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… read more 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

  One of the great joys of my life is being out on the water to see marine mammals in their natural surroundings. Being a local gives me the advantage… read more of going out with Mackay Whale Watching with every trip a magical mystery tour. A few weeks ago a relative visiting from Ontario and I were awed by the incredible sightings of orcas/humpbacks/seals/eagles/porpoises. So much happening it was hard to know where to look. The Naiad is a comfortable and spacious vessel. There is room for everyone to be seated indoors or to stand or sit on 2 decks. A great price for a 4-5 hour tour including a hot bowl of soup/bun & sweet treats. Add Captain Bill’s vast knowledge and humour and it all adds up to the perfect whale watching experience.

  Seeing orca was one of our main objectives on a four-week trip through Canada. After a lot of research, we settled on the Johnstone Strait area as our best option… read more and Port McNeill n particular. That in turn led us to Bill Mackay and Mackay Whale Watching. What a day it turned out to be. We caught up with multiple orca on a slightly misty morning, with the absolute highlight being the hydrophone when Bill turned off the engines and there were no other boats around. Utterly unforgettable to hear the orca vocalising to each other. When we stopped for lunch, the boat was surrounded by orca. Later in the day, we caught with a pod of orca swimming against a strong tidal race. It was amazing to watch them all swimming and surfacing in balletic rhythm. As well as the orca, we also got to see a Minke Whale, Humpback Whales, Dalls Porpoises, Pacific White-Sided Dolphins, Steller Sea Lions and Bald Eagles. A simply outstanding day in every way.