Reviews of Ocean Explorations Zodiac Whale Cruises (Travel Agency)

Kristen M

WHALES WHALES & MORE WHALES!! What an amazing, once in a life time experience. We truly could not have asked for a better day out on the water with Captain Tom. There were so many whales, we didn't know where to look. We saw humpbacks, minkes and finback whales. We got to witness some lunge feeding as well which was very cool. One whale even waved a few times (I'm certain he was trying to say hello). While I understand it's luck of the draw in terms of whether you will see whales that day, Tom's expertise and professionalism are top notch. Within 20 minutes of leaving the harbour we found our first whale. He knew where to look and seemed to spot them a mile away! We also saw harbour porpoises, dolphins, seals, a bald eagle and 2 puffins. We were also the only boat out in the bay for at least an hour before all of the other large, noisy boats made there way out. Tom's tour was a bit pricier than some of the other local tours, but well worth the money. Would highly recommend it. Thank you!

Kathryn Elliott

Awesome experience! Tom really did everything he could to ensure we had the best experience given the weather conditions and he didn’t disappoint! Thanks Tom, excellent adventure and we appreciated your knowledge and enthusiasm, waiting for the fog to lift…. And of course our several Humpback whale sightings along with Puffins and seals and many birds!

Salman Sayed

Amazing experience!

Mark Henderson

Captain Tom late to work so its his Clients Fault! Having Whale watched in New Zealand, Australia and Scotland (home) before, I knew we were in for a treat here in Nova Scotia, Canada. We arrived in plenty time at 8.45am for a 9.30am departure, however the staff did not open the Office till 9.25am with biologist Captain Tom Goodwin announcing that he was running late and short Staffed!! This was clearly the fault of his clients judging by the tone in his voice and the language used to direct his clients. I have not ever been spoken to like this since my early years at a Scottish Boarding School. Appalling customer care and service, barking orders on appropriate clothing attire and to hurry up, Ironically! This unfortunately set the tone for the rest of the trip. Once we were hurried onto the Zodiac which looked clean, orderly and safe.....most unlike and in complete contrast to the Company HQ/Office/Toilet come changing facilities where we first encountered the Ocean Exploration Company, we powered out of the harbour only 20 mins late at 9.50am. We were lucky enough to encounter several porpoise dolphins, 3 Minke whales, and two adult female Humpback whales with a calf. These sightings were tremendous and the children and adults alike were awestruck. We chose Ocean Explorations based on reviews and the fact that it was run by a marine Biologist Captain Tom Goodwin. However as the tour panned out we had to wait patiently behind other tour boats presumably without Marine Biologists who has spotted the whales before our "expert" Guide. In fact we could have just gone with any other tour group. I was surprised by Captain Tom's lack of knowledge as he was unable to answer questions regarding the age of whales maturity and growth ages, even in some cases answering different questions to that being asked. This is in complete contrast to my experience elsewhere in the world where our probably less qualified tour guides where full of knowledge and so happy to share this information. It was such a relief that the other boats had found whales for us to follow as without a sighting Captain Tom's personality defects would have meant the trip would have been a real waste of time and money. My advise is not to run the risk of not seeing the whales and having to put up with poor customer relations skills and a terrible attitude, Captain Tom has clearly been doing this job too long and has long since lost the passion he perhaps started out with. Choose another tour guide.

Andreas Müller

The Zodiac ride alone is plenty fun and we saw whales and seals.

Sandro Pasquini

Great experience!

Erin Lewis

We had a great time out whale watching ! Saw a pod of dolphins, two whales swimming together and also a mother and her calf. On the way back we stopped and saw the seals. Was a wonderful experience!

John Aves

If you're in Nova Scotia. Do this. Run by marine biologist Tom Goodwin, you're taken out in a zodiac to the bay of Fundy to search for wales. The Zodiac seats up to 12 people and gets you up close and personal with the wales. We spotted Humpbacks and Minke Wales, along with seals and birds of prey. Tom's knowledge of sea life (wales in particular) makes the trip even better. Pre-booking is required, all suits, gloves and hats are provided and this is the best three hours I've ever spent on a boat.

