ocean explorations whale cruises

GnK_in_Canada

Our family of four went on the zodiac in August. We were warmly greeted and, having arrived early, given ideas for island fun. The zodiac trip was exhilarating on the way out and absolutely magical as we tracked a pair of humpback whales. When they disappeared below the surface we waited to hear the spout when they returned and headed in their direction. Guy was a knowledgeable and patient guide. We felt safe at all times but almost close enough to touch. We also saw a Minke whale a pair of seals, some puffins and glimpsed a porpoise!! I would never choose any other tour operator. Perfect!!!

dklmjj

We took a zodiac tour as 2 families: 4 adults, 1 teen, 2 tweens, and three 8 year olds. None of the kids had ever been whale watching before so this was all new to them. They were very excited to see whales, seals, porpoises, and sea birds. Our guide, Captain Tom, was excellent. Very personable and very knowledgeable. We will definitely recommend Ocean Explorations to friends heading that way and we will tour with them again the next time we are there.

93mechthild

Thanks for this experience, we saw the whales very close, and we had a very safe feeling. This trip was exciting and successful- there were 4 humpback whales including a child whale! Zodiac and captain Tom is the best.

450robertap

We are always game for whale watching and have been on the routine ones where you go the same route and there they are folks, hope you had a good time. Either you see them or you don't. However, this trip with Tom on the Zodiac was very exciting! We all hung onto the ropes along the boat sides (except I was smart enough to know I would be safer sitting inside on the storage box) and away we went. About 20 miles out, wherever we saw action. Our guide was very accommodating and gave us facts as we zipped along. We were able to follow several whales and a pod of dolphins followed us! It was fun, fun, fun and if you get the chance you shouldn't miss it!

613debbiec

Tom, our guide took us out on the Zodiac to see whales. 10 people on this trip. First we saw a couple of whales and that was great. Then, we lucked out and there was 5 Humpback whales circling our zodiac and another boat. We also saw puffins just swimming in the water and later on the way back some dolphins. Tom was an excellent guide by explaining what behaviours the whales were exhibiting and what we could expect them to do next. Sure helped us to get ready to take lots of great photos such as when their tales came up out of the water. He was willing to take us to several locations where other boats had spotted whales. Wow!!!! What an exhilarating experience. We are very happy we picked this company to go out with and we will cherish this memory for a long time to come. Tom even emailed us some video that he shot of our trip which we can add to our album. I'd recommend going in September to see whales in the Bay of Fundy as part of your visit to Nova Scotia. We had a great 8 days overall here in Nova Scotia. We come from the West Coast of BC and have been in a whale watching trip there and it was nothing like this.

jensuven

In July 2014 we booked a tour and were so lucky to watch a lot of whales: Minky and a family of right whales ( eubalaena glacialis). This was our greatest impression in the Digby area, we are so glad that we did the tour with Ocean Explorations and the unforgettable Captain Tom! It is soon obvious that he has great experience and he is very responsible with his fastgoing Zodiac and with the whales that he loves as much as we do.This was easy to obtain, thank you!Jens and family from Germany .

jenniferhG7512YX

We have visited Nova Scotia every Summer for past 18 years. After testing a couple of the larger boats for whale watching, we decided to try Ocean Explorations and the zodiac and have never considered going back to the larger boats. We have been out w/Tom on the zodiac at least once a year for the past 15 years and have never been disappointed. With his extensive experience, Tom is incredibly informed about not just the whales but the birds and the Bay of Fundy in general. The size of the tour groups is much smaller which creates a more personal experience. The zodiac allows you to get to the whales much more quickly than the larger boats so you can enjoy more time observing the whales and less time in transit (however the ride itself really is so much fun). While out on the zodiac in the Bay of Fundy, we have enjoyed amazing whale sightings that have never been matched anywhere else where we have gone whale watching (Cape Cod, Cape Breton, Alaska, Oregon). For anyone interested in observing whales in their natural habitat, the Bay of Fundy is a must visit and Ocean Explorations has kept us coming back year after year!

HHM36

This was the best experience of our ten day trip around Nova Scotia. The zodiac really made the difference in getting closer to more whales... much more maneuverable than the bigger boats. Plus it is a fun and exhilarating ride! Tom was an awesome guide. He knows so much about the whales, but what I liked best was that even after so many years of doing this, he still seemed as genuinely excited as the rest of us when when spotted whales. We saw many humpbacks and lots of breeches and some fluke slapping, all up close... what a thrill! We also saw one very rare right whale. We certainly got our money's worth and would recommend Ocean Explorations very highly!

