I spent several hours aboard the Archipelago Wildlife Cruise for a close friend's wedding. Although the day was rainy, we had a great time. The hosts gave us great hospitality and knew the area very well. Due to weather, we had to change plans and have the wedding on a different beach but this proved to be a good call on the captain's part. The wildlife was amazing and the hosts knew lots to tell about it. The trip was excellent and I would whole-heartedly recommend a tour to anyone visiting this area.

Tip: if you think there is even a small chance of seasickness, take the 1/2 gravol made available. This proved invaluable to a few people on board in choppy waters.

My wife and I wanted to get out on the water from Ucluelet and chose the Archipelago cruise. It was a really good decision. It was a 4-5 hour leisurely romp among islands and sealife that we will long remember fondly. Captain and crew, Alan and Toddy alternated at the helm, are great narrators with years of experience on the waters of Barkley Sound, and they made the trip very interesting as well as entertaining. Binoculars and other goodies provided.

They run just 1 tour a day (also sunset cruises) so they do not rush anything in order to get back to pick up the next group. That made a big difference compared to other tours we researched, because they are willing and able to follow the whales wherever they are found, and it provides time for the leisurely (optional) gourmet lunch on board. Do opt for the lunch prepared in a local restaurant.

The 53' "Raincoast Maiden" is a treat. It is comfortable, stable, and roomy topside and below. Don't miss this great experience!

Candy and Jack, North Carolina

Our group booked a tour to Broken Group Islands last September. The trip was a great pleisure on the deck of our cruise. We had a nice lunch with salmon and salad. We saw a pack of 4 gray whales playing just some hundred yards away from us. Timmy brought 2 binoculars so we could se them clearly. This is the first time I saw the great gray whales in nature. So wonderful and memorable!

We took this trip on 19th September 2011 as part of our honeymoon celebrations and we would say that it was the perfect addition to our visit on the west coast. We were blessed with really good weather on our Broken Group Islands cruise and, due to Al and Toddy's expert local knowledge, we saw an abundance of wildlife - bald eagles, seals, sealions and a gray whale. Their enthusiasm was clear to see and the cruise was extremely well organised and every consideration had been taken into account - binoculars available for everyone, blankets, drinks etc. The lunch was also first rate - catered by the Ucluelet restaurant Norwoods, which is also well worth a visit. The spectacular scenery is something that we will never forget, and we really appreciated the surprise champagne toast to celebrate our Ucluelet wedding a few days earlier. All in all, an experience not to be missed.