Mackay Whale Watching

Went on a whale watching trip yesterday - although we have seen wheels in the past; it’s something you have to do on the West Coast!

We saw Orca whales, Minke Whales, Humpbacks, seals, Sea Lions, Eagles, Otters and porpoises….. Of course it would always be nice to be closer however we respect shuffle Animals And distancing!

Although it was raining on and off the scenery is always breathtaking and the company fantastic.

The staff are super knowledgeable, open to answering questions and talking about what they know.

I highly recommend it, bring some snacks and drinks and enjoy the ride!

Marieke and Captain Bill were amazing, so knowledgeable and fun! We saw sea otters, stellar sea lions, humpback whales, an eagle and orcas! Thanks to MacKay Whale Watching, we learned so much about all the marine life we saw and also heard the orcas on the hydrophone. This was definitely my best experience whale watching and I can’t wait to go back! Such a perfect day on the water!

Captain Bill Mackay is a seasoned veteran of these waters and a naturalist. On our tour we say orcas, humpbacks, sea lions and dolphins. Though I had some reluctance about going on a whale watching tour, I felt we always stayed respectful of these beautiful creatures and we learned a lot about them from Captain Bill's knowledge and decades of experience. I gained a deeper appreciation and love for the orcas and the Salish Sea after this tour. Highly recommended!

Our whale watching experience was incredible. We were fortunate and saw at least 9 orcas and 5 humpbacks. Lots of sea lions, otters, and eagles. The woman on board was so knowledgeable and friendly, overall an amazing experience.

Did a great three hour tour with this professional, clean and fun outfit. The boat was very comfortable with both warm inside areas and two outside areas. Great views from all angles. They're currently all set up for covid-safety with partitioned areas inside.

Captain Bill and the bio-guide Marieke were SO lovely! They were both full of knowledge and stories. We learned about the history and ecology of the area, plus they're both very funny and had the group laughing lots.

I know it varies by day, but we saw a small pod of orcas, a large pod of about 15 dolphins, a ton of porpoises, and SIX humpback whales! Everything was observed by a respectful distance.

I would totally recommend McKay Whale Watching. Great boat, great people, great day!

What a great day! The Captain was funny, welcoming and knowledgeable, the boat was comfortable and safe, and the wildlife was amazing! The orcas were a little elusive today, although we did see a few, but the big show was the dolphins and sea lions swimming together amongst the humpbacks! It was a rainy, wet day, but the heated cabin and the hot soup for lunch kept everybody in good spirits. Definitely a great day and I would highly recommend this company!

Just awesome! Super friendly crew, nice and clean boat with plenty of space for all people to watch. We have had a great trip with so many fascinating animals and it was nice that they are respectfully treated by keeping a safe distance to them. All in all great and absolutely worth the money!

If you take any other company's tour, you're missing out!! Mackay Whale Watching was amazingly professional from the beginning to the end. Captain Bill's decades of experience and knowledge is second to none, and the Naiad is a phenomenal vessel. The knowledge of our guide Marieke was incredible, her passion shines through - her incredible encyclopedic knowledge of the whales and her enthusiasm made the entire trip! My family will never forget our sightings of Humpbacks, Sea otters, Sea Lions and Orcas ❤

The tour was great. The crew know a lot about the different wales and it is a very nice boat. We see a lot of different animals. We got a vegetarian soup and a bread for lunch. I would choose Mackay Whale Watching for my next Whale watching Tour at Vancouver Island.

This trip was just wonderful. We saw a lot of different animals (Orcas, humpbacks, eagles, porpoises, otters and seals) and the coast of the island in the background. The crew is lovely and funny.

All around excellent! We were out for five hours total since we had to head way east to find the orcas, after spending more than an hour with the humpbacks.
All the commercial boats share whale locations, so I think you'd see whales no matter what, but I chose Mackay because
- longest outing (plus soup for lunch)
- small family business
- price was actually cheapest, too (we got 10% off the posted price as a family group over 4 people)

Word to the wise: you will get more out of it if you are on top where the you can hear what the captain / guide are saying

Our experience with Mackay Whale Watching was fantastic! The hilarious and enthusiastic Captain Bill found a large group of resident orcas in about half an hour and we spent the day watching them in close proximity without ever getting the sense that we were disturbing them. Twice during the voyage, a large pod of Pacific White-Sided Dolphins showed up to ride and jump in our wake. A one-of-a-kind experience that you can't miss if you find yourself on the northern end of Vancouver Island.

Cannot recommend highly enough! The crew were lovely, entertaining and very knowledgeable! We saw humpback whales, sea lions, more dolphins than I could possibly count and AT LEAST 40 orcas. The orcas swam right up to us and passed right under my feet, it was amazing. And a lovely lunch on top of that. Well worth the reasonable price for the trip. 5 stars :)

Bill and Donna make this a great excursion. The boat is a great platform for the adventure providing good sight lines, coverage if the weather is nasty and plenty of room to move around. Lunch bring provided is a great bonus. I feel like this is one of the best locations on all of Vancouver Island with the highest likelihoods of seeing whales. Great value!

We had a fun day with Bill our Captain and Marieke. Their enthusiasm and passion along with Bill's witty humour made for a memorable day out on the water. Of course the Orcas, humpbacks, dolphins, sea lions and eagles make for a special experience, but it was the sheer humour from Bill that made our day that much better! Would highly recommend a day trip with Mackay Whale Watching - you won't regret it!

Our day spent with this family run business was a highlight of our trip of north Vancouver Island. Their shared knowledge was impressive but more than that their care and obvious love of not only the whales but all fauna in the area was what moved me. Amongst many beautiful orcas we were especially privileged to see a young orca with its mother. This was a truly precious moment. The Humpback whale did a lovely dive displaying its most flamboyant tail. The birds flying by were so different from what we see further south on Vancouver Island. It was one of those magical, memorable days that you hold close to your heart. Many thanks to the Mackay family for making it so.

What a wonderful tour today. We have seen many Whales, Otters and Sea Lions. 👍

The most incredible and moving experience of my life. Not just watching orca but hearing them too. And our Captain's enthusiasm and informative talk was truly inspiring. Wish I could do it all again. Thank you for your keeping them safe. Not to mention the humpbacks and other wildlife! Amazing.

The whale watching tour was awesome.
We saw orcas, humpbacks, dolphins, sea lions, seals and a minke whale. There was a soup as small lunch and a small sweet.
The crew was very friendly, funny and informative.

Really great outfit. They find the whales and give you a nice lunch to boot. Great people in the most beautiful part of the Northern Hemisphere. The Broughton Archipelago. Let's try to keep it that way!!