Reviews of Big Animal Encounters (Zoo)

Tom

Aug5/2019.We took the tour,it was a pleasant when everyone in the tour showed up after an 45min delay.I thought it wasn’t fair to make us wait and not impressed as when we inquired about the time,it was expressed to us that to be on time.

Kasey Ingham

My family came on an all-day tour to Bute Inlet to see Grizzly Bears. The boat ride there was beautiful - Bill gave us lots of information and was super friendly. The boat has indoor or outdoor seating and a bathroom. We were served lunch and snacks once we got to Orford Bay to meet our local guides - Tony and Gary from Homalco! Tony was full of information about the local area, wildlife, lots of stories and personal anecdotes. We saw three bears total; 2 from less than 50ft away, and we felt safe the entire time. It's very evident how much all of our guides loved their jobs and wanted us to all have an amazing time. On the way home, we saw some orcas and enjoyed a nice cruise home. We will be coming back next year to try Scuba diving!

Russell Clark

Memorial Day Weekend we went out on a full day whale watching trip, and oh my did we have a great time! The boat was very comfortable, with a good sized cabin, comfy seats and spacious back deck for viewing. The skipper was excellent, and made you feel very safe. His knowledge of the local waters, and the rapids was excellent and very reassuring. The scenery in this part of the world is jaw dropping, but you need to see it by boat. Up around Quadra Island is just immensely beautiful and worth the ticket alone. And... we saw killer whales! Two of them, one apparently the largest on the west coast at 11 meters long! It was an exciting, and very memorable day on the water. Worth every penny, and well worth the extra I spent on gifts in their very nice gift shop afterwards. Thoroughly recommend, and a real Canadian experience.

Stephen Taylor

First rate whale watching tour! ????

Nicholas Defrancis

Nice place

Victor Procure

Saw lots of Orcas and humpback they gave a great tour. Kept nice and warm in the survival suits they gave us

R A

Good company and the staff were very nice and we saw lots of humpbacks. Unfortunately for this industry the govt has started enforcing a new law which doesn't allow any watercraft within 200 meters of the whales which makes it impossible to get a good look. Looks like the good' ol days of whale watching is over in Canada.

David DeNeire

Sept 19, 2021 tour. WOW!! It was totally worth the drive from Nanaimo to Campbell River for what turned out to be an absolutely incredible day out on the water. I would highly recommend the four hour whale / wild life watching tour. From the time we arrived to the time we left the level of professionalism and customer service was spot on, thank you Sharon. Our guide Chris and his colleagues know all the cool spots in the area and on our excursion we hit the JACKPOT! We had three humpback whales putting on quite the show which ended with the grand finale ... a triple breach (see picture) at the same time! Chris was then able to locate a small pod of Doll's Porpoises ... they guys were supercharged and super fun to watch. We then continued on past "Devils hole" to an area close to Sonora where there was a large population of Sea Lions having a salmon lunch while playing in the rapids. Chris received a radio call from another guide at Big Animal Encounters to notify us that they had seen a pod of 20 to 30 Pacific White Sided Dolphins in a bay area and off we sped to go and find them with great success! There was a total of 8 ppl in the zodiac plus Chris. On the way back to the base we hit a patch of rain, but managed to stay pretty dry and warm on the inside in our Transport Canada approved full-length flotation safety suits and toques that Sharon supplied. I'm already planning on going back out again when I have more out of town guests come to visit. Thanks again for a fabulous experience . ~ David DeNeire, Mortgage Broker

Carol Rothe

“Our guide Jason was awesome!” Extremely knowledgeable of the whole area as he grew up here, and he even could smell a whale in the area! Not only an expert in his job, but witty and and very friendly and had us laughing most of the time. We saw some fast moving Orcas and several Humpbacks with an epic finish when one of them appeared right in front of our boat! Quite something! Got to see the seals lounging on the rocks! Wonderful experience, not to be missed if you visit the Island! Perfect day! Thank you Jason!

Gilles Cognot

Awesome experience this afternoon, starting with a warm welcome from a guy from NZ, then a big tour (80 km ? 100 km), with up to 50 km/h, to watch : Orcas, dolphins, black bears, bald eagle, Humpbacks.... so lucky, so incredible !!! Just wahooo...

