as you marvel at the sight of the Black Bears turning over rocks and boulders in their search for food. Their food often includes crab and other pelagic beings along the beaches. These journeys often do not just end at the Black Bear! It is also common to see Bald Eagles, California Sea Lions, Harbour Seals, Habour Porpoise and other amazing animals and scenic views on the Bear Watching Tours. So, keep your cameras ready, as you never know when perfect shot may appear! Duration: 2.5 hours Hot Springs Cove Tours An hour and a half north-west of Tofino, situated on the peninsula separating Sidney Inlet from Hot Springs Cove, the hot springs are not to be missed. Through crevices in the rock, rainwater seeps deep underground to re-emerge as a therapeutic, mineral rich river of thermally heated water, that flows through the rain forest and empties through a narrow basin into the ocean. As the tide rises, cold sea water rushing into this channel fashions pools of different temperatures where you, your friends and family can relax and, even with a little rain, enjoy the warmth and tranquility of this exquisite gift of mother nature. Reachable only by boat or sea-plane, and a half hour hike by boardwalk through old growth forest, the hot springs trip is a pilgrimage you will not soon forget. So sit back and relax on our vessel, or climb on to her bridge and keep your eyes peeled as you never know what wildlife might show up along the way! Daily departures. Arrive at hot springs cove to enjoy a relaxing hot soak. Our boat departs daily depending on demand (sunrise to sunset) allowing for a 3 hour tranquil experience at hot springs cove. Boat both ways Daily – Depending on demand (sunrise to sunset) Duration: 6.5-7 hours