Karen Gee

Had a great time. We saw two humpback whales and quite a few seals. We had also never seen fog as thick as it was that day. If you're wondering if a Zodiac boat tour is for you, I can tell you that my mom is handicapped and even she was able to get in and out of the boat. Personally, I think the Zodiac was an excellent choice. Everyone on the boat had a great view of the whales, unlike the large boat near us that had a couple people deep at the rails as it listed with the weight of all the guests on one side. I highly recommend Ocean Explorations!

Marion Olson

Fabulous tour!

byos “Bring your own straw” canada

We saw whales!!!! So very exciting! The ladies on the boat were very knowledgeable and helpful.

Ken Barr

Great fun. Whales, dolphins, seals, puffins.

Sally Beyzade

What an incredible experience. Captain Tom made it a really informative trip. We were so lucky to see 4 humpback whales. A mother and very playful calf, and 2 other adults. We were given flotation suits, hats and gloves to wear. My 6 year old daughter was given waterproof jacket and trousers and a life jacket. You should wear closed toe shoes. It wasn't really cold but the gloves were good for holding on. It felt very safe on the zodiac and exhilarating when we travelled at speed.

Joaquim Almeida

(Translated) The trip with Tom was exciting and informative. We have seen every species of whale that lives in the Bay of Fundy. He knows everything about the animals and is very careful when approaching the whales. Highly recommended! (Original) Die Ausfahrt mit Tom war spannend und informativ. Wir haben jede Walart gesehen die in der Bay of Fundy lebt. Er weiß alles über die Tiere und ist sehr vorsichtig wenn er sich den Walen nähert. Absolut zu empfehlen!

Chris Bing

Sadly can't give 5 stars as we didn't see whales! However it was made clear that the conditions were challenging for whale watching and we still had a fun boat ride, at a reduced price. Can't fault Tom and his team on anything. I understand most of his competitors had cancelled their trips, so at least we didn't miss out completely. Highly recommended.

Derek Wilson

Best whale watching tour around. Captain Tom is a gem.

Raymonde Masson

It was the highlight of our trip to the Bay of Fundy. Booked a tour with the Mariner. The tour guide had lots of info to offer.We saw 4 whales, seals, dolphins. We felt very safe onboard. Great staff, locals ,who know their water.

movie bod

Fantastic experience. Captain Tom is knowledgeable, entertaining and a great host on his super fast boat. We saw lots of humpback whales.

Anwin

Great Experience.

Kimberly Brown

Fantastic trip with Ocean Explorations! Very friendly captain, extremely knowledgeable about the whales and wildlife. We had a memorable experience with a humpback and I hope to visit again soon!

Robert Bowers

Really lucky to find a Humpback whale. Viewing by zodiac boat is definitely the best way to go.

KD M

Loved the experience. Am going to do it again.

Sarah Casselman

We had a wonderful day with Ocean Explorations Zodiac Whale Cruises and highly recommend the tour. Captain Tom was very knowledgable and went above and beyond to make sure we had a great experience. Our tour was longer than typical as the whales had been spotted further out, which means more gas $ and more time for Tom. We saw dolphins, seals, puffins, and of course, the majestic humpback! We are so lucky to have the opportunity to see these beautiful animals up close. Thanks Captain Tom!

Victoria C

Captain Tom was very professional and I felt very safe on the zodiac whale watching tour. I went back in August 2021 and it was a lot of fun! Tom spent over 2 hours looking for whales until we found some humpbacks. We also saw sea birds and dolphins! I’d highly recommend going with Ocean Explorations but just make sure you book reservations in advance because tours can fill up quickly. From my experience, Tom was most responsive to emails around 8am before heading out on tours for the day.

