If you’ve been thinking about taking a Whale Watching, Bear Watching, or Hot Springs Cove tour with Jamie’s in Tofino or Ucluelet, you may have had the thought, “Why should I choose them over their competitors?” Great question! Let us point out a bunch of reasons that make us confident that you’ll be completely satisfied with your tour experience with Jamie’s.
1 – Unbeatable Access To Clayoquot & Barkley Sound
There is no doubt that Tofino & Ucluelet are two of the most beautiful communities, not only in British Columbia but in all of Canada. Both Tofino & Ucluelet offer visitors a taste of one of the last true wild spots in our country but the townsites are just a small piece of the landscape. Getting onto the water in Tofino or Ucluelet takes you immediately into the depths of Clayoquot Sound (Tofino) and Barkley Sound (Ucluelet). When you get onto the water in these areas you start to get a special feeling that washes over you as you witness first-hand everything that is beautiful about our local ecosystems. The vastness of the Pacific Ocean. The towering heights of the ancient-growth rainforest. And of course – the wildlife! Whales, bears, sea otters, sea lions, seals, bald eagles, the list goes on. We’re lucky to have offices in both Tofino & Ucluelet to offer you the opportunity to enjoy everything that we love about these magical areas. Plus through our partner, Paddle West Kayaking, you can also experience the west coast of Vancouver Island via kayak.
2 – Knowledge of the Local Ecosystems
In 1982, our owner Jamie Bray was operating tours to Hot Springs Cove from Tofino. One day someone mentioned to him that there were whales in the area and the next day Jamie started operating whale watching tours and hasn’t looked back. For over 40 years, the crew at Jamie’s have gathered an incredible amount of knowledge about our local ecosystems from the largest creatures – whales – to the smallest tiny microorganisms that you can’t even see with your eye. We have also learned in-depth knowledge from the local First Nations about how every living organism is connected to one another. It’s this knowledge that we take pride in passing on to our guests when they take a tour with us. We don’t just want to show you whales or bears. We want to teach you about the importance of our ecosystems and how to protect them so that endless generations of travellers can enjoy what we’re lucky to enjoy at this point in time.
3 – Safety First, Wildlife Second
The reason you’re visiting this page is that you’re coming to Tofino or Ucluelet to have an incredible experience on the water. Whether you’re visiting to see whales or bears, or you’re looking for a relaxing soak in the hot springs, our main priority when you travel with Jamie’s is safety and safety always comes first. When you take a tour with Jamie’s, you can have peace of mind knowing that you’ll be in good hands throughout your tour.
4 – You’ll See What You Came To See
When you travel to Tofino or Ucluelet, you’re travelling a long distance to get here. There is no short or quick trip to get here. So when you travel all the way here to see whales or bears, we’ll guarantee you that you’ll get to see them so that you can go home satisfied. You’re probably wondering how we can guarantee this. We see whales and bears on a high majority of our tours throughout our entire season. It’s good to remember that these animals are living in the wild and on occasion they can be elusive or the weather may cause us not to easily be able to find them in the locations they frequent. On the occasion that we can’t find whales or bears for you, we’ll give you a raincheck ticket. These tickets allow you to take another tour with us FREE of charge so that you can return to see the animals you came to see and return home with memories to share with your friends and family. These tickets never expire so even if you can’t join us on another tour on this trip, you’re welcome to join us anytime in the future. We’ve had guests come back over 25 years later to redeem their raincheck tickets.
5 – Choose Your Adventure – We Got The Boat For You!
No matter what type of adventure you choose to take for your whale or bear watching tour, we have a boat that perfectly suits your needs. Jamie’s has the largest fleet of tour boats on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. If you’re looking for a comfortable and relaxing whale watching or bear tour you can join us on one of our larger covered cruiser vessels that allow you plenty of room to roam about. In contrast, if you’re looking for a more thrilling tour then join us on one of our Zodiac-style vessels that will be sure to have you smiling from ear to ear in excitement.
7 – Committed To Research, Protection, & Education
At Jamie’s, we’re committed to supporting many of the non-profit organizations in our communities that help to protect our fragile ecosystems in Clayoquot and Barkley Sound. When you join us on a tour you’re helping to protect these ecosystems with $3 of your total fare going to the great organizations that we support with our Research, Rescue, & Education program. Through this program, we’ve been able to give over $1,000,000 to various environmental organizations since we started this program in 1997.
8 – Wildlife Tours At The Most Affordable Price
Vacation planning can be a long and tedious process, especially when you’re trying to get the best bang for your buck when it comes to booking your adventures. That’s why we’ll make it easy for you. Instead of having to shop around, we will guarantee the lowest price on our whale & bear watching tours. If you happen to find a lower price somewhere else, we’ll match it meaning you can get the best tour experience at the most affordable price. Also, if you want to take multiple tours with us you can take advantage of our Multi-Tour discount and save $15 off every tour after your first tour.
*Discount applies to tours through Jamie’s Whaling Station only and is not applicable for kayak or water taxi tours.”
9 – Complimentary Dog Kennels
If you’re travelling with your furry loved ones, don’t worry about leaving them at the hotel or in the car. When you take a tour with Jamie’s in Tofino, we’re pleased to offer the use of one of our three large dog kennels at no extra cost. We’ll even take your dog out for a quick walk and give them some company while you’re on tour.
10 – Free, On-site Parking
Finding a parking spot in Tofino can cause a headache – especially in the busy summer months. In Tofino, we’re happy to offer plenty of on-site parking to our guests including parking for RVs. This means that you no longer have to spend a long time in search of that elusive parking spot. In Ucluelet, there is free parking outside of our offices and on all of the nearby streets.
