Reviews of Aboriginal Journeys Whale Watching & Grizzly Bear Tours (Travel Agency)

Julia Bicknell

Fantastic day. Gary is very knowledgeable and a great captain. Seeing the eagles pluck fish from the rapids was amazing. And during the day we saw humpback whales too - one came so close you could see its eye and smell its fishy breath.

Chantal Deschenes

Amazing.. Worth every penny.

Aarthy Ketheeswaran

I am so thankful I ended up going with Garry. I knew from when I phoned him he was the right one to go with. I am huge believer in supporting local. Garry was born and raised in the Campbell River area. He is super knowledgeable and respects the wildlife and nature. We saw so many seals ( even those white ones) birds and of course so many humpback whales! The lunch he provides WAS AMAZING!! Garry is passionate and it is very evident. He took us around the Quadra islands and talked about the first nations too. I highly recommend Garry and will go again!

Ernie Smith

Our family went out on Mothers Day and we were thrilled with the experience! We saw a family of Orcas, cormorants and a variety of seals/sea lions. Our guide Gary was extremely knowledgeable and we learned some new things from him! I highly recommend this local guide

Marco Franz (EnzoCalzone)

Nice Guy, Gerry had us on the Trip.... Cool

Jocelyn Ott

Had a great time out with Garry from Aboriginal Journeys recently! It was an amazing bucket list experience. We saw 9 orcas (2 different families) that we watched for quite a while and saw a humpback who also did his special tail flip for us. Garry really knows his stuff and is very respectful of these beautiful creatures. We will definitely use this company again when we’re back in the area.

Viktor Kalashnikov

Fantastic way to beat the heat and the noise of the city, the whales are just the cherry on top. Recommend!

Mon Sport (monsport06)

Great day with Gary. He was very nice, explained many things about people, culture, wild life and nature, and most importantly, knows all the fjords and the best chances to see wildlife. Seeing orcas is not guaranteed, but if I could do it again I would definitely choose Gary ????

Lorenzo “Defra” de Francesco

A very interesting tour, exciting trip among whales splashing and crossing tide whirpools, saw also seals and Eagle

Matthew Livezey

Garry is very passionate and knowledgeable about the area and it's ecosystem. While his boat is older was very comfortable. Saw some amazing wildlife and scenery. Think I enjoyed seeing the tidal whirlpools the most.

Michael Nethery

Simply the best. Prompt punctual and those sandwiches ???? Fantastic time fantastic day. Thanks Garry and Laurie.

Vincent Villwock

We had an awesome trip! Even though it was probably not the best day considering the weather, our amazing skipper Gary made it an awesome 4 hours. For me a dream came true: we spottet two families and one individual of ORCAS! Other than that, we were lucky to spot some bald eagles and some Stella Sea Lions. Thanks for this amazing trip!

paolo vi80

(Translated) Must try, it is not a simple excursion but a fantastic adventure. Thanks a lot to garry! (Original) Da provare assolutamente, non è una semplice escursione ma un avventura fantastica . Grazie mille a garry!

Guilhelm Savin

Had a fantastic time with Garry for a Wildlife tour. Lot of humpbacks spotted and so many dolphins! Garry is a really awesome guide and he has lot of knowledge the ocean and this area. He put a warm touch to this tour and we felt like part of a small family for a few hours. Thanks again!

Ben Lee

Having an experienced and knowledgeable tour guide makes all the difference and Gary was such a guide. We saw Nature as you can experience it. Seal lions, eagle feeding frenzy, dolphins and Humpbacks. We almost got to see the elusive Orcas but ran short on our already extended trip! Highly recommended and will be returning again for sure with future guests to our place!

Annette Jerse

Thoroughly enjoyed our Wildlife Adventure with this tour company. Our host was knowledgeable, friendly and added an extra hour and a half on to our trip when orcas were spotted farther away. Boat was comfortable and covered. On our trip we saw a bear, a herd of white sided dolphins, seals, sea lions, 2 orcas, and several humpback whales. Money well spent.

Sean Turvey

I had a great time on their boat. The captain definitely have us or money's worth.