Andrew Jonathan

I am a tour guide and bring clients here and each time they get a great experience. They have covered boats and offer snacks and drinks and work closely with other operators to find the animals, always a great time.

Kevin Natt

We just rolled up without a booking and they found us a captain to take us out on the water in short notice (I do recommend pre booking) which was super accommodating. Amazing customer service before we took off on the water. We did a 4 hour whale watching tour and our Captain Trish was awesome and she was able to find us all kind of beautiful sea animals to see including Orcas, Humpbacks and Sea Lions. Definitely got our money’s worth plus just being on the water surrounded by that breath taking scenery is truly something special. We will be back one day for another tour!

Sandy Douglas

Jason was an awesome guide, seen 3 Oscar's up close, also bumped into a group of 6 humpback whales. The host Red was fun as well, total recommend these guyz.

Rick zz top charron

Awesome day on the water. . Whales, seal lions, bears

Ian Zimmermann

In one word.....WOW!!!!!!!!! Sea Lions, Seals, Eagles, Whales, Porpoise, and Orca's all in ONE DAY!!! Our Captain "Bill" is definitely dialed-in to the area. He seemed to know exactly where to go to see all of these magnificent creatures. It started with going for a Dive to see the Sea Lions....One of the BEST Animal encounters in my entire diving career, but the fun did not stop there. After being welcomed back aboard with a nice hot chocolate, we were off to find the Orca's he knew were in the area. We were not disappointed! Not one, but three Pods with Porpoise along the way. Great boat + fantastic crew + beautiful scenery = AMAZING TIME!!! Can't wait to go back! (and already did....twice!) Thanks a bunch From Ottawa, Ontario IanZ

Michael Thorsen

(Translated) We had a really good experience, with very pleasant staff. The bus ride from the city center became a very informative sightseeing. It is highly recommended. (Original) Vi fik en rigtig god oplevelse, med meget behageligt personale. Busturen fra centrum, blev samtidig en meget informativ sightseeing. Det kan varmt anbefales.

solene ollivier

We did a day trip and it was just awesome! We saw humpback whales, dolphins, orcas, sea lions, seals, hundreds of eagle (in special spot where they gather to feed on fish). All day, we were in front of magnificent scenic views, sailing around islands. The boat was very confortable and clean. The very nice crew knows the area very well and could answer my numerous questions about the region and animals. Also very respectful of the whale watching rules, which is really appreciable.

Tara MacDonald

Thoroughly enjoyed our 4-hour tour with our guide, Jason. He was very knowledgeable of the area, the wildlife and some local history. The time flew by! We were very lucky to see breaching humpbacks… an amazing sight. Bill, and the rest of the staff in the office, were very accommodating and made the day run smooth. We would love to book again in the future!

Becky Kagan Schott

Best wild life tour operator on Vacouver Island. They are experienced and know where to find the best animals in the area including whales, dolphins, seals, and sea lions. It's the best big animal encounter i've ever had! You won't be disappointed.

Jolayne Storie

Elvis was an amazing guide, saw incredible wildlife with the happiness and energy of a charismatic driver!!! Thank you Big animal encounters! What an amazing birthday journey!!!

Selena Crossland

Our boat captain was Elvis, he is so friendly & knowledgeable about the area, love his stories. We found 9 humpback ???? whales, a sea lion and lots of otters ???? . Cookies & Rice Krispy squares with water & juice was supplied for a snack. The zodiac ride was surprisingly smooth! We will return for another adventure.

VL

(Translated) We did a whale watching tour on September 19, 2019 and everything went beyond our expectations! We had already made a tour to Victoria in the hope of seeing orcas, we had not seen (seen a humpback whale anyway), it is to say if our wait for this turn was high. Despite the rain we went aboard our zodiac for a 4 hour ride and we were spoiled: humpback whales, killer whales, Pacific dolphins, sea lions, seals, eagles, all in one turn! Our guide was very professional and very respectful of animals, she knew a lot about them or the region, she was listening to her passengers. In short I highly recommend this company for watching cetaceans! We were delighted. (Original) Nous avons effectué un tour d'observation des baleines le 19 septembre 2019 et tout s'est déroulé au-delà de nos espérances! Nous avions déjà effectué un tour à Victoria dans l'espoir de voir des orques, nous n'en avions pas vu (vu une baleine à bosses quand même), c'est dire si notre attente pour ce tour était élevé. Malgré la pluie nous sommes partis à bord de notre zodiac pour un tour de 4 heures et nous avons été gâté: baleines à bosses, orques, dauphins du Pacifique, lions de mer, phoques, aigle, le tout en un seul tour! Notre guide était très professionnel et très respectueuse des animaux, elle connaissait beaucoup de choses sur ceux-ci ou la région, elle était à l'écoute de ses passagers. Bref je recommande vivement cette compagnie pour l'observation des cétacés! Nous avons été ravis.