Jonathan Feltrin

Many a whale was seen and Tom is a friendly captain

Gordon Won

Never try whale watch on a foggy day. If you have reservation, do cancel it if it is foggy. I won't blame this tour, if no whale witnessed due to foggy days. However, the tour is responsible to tell the guests that in a foggy day, whale may not appear and the guests should try another time. However we did not get any suggestion that it will be hard to see whale in a foggy day, UNTIL the END of the tour we are told "sorry no whales due to the bad weather". Even though we get discounted price, CAD50 due to no whale, however, we spent 3 hours for a hard trip on the sea to find no whale. I am not only spending money for the trip. By the way, I have scheduled 2 days accommodation in Digby, since I was told the weather matters for whale watch. If the tour suggested the risk of no show of whale, I can reschedule on a better day, instead of taking the trip on a foggy day. Not sure if the organizers simply think, these guests will schedule only 1 day for whale watch, so if the guests are informed the risk of no whale on a foggy day, they will cancel it and spend no money. Then an uninformed guest spending 50 dollars will always be better. 千万别在雾天观鲸！这家老板很不厚道，不会告诉你雾天可能看不到鲸鱼。钱是小事，时间和颠簸太不划算了。他家的船条件也很一般

Rob Beaton

Third time out in the zodiac with Tom, and it's always fun and educational. We saw 3 adult humpbacks and 1 calf, plus a bunch of puffins, seals, porpoises and dolphins.

TheDoktor Who

3rd time out seeing whales with Tom! Never disappointed when we go out with him. Saw 6+ humpback whales, harbour porpoises and seals. Thanks!

Suhaib Habboush

Horrible communication, we drove 4 hours and we kept a calling to check that everything is okay but he ended up canceling on us when we got there because it was raining and it was raining since the morning and he knows that but didn't decide to share that they won't go if it's raining

Able Allen

Wow! We had an incredible tour. We first encountered a pod of dolphins and then got right up close and personal with an amazing and active group of humpback whales. They put on a magical show for us! Tom led the tour enthusiastically and professionally. He put the boat in the right places to keep us and the whales safe while providing a great vantage point. He is experienced and knowledgeable, and helped us to stay safe and comfortable throughout the 3+hour tour. Thanks!

Robb High

We went out on the 9.45-12.45 excursion. The weather was crystal clear. The temperature on shore was about 68ºF, but 5-6 degrees cooler on the water. They issue everyone a “onesie” with a hood that provides both warmth and flotation. We each also had a couple of layers underneath. It gets quite cold out on the water when the Zodiac is moving at 25-30 mph. There were 12 people in the boat, but it never seemed crowded. We followed one humpback for about 45 minutes as it sounded to feed. Tom, the owner/driver is extremely knowledgeable and has a great sense of humor. FYI - in addition to Ocean Explorations, went out on a large boat the previous day with Mariner (we figured 2 days would increase the certainty that we would see whales). Though different in terms of types of vessels used, both are equally excellent.

Janice Harmon

What a great trip. We saw fantastic sea life.

Giovanni Guiduccio

Tom is a man of few words however he can deliver. The most magnificent whale watching Close encounter with 5 whales. Incredible and absolutely vibrant experience UNFORGETTABLE

Andrew Clarke

Best whale watching experience in Nova Scotia. Knowledgeable guide and safe fun boats.

Ryan Kent

Great establishment! The whales were magnificent!

Jim Dickerson

Tom and staff are excellent ambassadors for Nova Scotia. He went out of his way to accommodate our needs to the fullest. You will not be disappointed!

Pam Paris

Nova Scotia

Tayyab Mysorewala

Whale watching with Tom was a great experience. He was very accommodating and booked us on another tour when ours was cancelled due to rain. We got to see humpbacks, dolphins, seals and even a bald eagle!

Stacey Ross

Our captain was Tom and he was great. Informative, bubbly but serious about safety. We saw tons of whales but even with a smaller number it would have been a good experience. Only improvement area is the house that they run the place out of. It's kinda run down. But the house is not really why you go there anyway.