Delphine JOLIVEL

(Translated) Outing on a boat on a human scale (ten people at most) to see marine animals. We had the chance to admire two families of killer whales, seals, sea lions and eagles. Garry is very friendly and knows the sea well, having worked on a boat since the age of 16. He takes no chances and checks the sea and the winds in order to decide where to go. The tour lasted 4 hours which is more than enough when you tend to be sick in the boat. The company also offers tours to see grizzly bears (6 hour tour) (Original) Sortie sur un bateau à dimension humaine (une dizaine de personnes tout au plus) pour allez voir des animaux marins. Nous avons eu la chance d’admirer deux familles d’orques, des phoques, des lions de mer et des aigles. Garry est très sympathique et connait bien la mer puisqu’il a travaillé sur un bateau dès l’âge de 16 ans. Il ne prend pas de risque et vérifie la mer et les vents afin de décider où aller. Le tour a duré 4 heures ce qui est largement suffisant lorsque l’on a tendance à être malade en bateau. La compagnie propose également des tours pour voir les grizzlis (tour de 6 heures)

Matt Janssen

(Translated) Very good Tour. Good explanation. Very friendly. (Original) Zeer goede Tour. Goede uitleg. Zeer vriendelijk.

Jasmin Oberli

(Translated) Can I recommend 100%. We had seen everything there is to see. Humpback whale, orcas, dolphins, bald eagles and more. Aboriginal Jouneys is much more private than the big tourist companies. The food was delicious too. We will be back. (Original) Kann ich zu 100% weiterempfehlen. Wir hatten alles gesehen was es zu sehen gibt. Buckelwal, Orcas, Delphine, Weisskopfseeadler und vieles mehr. Aboriginal Jouneys ist viel privater als die grossen Touristen Firmen. Das Essen schmeckte auch super lecker. Wir kommen wieder.

Lorraine Cox

We booked a private “memory lane” tour with Aboriginal Journeys and we were more than satisfied with our trip. Garry was professional, friendly, well experienced and felt like part of our group. He accommodated our requests unfailingly and helped make our day a memorable experience. Definitely two thumbs up!

Gwen Ihl

It was an amazing day out. The food was excellent, we saw lots of wildlife and our First Nations guide was knowledgeable and very gentle. I would have given 5 stars but got fed up with the owner constantly complaining about his competition. It is not the customer's problem. We paid good money to enjoy the day without the whining.

Aksel Jensen

Family owned operator, very entusiastic owner, skipper, only 12 guests. 8-9 hours tour, we saw dolphins hunting, humpbacks jumping and diving, and in the forrest a grizzely.

JR Kodiak

Garry Thank you, Thank you, t.u. We Like the way you Roll Nice N simple with more than fare Rates. Your a Top Notch Captain & know so much about the area and you promoting other companies, That it self shows character We will be back my friend .Be safe Be well ✌ From JR & Angela... ⚓

Simon Wirth

(Translated) The Wildlifetour with Gery was awesome. On our 6h tour we were able to admire blue whales and two Orcafamilien. These animals are so impressive and beautiful to look at from close. Gery is an excelent tour guide who likes to pass on his knowledge of over 40 years. You realize that it is a passion for him and not a job. I would do this tour again and again with Aboriginal Journeys, because they are a family business that comes from Cambell River and people have always lived here. A great experience :-) (Original) Die Wildlifetour mit Gery war der Hammer. Auf unserer 6h Tour konnten wir Blauwale und zwei Orcafamilien bewundern. Diese Tiere sind so imposant und wunderschön von nahem anzusehen. Gery ist ein excelenter Tourguide der sein Wissen aus über 40 Jahren gerne weiter gibt. Man merkt das es für ihn eine Passion ist und nicht ein Job. Diese Tour würde ich immer wieder machen bei Aboriginal Journeys, weil sie ein Familenunternehmen sind das aus Cambell River stammt und die Leute schon immer hier lebten. Ein super Erlebnis :-)

Pieter Lodewijks

Thanks Gary for a wonderful trip!

