Zodiac vs Covered Boat in Victoria

Both boats leave the same harbour, work the same water and are bound by the same approach rules. Neither gets you closer to a whale. The choice is entirely about what three hours on the Salish Sea should feel like.

The Fast Version

Take the Zodiac If…

You want the trip to feel like something. Sitting at the waterline in a fast open boat is genuinely exciting, and the cruiser suits operators issue keep you workable rather than warm. It suits confident, mobile adults who would rather be in the weather than watching it through glass.

Take the Covered Boat If…

Any of these are true: children in the party, anyone with back or mobility issues, a cold or wet forecast, you are carrying a camera you care about, or you would simply rather be comfortable. Nobody has ever regretted being warm at the end of hour three.

The most-booked covered option also has crew photographing the encounter and sharing the images afterwards, which quietly solves the problem of experiencing a sighting through a viewfinder.

The Mistake People Make

Booking the zodiac because it sounds more adventurous, with a seven-year-old and a forecast of ten degrees and drizzle. The whales are identical. The memory is not.

Still Undecided?

Default to the covered vessel. It is the lower-variance booking, it fails gracefully in bad weather, and if you turn out to love being on the water there is always a zodiac next time. Read the two product pages: open zodiac · covered boat.