Stephen Kinns

Wonderful day snorkeling with seals off Hornby Island

Melissa Brooke

My boyfriend and I recently spent a wonderful weekend enjoying beautiful Campbell River. We decided to venture out on the water and Pacific Pro Dive were extremely accommodating! I had never been on a whale watching tour before so I didn't really know what to expect and boy, did these guys deliver!! The boat was roomy, clean and comfortable and our skipper Josh, was very friendly and knowledgeable. He knew exactly where to take us to see the most action. We were able to get close enough to take some great selfies with some massive humpback whales. When we got back to the shop we were lucky enough to chat with the owner Bill. This guy is a scuba diving guru. I was blown away by how much he had done and seen! I had no idea Campbell River had so many amazing places to dive! If I were going to learn how to dive, I would definitely want to learn from these guys. Who knows, maybe next time!! If you are in the Campbell River area and looking for whale watching or scuba charters, I highly recommend Pacific Pro Dive & Marine Adventures! Thanks for a memorable trip! Melissa Brooke

brenda phye

There staff are exceptional, very knowledgeable and passionate about there job..the owners Bill and Sharon were and are very accommodating the captain's Jason, Chris, Elvis and Bill take very good care of there guests and are great at what they do.

Kathryn Lord

Jason was FANTASTIC! We really lucked out finding humpbacks and orca pods willing to show-off. We took the covered boat that has a potty on board, which is wonderful on the longer treks. Refuge Cove was beautiful and lunch was great, cookies included. It was my birthday and a PERFECT day. Thank you Big Animal Encounters.

Nathan Easterbrook

We had the best whale watching experience with Pacific Pro Dive in Campbell River. We ran into a huge pod of dolphins, followed transient killer whales and watched humpbacks put on a show. It was a blast! Gift shop was awesome too! We will definitely be back !

carolyn touhey

Thank you for taking great care of the guests from Two Eagles Lodge Bed & Breakfast. They raved about their trip and your professionalism!

Christine Garland

What is there not to like. Loved every minute of it

Marie Comeau

Nice boat ride. Seen some whales. Would have seen more but it was too windy. Elvis our captain was awesome.

Remko De Bie

Nice half day out on the water on a zodiac. Elvis and Sarah were perfect hosts. We saw seals, sea lions and humpback whales. Unfortunately no orcas on our trip.

Ruud Hazendonk

(Translated) Fantastic experience to spot whales at great speed on a Zodiac. Not only whales but also a small species of dolphins, sea lions and seals. On the way back I also saw a black bear with young. Amazing experience. (Original) Fantastische ervaring om op een Zodiac met grote snelheid walvissen te spotten. Niet alleen walvissen maar ook een kleine soort dolfijnen, zeeleeuwen en ook zeehonden. Op de terugweg ook nog een zwarte beer met jong gezien. Geweldige ervaring.

Gaurav Savant

Had loads of fun on a whale watching tour. We took the larger boat in which once could walk around. The captain was nice and knowledgeable. Boat was clean and in good condition. The lady at the reception was very kind and accommodating. Overall I will definitely recommend them for a whale watching trip.

Colleen Williams

We thoroughly enjoyed our full day of whale watching. We not only saw killer whales and hump backs but also sea lions, porpoises! The the scenery alone is absolutely amazing! Bill is very knowledgeable about the surrounding waters and the wild life. I would highly recommend this company to anyone. We can't wait to go again! Don't forget your camera!

aj bucky

Solid experience...worth the drive up from Victoria.....and stay in Campbell River.

Julieta Morawski

The staff are very friendly and helpful. We saw the orcas and humpback and seals. It was a great experience.

Chandra m

Friendly service

Melissa Martin Naegeli

We had a perfect whale watching tour, really good guide, thanks