Geoff Arnold

We did a six hour whale watching trip with Garry and loved every minute! We picked this company because it's locally owned and operated, not a slick heavily commercial operation. Garry is very knowledgable and easy to talk to. His boat, Laker II, may look a bit older that some others based here but that's a good thing. It's powerful and heavily built so it rides the waves well and doesn't bounce about like the lightweight modern ones. A major plus is that it has an enclosed cabin and a viewing deck outside for when you stop to watch something, for us this was far, far, better than having to spend the day wearing full waterproof suits! What you get to see is just luck of the draw, same as any other operator. In fact the half dozen or so local operators all share information about what's been spotted and where as it happens. Tip. Whatever operator you use make sure you get to Whirlpool Point when it's in full flow as the sight of three hundred Bald Eagles flying around you fishing for hake fish is something you'll never forget!

Mary Johnson

Thank you Gary for a wonderful tour. You knew so much about the islands, water, and sealife. We saw humpback whales, orcas, lots of eagles, and, my favorite, dolphins. Though I did not get a lot of great photos, I will have these memories for a long time. Thank you again. Mary Johnson and Jim Bailey, toured June 24, 2017.

Jörg Habiger

(Translated) We had on 30.04.19 booked a 6 hour tour. We were the only two guests. The tour took place anyway. We had great weather and the gigantic luck of observing two Orcafamilies hunting a sea lion. It took about 1.5 hours and our guide Garry told us that he has seen only a few hunts and this has been the most impressive so far. I can only recommend the tour. It is also good luck to experience something out of the ordinary. We would do the tour again at any time and recommend it to others (Original) Wir hatten am 30.04.19 eine 6 Stunden Tour gebucht. Wir waren die einzigen beiden Gäste. Die Tour fand trotzdem statt. Wir hatten super Wetter und das gigantische Glück, zwei Orcafamilien bei der Jagd auf einen Seelöwen zu beobachten. Diese dauerte ca. 1,5 Stunden und unser Guide Garry hat uns erzählt, dass er nur wenige Jagden gesehen hat und dies die bisher eindrucksvollste gewesen ist. Ich kann die Tour nur empfehlen. Es gehört auch noch viel Glück dazu, so etwas Außergewöhnliches zu erleben. Wir würden die Tour jederzeit wieder machen und empfehlen sie auch weiter

Al Croteau paltechnical

From Gatineau area QC, Just got back from a 6 hours trip. I enjoyed every minutes of it. Garry is a nice guy with a very good sense of humor. He knows every detail of these islands and knows where to go. We saw whales, eagle, the big surprise was we saw around 100 dauphins swimming around our boat great pictures from it. By the way lunch was excellent. I highly recommend this tour. Thanks for the wonderful day.

Andrew Metcalfe

Garry is friendly, generous and witty; he is knowledgeable about this place and this environment, and wise about the way it all comes together to constitute the life we all share. On our trip today, which went well over-scheduled-time, we saw eagles and seals and sea lions and a humpback whale, and these were a thrill, but it was wonderful just to have someone like Garry as a host to show you around the country and waterways in which he was born and which he loves. It was a privilege to share time with him, and to hear and to learn to see what he can see. It is what travel is all about.

Liz Warrilow

Excellent day out with Garry. He is very knowledgable on the wildlife, a respecter of nature. We were fortunate to see humpback whales, a large grizzly bear and a pod of orcas up close and amazing. We also enjoyed the lunch of sandwiches and cookies

Bill Darrall

Absolutely the best whale watching trip we have experienced. Garry the guide and owner’s knowledge was amazing. He found Humpback and Orca whales while other guides were having difficulty. He would figure what direction they were going and get ahead of them, turn off the engine and just watch. The one time the humpback whale came right under the boat. Another time, again he had turned off the engine and the orcas turned and came toward the boat. Just incredible.

Stewart Slaymaker

This rating is not a reflection of Garry, his operation or his partners, who all did a good job. Unfortunately, we only saw one grizzly bear on our experience for a total of 4 minutes, which having spent a huge amount of money on the tour and then sat in the forest for 4-5 hours, was very disappointing to say the least. That though is not Aboriginal Journeys' fault and was outside of their control, but was just Mother Nature on the day. This is the kind of risk you have to take when deciding to book a place on a tour. We were lucky to get a close view of humpback whales on the way back though.