Sylvie Stewart

What an amazing trip! Me, my husband and two kids will never forget it and we can’t wait to go back. We saw dolphins, sunfishes and finally a mother Humpback with her cub. We were lucky that they both came very close to us and I’m glad we chose Ocean Explorations Zodiac Whale Cruises because the zodiac definitely allows you to feel closer to the whales. Tom Goodwin was great, he absolutely did his best to find whales which was not easy because of the mist on that day, and he succeeded! We first chose this company because of the Zodiac (instead of a regular boat) – and we’ve not been disappointed. Don’t be stopped by the fact that you need to take a ferry boat to get there. It actually adds to the adventure, it’s easy, quick and free, and the OEZWC is easy to find immediately on the other side.

Kathryn Connolly

We had a great whale watching excursion with Tom! We saw four humpback whales and some seals. Full length flotation suits were provided for the adults (covering arms and legs) and they had a basket of hats and gloves for guests to wear, which were appreciated out on the water, even though it was August - quite chilly even mid day at 74 degrees F. My five year old daughter came along, and they provided a long sleeve rain jacket and rain pants as well as a typical life jacket for her. Not as warm as the orange suits, but she had on a few layers underneath. I would recommend wearing pants and a sweater underneath all the gear they provided. We had a great time and would definitely recommend it!

Elaine Phinney

Great fun!

Gordon Ng

Good operator.

Helen Larsen

Whales! We saw so many. Tom is full of information on the marine species in the area. We were in whale territory within 15 minutes of entering the bay. We were out for a good 2.5-3 hours and saw whales for the majority of the time.

Peter Pelican

Good job Tom and your staff. Friendly and competent. Thank you. We‘ll have a lot to tell our friends in Switzerland!!!! :-)

Raegan Zinger

Tom and the rest of the office crew were professional, friendly, and super informative! Captain Tom was a fantastic tour guide, and exceedingly knowledgeable; he really is a whale whisperer. We saw 6 humpback whales (inc. a calf, mother, and 'escort' whale). We also saw puffins, various seabirds, porpoise, dolphins, and seals. It was absolutely awesome! Would 100% recommend and come back to do again! The zodiac boats are the only way i want to go whale watching.

Claire Whalen

Captain Tom is a special dude who is super knowledgeable about whales and their ecosystems in the Bay of Fundy. We saw 5 different whales on our trip including a couple that breached many times. You can feel good about supporting Captain Tom as he is a true-blue environmentalist and friend to whales (check out his picture with Jacques Cousteau in the house!). 10/10 would recommend.

Peggy Troller

Cool whale watching trip

Jamie Benoît

Amazing experience. The Captain Jamie was fanatic. He know the whales by name and where to go to see them.

Alexander Eckel

Very good experience. Nice team. Good location, easy to find.

John Babcock (WhenAndWhere)

2nd trip out very nice

Debra Davidson

Please go on this tour or whale watching whatever it's called, it is something you will never forget. It was amazing. The whales put on a show, I swear. There was a mom and her baby, we were lucky to see. Definitely worth it.

Kristen Major

What an amazing trip!!! Captain Tom was a wonderful guide, providing lots of information on the area and the animals. He did everything he could to get us close to the humpback whales :) we saw 6 while we were out plus seals, puffins and other porpoises. Highly recommended, would go again! Thanks again for everything Captain Tom!

Miranda Augustine

We had such a great experience with Captain Tom. This is a unique whale-watching experience due to their use of a zodiac boat, which is smaller (thus more intimate) and closer to the water than other whale-watching boats. Tom was fun (while still being serious about what we needed to do), knowledgeable about all of the sea life we saw, and made sure that we saw as many whales as possible. We found three separate pairs that eventually all came together for a grand finale in which the six were all surfaced at the same time, only 5-6 metres from the boats! Incredible experience!

Kevin Heo

(Translated) Life was a good experience the first time we could see the whales directly from your hand. The captain was very passionate and knew about whales. If you want to see whales, I highly recommend this place. (Original) 생애 처음으로 고래를 가까이에서 직접 볼 수 있었던 좋은 경험이였습니다. 선장님이 매우 정열적이고 고래에 대해 잘 알고 있는 분이였습니다. 고래가 보고 싶다면 이곳을 적극 추천드립니다.

Moi Self

Tom is amazing and took us all the way out to see many groups of humpbacks, and taught us about the whales, letting us spend a lot of time out with them. He was so knowledgeable and kind and we can't wait to go back!

