Jamie’s Whaling Station Tofino — Attraction in Tofino

THEY ARE SCAMMERS. THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TOURISTS. PLEASE READ UNTIL END FOR AS MUCH CONTEXT AS I CAN GIVE.

We paid $179 per person to experience the 'whale watching tour'. Fast forward to the day of, I got a phone call from them indicating the vessel that the 'whale watching tour' uses had a 'mechanical error' but they could put us on a 'different vessel' & it would be the 'same tour'. Being told it was the 'same tour' over the phone, we agreed. (Side note: they sent an email before calling that I didn't read until AFTER the tour. The email literally says that they'll be taking us on a different route so why we were told over the phone it would be the 'same tour' is SHADY. Had we known it WAS indeed a DIFFERENT TOUR, we would have asked for a cancellation & full refund during that phone call.)

We saw a few eagles, a few groups of otters, ONE grey whale (guaranteed beforehand because it just so happens to be in the otters and inlets tour), had a nice boat experience, and learned more about Canadian history (side note: acccording to google reviews, it's NOT uncommon for people to see grey whales on the 'otters & inlets tour'. Also, I think it's important to mention that there were people THINKING they saw more than just the one whale). We enjoyed the tour, but it clearly wasn't the same route as what would have been for the 'whale watching tour' - you know, what you supposedly pay premium for.

At the end of the day, there were people on that boat who paid $129 per person for the 'otters and inlets tour' and people who paid $179 per person for the 'whale watching tour'. We paid more for the same experience that others got who paid less. After the tour, we spoke to reception. We explained we understood the circumstances but we expected a price adjustment from $179 per person to $129 per person because the tour we experienced was for the 'otters and inlets' and not 'whale watching'.

Later that evening we got an email for a credit in the random amount of $42 - not sure where they pulled that number from. We expressed our dissatisfaction with this price adjustment & they couldn't be bothered to respond. How unprofessional. They should have replied to my email and given us the justified price adjustment. We weren't expecting a full refund & the price adjustment we requested was MORE than reasonable.

We know for a fact, another couple travelling internationally had booked the 'whale watching tour' but ended up on the 'otters and inlets tour' due to the 'mechincal error'. My partner and I weren't offered any sort of price adjustment - we had to seek it out and even then we still overpaid. That couple (and anyone else who paid for the 'whale watching tour') probably didn't even realize they're getting overcharged. Travelling internationally can make you feel vulnerable & I find it disgusting that a business will take advantage of vulnerable, international customers. Everyone on that boat/route who paid $179 per person should have been INSTANTLY given a price adjustment THE SECOND the original vessel broke down & they started combining routes/tours. This is unethical, greedy, and absolutely vile.

If I had to give any advice (which I strongly recommend a different business), it would be for you to stick with the cheaper option of the 'otters and inlets tour' - you'll likely get to see at least one whale, and this way, you don't give them the option to throw you on a boat where others who paid less than you but get to experience the same thing due to a 'MeChAnIcAL eRrOr'. Not to put on my tin foil hat but we also have to take their word there was a 'mechanical error'. We have no proof that was the case. Maybe they needed a cover for the 'not ideal weather', or maybe they were short staffed. How often have they been getting away with this as an excuse? We'll never know, just some food for thought. Yah, it's a hard pass for me. I'll never book with this company again & will actively discourage family, friends and strangers to avoid...

I booked an excursion to Hot Springs Cove for my best friend's 60th birthday. I read good reviews of Jamie's Whaling Station and hoped for the best, which is what I experienced. This ended up being a wonderful trip for us.

My friend and I were a little worried about rough seas but were lucky to have good weather. Still, the comfort of our ride to and from Hot Springs Cove wasn't just good luck. Ashley, the ship captain, did a wonderful job piloting the boat to ensure the smoothest ride. I was a professional driver for many years and I know excellent driving when I see it. Ashley was vigilant about finding the safest path through the water at all times, balancing opportunities to see wildlife (otters, birds, and gray whales!) and steering the boat through the smoothest path.

On our way out, we took a deeper water path that allowed us to see all the wildlife we could hope to see. On the way back, we took the inland path that ensured we had an easier ride. Along the way she was diligent to point out to us what to see and explain to us what we were seeing.

On top of all her responsibilities to ensure the best experience for us, being professional, friendly, and informative, she also executed a critical role for the area by meticulously spotting and documenting the whales we were seeing. It was so encouraging to see that she was a key player in the whole community's efforts to keep track of the wildlife in the area and ensure the safety and continued success of the gray whale population there.

The boat was comfortable. The life preserves we were given to wear were unobtrusive. The back of the boat provided a good place to see the wildlife, especially when Ashley slowed to allow us to get a better viewing experience.

The walk to the Hot Springs was easy. The entire path is a boardwalk. You have to go up and down a bit and they tell you to allow 40 minutes but it's only 2km and that time allows for a lot of stopping and looking at the scenery. The Hot Springs area, from the dock to the hot springs, is rustic. The toilets are outhouses. The changing areas are covered and have a long bench to put your stuff down and hooks to hang items up. There are two changing booths for privacy for getting in and out of swimwear.

One key thing (that honestly they probably tell you about and I was too dumb to read) is you need footwear that can be completely submerged in water that also has thick soles for cushion and traction getting in and out of the hot mineral water pools. I did it barefoot, so it's possible, and I used both hands for stability and support the whole way in and out, but I had sandals for this that I didn't bring with me (oops). I expect that some people might have a really tough time walking to the pools barefoot and that could ruin the whole trip for some people.

Everyone from the house where you check in to the boat captain (Ashley for us) was friendly and helpful. I couldn't recommend Jamie's Whaling Station any more. If you want an adventure and you're up for taking a chance on the weather, this should be a great experience for you.

I would add pictures but they don't really capture...

We gave them such a low rating because we were so disappointed. We had an absolutely terrible tour. When we were waiting to get on board and start, another tour had finished and come in and we asked the people who had done it how it was and they gushed that it was absolutely amazing and they had some great sightings. So we were even more excited to do it. But for some reason the captain went really far out - he said that it was much farther out than they normally do - and we saw practically nothing. We stopped at one point for ages and the staff were gushing that there were whales there, but we couldn’t see anything as we were so far away. I know they have to be a certain distance away from the whales so not to disturb them in the natural habitat, but when looking at other reviews and photos on here it was night and day to our experience. We were so far away that even with a telephoto lens camera we couldn’t see. Between us we managed to get one photo of one possible sighting - as it was so far away the spray could have been just water against a small rock though and the so little of the whale that was there one time just looked like the tip of a very small rock. We might not have been so disappointed if we hadn’t spoken to the people who did the tour before us and they said how incredible it was. We don’t understand how they had such an incredible tour and ours was so terrible. We know that it’s not always guaranteed that you see a whale, but with all the fantastic reviews and photos on here and how the staff were gushing over something that couldn’t be seen because it was so far away we don’t know what the hype was and we were really disappointed that we didn’t have the good experience that everyone else does. And all the photos prior to our tour and ones we keep seeing after are much, much, much closer and you can very clearly see that it is a whale. We also didn’t get to see any seals as the captain said they usually show us the seals (that are always there) on the way back, but as we’d gone so far out we didn’t have time to so). So we really feel that we were really let down. So we won’t be using these guys again if we get to visit Vancouver and the Island again. And we were visiting from the UK and it will be really difficult to get back out this way again and get to do another whale tour. But if we do we’ll try elsewhere. As my friend said about the photo posted here: “more chance of seeing Elvis...