143marcyr

Did the 12:30 trip Sept. 8 2014. Must say I was very hesitant at the thought of going in a zodiac!! But, off we went. It couldn't have been a nicer day on the water. It took no time to sight some whales, and we got up close and personal. But not TOO close...I was very impressed at the level of respect that Tom had for these magnificent creatures, after all we were in THEIR territory! Near the end of the trip, literally out of the blue, a humpback put on a fantastic show of breaching over and over again. Words cannot describe. Also another humpback rolled over on its side and "waved" to us with that huge white fin!! We stayed out a little longer than the allotted time because we had the amazing good fortune to sight the endangered right whale...what are the odds of that?? Tom made sure it was a positive identification. It was a fast trip back to the harbor bucking a very strong tide against us, but being at the back of the zodiac wasn't so bouncy. This was my fifth time whale watching and I have to say the best! Do NOT fear the zodiac...it's the only way to go!!

tonyi96

This was the best whale watch we have ever been on. Tom was a great captain - really knows his stuff, including where the whales are. He found a pod of 5 humpbacks, with a juvenile whale that just kept on breaching. Definitely go with a Zodiac instead of one of those large boats. You are right down on the water with about 10 other people, instead of high up behind a rail with 100 others. I'd highly recommend Ocean Explorations. My only regret is that I left my Canon 6D with a telephoto lens in the car. I didn't want to risk getting it wet, but the trip was smooth.

normc451

I did the 12:30 excursion with three other adult family members in August. It was a great trip and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The weather that day was good and the Bay of Fundy was calm. We felt perfectly safe in the zodiac and were provided with all the proper overclothing to wear for the open ocean. We saw lots of hump back whales up close. Captain Tom was great and provided much information about the whales. Also saw seals and lots of sea birds. We even saw a shark jump right out of the water off in the distance as we were returning to port. The zodiac seems to be a better way to see the whales because, once whales are sighted, it can reach them much faster than the conventional whale watching boats. The only disadvantage of the zodiac is there is no bathroom onboard and the excursion typically lasts for 3 hours.

557bobh

Tom took our party of 7 on a wonderful exclusive tour, we saw everything we had hoped to see including puffins and dolphins and lots of whales. the highlight of our trip was when a humpback whale did a full breach right in front of the zodiac, we have some wonderful pictures.tom did a good job of warning us when a whale was about to surface.our party ranged in age from young to 83 and everyone enjoyed the experience. Thank you Oceans explorations

nskaye

Okay, seeing whales is always and the tendency is to rate a company well if you see whales and poorly if you don't. They can't control the whales....However, we did see about 12 Humpback and 3 Minkes on this trip. The guide was knowledgeable, the gear was excellent and the survival suits kept us warm and dry. Friendly people and we would go back. Bathroom was clean and we were treated like family-well actually better...

StephanieF311

We went out on a 12:30 excursion (on August 18th). It took maybe an hour before we saw anything, but the ride was fun. We saw several whales, a seal, and even a deer on shore. Captain Tom was a great leader, providing great background and commentary. When they say dress in layers, definitely dress in layers. It was foggy and cool as we got started, but by the time we were out on the water for a bit, it was clear, sunny, and getting warmer. And give yourself plenty of time to do a little exploring of Tiverton. The Boars Head Lighthouse is just moments away by car (and you drive right up to it), and the Balancing Rock Trail is about 10-15 minutes down the road (and then a 20-30 minute hike to the rock).

MarcelloP0974

It was not the best possible day with weather quickly deteriorating and whales being rather difficult to find. But at the end we found them. As several photos here show, we could have had an even closer experience if we had had more luck, but regardless of it, me & my girlfriend were overwhelmed by the experience. We especially liked seeing dolphins playing with the whales. This was one of the reasons to visit Nova Scotia and we would repeat it at anytime: with Zodiac and with Captain Tom. He was informative and funny. And dedicated. Despite the heavy rain, he did not cancel the next (evening) trip. Two advices: it is better to pay more attention to the experience than to the photo-shooting:). And: in case of rain it is recommended to have warm and possibly waterproof clothing.