Travis Hawley

Great service and beautiful trip there! Didnt get out as it was too foggy on the water will update on our next trip! Update: Finally got out whale watching and let me tell you this! The crew was absolutly amazing and very knowledgeable, we were only on the water for about an hour before we started seeing whales! And boy what a show they put on for us, out of about 15 - 20 whales we seen there were 2 well known whales, sockeye and hugs N kisses, sockeye came up right beside the boat and did a barrel roll and brought his fin up and was about 9"s from touching my hand! There was a momma and her baby there putting on a show teaching her baby how to dive and jump, It was a trip of a lifetime and we will be sure going back again. I cant recommend ocean explorations enough if you want to have a trip you will never forget, get ahold of them and set up your trip, you wont be disappointed at all!

Michelle Martin

Tom was an amazing host on our 4 hour plus tour. Made sure we saw Humpback whales, Puffins, Seals and Harbour purpoise. He made this experience truly memorable and seeing the whales in the zodiac is a close and very personal experience for each person. Tom shows a respect for nature and although has probably seen many whales ???? he behaved as though it was his first time experiencing them as well! Highly recommend heading out with Tom.

Jon Gisby

We had a great trip with Capt Tom, in near perfect conditions. We saw 10-15 humpbacks and a pod of dolphins. Tom's passion for the whales, and the Bay of Fundy, were apparent throughout the trip, and we were delighted when he spotted that one nearby whale was about to breach. I would definitely recommend Tom. Book early!

Manni Rick

Fantastic adventure! Captain Tom got us up close and personal with whales dolphins and even a tuna fish.

Janna Rolfe

This was a highlight of our trip to Nova Scotia. The tour leader was so knowledgable and taught us so much. We felt safe and secure on little zodiac boats and saw so many seals and whales so close. It was a great outing I will never forger!!

Martha Beltz

We are in complete agreement with previous reviewer, Mark Henderson. The wildlife was awesome ... of course ... and we saw a lot, so that is not our complaint. But, this business is quite unprofessional by comparison to the 6 others we have used for whale watching all over the world. The building facilities and protective garments were filthy/moldy and the process quite scattered. The staff, including Tom, lacked knowledge and/or chose not to share basic information on breeding, child rearing, migration patterns, feeding methods, etc. Not one word was uttered about conservation efforts! Tom seemed like a a grumpy boat driver who has lost whatever passion he may have once had for marine biology. In fact, he was chastised by other tour operators for breaking the rules about proximity to the whales and then gave his colleagues grief about his mistake. In spite of what the advertisement says ... the zodiac ride alone is NOT worth it!

Amanda Grafton

We saw 8 humpback whales!

Holly mf

Exceptional adventure provided by Tom! Cant wait to go back again we loved the zodiac and saw 7 whales. Was not rushed out in the water and he knew all the right spots to go and see the whales! See you next year:)

Jacqueline Hughes

One of the most incredible experiences!

Ron G

I loved the zodiac boat. Although the boat was uncomfortable but ONLY because the sea was rough that afternoon. Seen a pod of dolphins swimming around the zodiac. Tom was rough around the edges but when you deal with spoiled tourist for 35 years it can get to you. Boat was safe and ran beautifully. We did not see the mighty humpback but nothing is guaranteed. I went on previous whale watching tours elsewhere and it's hit or miss sightings, it's not like sea world Florida where they train them to wait for you and when you show up they dance and do flips in the water. I will DEFINITELY be coming back next summer to give it another try. I'm pretty confident will see whales next time. Ron G Ontario Canada

Catherine Wang

Great whale watch tour! We saw three humpback whales and learned a lot about them from Tom. We got plenty of time observing the whales!

E.

(Translated) Friendly. (Original) Freundlich.

Konstantin K.

