Jamie's Whaling Station Ucluelet — Attraction in Ucluelet

A Review of Bear Watching at Jamie's Whaling Station, Ucluelet.

Our Sunday in August started quite early in the morning; we had to be at the station half an hour before the planned start of the tour around 7:00 to settle in, get a short but complete safety briefing, and take on our life vests. We arrived at 06:35 AM, and you should be there at the latest as well, to have a relaxed start and a short break in the washroom before the start. The parking situation is really relaxed in the morning, and there are several possibilities for breakfast in the direct neighborhood. There is also a little store with First Nations artworks, definitely recommended stopping by because the owner himself produced some wonderful artworks and the artists collect royalties for their sold works.

But back to the tour The Man of the Day was Scott. Although he is near his retirement, he is delighted to welcome folks to the adventure, like on the first day. We started our tour with the first highlight, a group of sea lions talking and barking about their day, as well as an adult bald eagle! Then the bear watching started. After a short tour through the islands, we found our first bear - a mother with three (!) cubs walking and munching on the beach. They finished breakfast and went into the forest, so we continued our tour. During every stop, Scott told us about the bears in the area as well as the people there. On our tour was also a gentleman with a broken foot; he had no problems getting on and around in the covered boat, so if you are also impaired, it seems there are no limitations. We found our second adult bear in a known bay, and after he finished his „beach” we turned around, and there was the next one. Shortly afterward we got notice about a whale near our current location, so Scott decided today is the day, and we got going. We drove to the last known location, and there it was, a humpback whale eating his breakfast between the islands and bays. What a view!

We arrived back at the station. In total, we saw 3 adult bears and 3 cubs, as well as at least one whale reemerging time after time. All in all, a great adventure on a comfortable boat in the best hands - definitely recommended doing.

Many thanks to Scott and the entire team for...

The bear watching tour with Fred was absolutely fantastic! We saw one bear and later even a mother with her cub. On top of that, we also spotted humpback whales twice. Fred was very friendly, explained a lot, and always kept us informed about where he was going. He also made sure we had the perfect position for photos with the sun in the right place. We had plenty of time to watch and take pictures, never rushed. The tour lasted a bit over three hours and was a great experience. I can highly recommend Fred to everyone!

Unfortunately, the whale watching tour the next day was a bit disappointing. We rushed straight to a resident humpback whale and on the way passed a sea lion colony on the rocks. The whale was difficult to follow, surfacing only briefly and often far away. Without any announcement, the whale watching ended and we headed back. On the return we only briefly passed bald eagles, otters, and cormorants without much attention. The tour was advertised as 2.5–3 hours but didn’t even last 2.5. It felt more like a duty program than an experience. Once back in the harbor, the boat immediately went out again. This was our third whale watching and the First baer watching tour in Ucluelet, and compared to our trip with Fred, it was disappointing. 5 Stars for the bear watching with Fred but only 2 for the whale watching. That‘s 3.5 al...

I recently went on a whale watching tour with this station, and overall, it was a great experience. Although I got my ticket only 30 minutes before the departure time, I learned that in the summer months, reservations are recommended and can be booked online. So, I suggest making a reservation beforehand to avoid any delays or disappointment.

The station offers two options for the boat - with or without a roof. We opted for the boat with a roof, but there was still a possibility to go outside in the back of the boat. The guide was highly experienced and informative, keeping us engaged about the surrounding nature and the sea animals.

We had the chance to get close to whales, but sadly we didn't have a great view of them. However, since we didn't see any whales, they gave us a voucher for another boat tour! We saw eagles, sea otters, and sealions, and those were fantastic experiences.

Overall, I can definitely recommend this whale watching tour. However, a warning to future attendees: You might get sea sick, so be prepared. Aside from that, friendly guides, good security instructions, and a great...