(Translated) By far the best whale watching operator in Digby! Super friendly, very experienced and a modern boat (Zodiac). We even stayed out longer than the other providers to be able to watch more whales - highly recommended! --- By far the best whale watching experience in Digby! Super friendly, very experienced and a modern boat. We even stayed out longer than the other providers to watch more whales - highly recommended! (Original) Mit Abstand der bester whale watching Anbieter in Digby! Super freundlich, Sehr erfahren und dazu ein modernes Boot (Zodiac). Wir sind sogar länger als die anderen Anbieter draußen geblieben um noch weitere Wale beobachten zu können - sehr zu empfehlen! —- By far the best whale watching experience in Digby! Super friendly, very experienced and a modern boat. We even stayed out longer than the other providers to watch more whales - highly recommended!

Laudav Hutcheon

After 40 years of trying we finally saw whales up close. Thanks Tom and Dave.

Sagar Patel

Seal cove best place to explore seal and see birds. Whale watching tour is awesome if you able to see whale playing in Ocean.

Deena Shankman

Whale

John C

Tom showed us a great time, we saw whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea lions and a puffin! The boat was fun, and really appreciated it once we saw the crowded other larger fishing boat style vessels other tours were using.

Randall Mayne

Great time

Deborah Richard

This has been the highlight of our trip out East! Going on a Zodiac is the way to go! We were very lucky we watched a whale and her calf swim right next to us ! Thanks Tom! Amazing dayd Debbie and Randy from Kitchener Ontario

Natalie Vandivier

We had an awesome trip with Captain Tom this afternoon! A must do! Bucket List, check!

Melvyn Oarton

You've tried the rest, now go with the best!

Julie Leis

We had a wonderful time. We saw an Orca and 7 Humpback whales! Tom was great about us being delayed and waited for us. He was informative and a great guide. It was an adventure that I would definitely do again. Thanks Tom!

reuben vandekleut

Absolutely amazing experience. Wife and I were at first hesitant to make such a trek to whale watch, decided to go for it and were blown away. Captain tom and gang were easy to get along with and knowledgable. Thanks for such a great time!

sam roy

I went to a few whale watching trip. This one is definetly the best. There was this heavy smog blocking the view 15 meters around, but the legendary captain Tom was able to find those magestique creature of the ocean in 15 minute. It was so magical that harry Potter looked normal. There is wonderfull beach nearby to finish your Day with.

Jewles Livingston

Had a great whale watching tour. Owner/guide is very knowledgeable. Saw whales surface numerous times and one swam right along the side of the zodiac. The zodiac allows occupants to get right on top of whales. They are attracted to noise.

Eric Ramey

WOW! Captain Tom is very knowledgeable about the area and its inhabitants! We were able to see a few whales break the surface of the water and feed on krill. If you are in the area Ocean Explorations is a must do

Duncan Hamann

Awesome

Gregg Martin

Fantastic will be going out with this crew again

Chris Faulkner

Tom was great! It was a tough day as it was raining early morning creating g a very foggy day for whale watching. When we arrived he let us know so.e of the challenges with going out and the chance of not seeing anything. He gave us the option to back out which we didn't and were very thankful. We did delay a little going out because it did look like it was starting to lift. There were 9 of us in the boat and we lucked out as we immediately saw a harbor seal. We saw many through out the trip along with puffins, porpoises, dolphins but the ultimate was we.did find a small pod of 4 with a baby. We watched them for quite sometime which was great to see them.in their environment. Highly recommend them if you are looking for some great whale watching!!

Virgil Iancu

Wonderful experience. We were lucky to have a nice day, with no waves or wind. Capitan Tom is an amazing tour guide, very knowledgeable, friendly, and he went above and beyond to show us all the wildlife. We saw two humpback whales playing and splashing in the water, a few porpoise, and seals resting on some rocks. A thrilling 3 hour trip.

Joseph Lee

From here you can see the Balancing rock, s nature's wonder

Karen Anderson

Great experience.

Ghassan Hafez

the captain wasn't friendly, rude. we didn't see whales

terry diemert

We had a wonderful time

Erin Gloyn

We had such a fun time on the zodiak with Ocean Explorations! During our three hours on the water we saw: puffins, seals, porpoises, minkie whales and humpback whales. I would highly recommend this excursion for an adventurous person!

Fiona F

Great friendly stuff.