Whale watching help!!

[Heyyaheyya]

Hi hoping someone can help.
Would love to incorporate a holiday this year with whale watching, specifically orca.
So online, I've found all sorts of info and I'm confused.

Initially thought Canada, Newfoundland. But after searching more closely, it seems like its more humpback 'area'. (Not that I wouldn't be delighted with this!).
I've also read Boston is a good shout.
So criteria is somewhere warm so if we don't see any , we still get a 'holiday'. So no freezing cold like Iceland!!
Looking at during summer 6 weeks holiday.
Family of 6 . Myself and Dp, adult Dc x2 2 teen.
I'm think budget of 15k. (Prob cost more?)
Thanks

If you really won't drive Vancouver is a good bet. You can get the tours from downtown or get a shuttle down to Steveston which is a bit cheaper as it's closer to where you need to be. I have done a trip from there- was really great. 4 hours or so on a small boat but was fantastic. The Orca population varies but from May ish to October you'll see them. Bigger Whales you'd need to be on the Island for (west coast mainly) but that's a challenge without a car.

You are restricting yourself if you absolutely refuse drive; if you pick Canada or the US you have more options if you can travel to other areas. Driving in the States is easy, I usually drive abroad and my husband navigates and I find it fairly stress-free (even driving the 6-8 lane freeways!)

I went ages ago from Gloucester (north of Boston). We only saw humpback whales and it took a very long journey north before we saw anything. You would likely need to drive though, and I've heard from local friends that Boston traffic has gotten worse and worse recently. I do think Canada or Alaska would be a good shout, Montreal and Quebec City are awesome, I haven't been to the west coast in a while but have always heard good things about Victoria.

We see whales and dolphins from the shore in New Jersey. There are also many options for whale watching boat trips, from a few hours to all day.
Idk about orcas, we see humpbacks, fin, minke as well as sharks, rays, bluefish, seals, osprey, eagles.
Lots of beautiful beaches accessible by rail from Newark airport (Point Pleasant and Bay Head beaches are walkable from the station) and easy to incorporate alongside a visit to NYC.
Seastreak run ferries to NYC and whale watching trips from the terminals at Highlands and Atlantic Highlands but I'm not sure how close you can get with public transport.

Seaplanes? 😮. Im anxious just thinking about it!!!

@tizwozliz
Wow!!

Yes I've heard this is good too. Thanks

Really don't want to hire a car. That doesn't feel like a holiday. I like to get a plane and just be there. I know USA and Canada are not chill out relax beach hols but still.

Trips from Victoria on Vancouver island. Done it twice at different times of year and got to see multiple orcas each time. Amazing experiences!
Once on a small, fast boat. Once on a bigger slower boat. Both were great.

Shetland if you fancy closer to home and no risk of it being warm!
https://www.shetland.org/videos/whale-watching-in-shetland#:~:text=Orca%20sightings%20have%20become%20increasingly,months%20between%20May%20and%20August.

We saw humpback whales off the coast of Costa Rica, Uvita specifically. Season lasts between Dec and April normally. Beautiful country, warm, lots more wildlife to see and gorgeous beaches.

we also saw whales off the coast of Ecuador many moons ago, another fab place, off the beaten track though

@Bobbie12345
Sound perfect.
So where would I fly to and stay? Sorry to sound thick. I will google it honestly!

I would consider it and adore Scotland. But as I've got some spare money (unusual)I want to go somewhere new!

I went whale watching in Argentina (Peninsula Valdes I think from memory- in September). They weren’t orca though but it was amazing. Argentina is a cool place plenty to see you can travel easily around the country via plane.

We saw whales off Iceland in August.

I have been whale watching all over, so adding one more for Orca - Baja California in Mexico. Orca are protected in Mexico.

And sorry but I have to say it - Orca are not whales, they are dolphins.

Another vote for Vancouver. Lovely city and you can access the orca watching by public transport. I can't remember the details as it was a long time ago that I went but I think I must have done it by bus, it was in the summer too.

Thanks. Oops my mistake😳

Lots of ideas here. Thanks everyone. I suppose I just want the option of visiting somewhere interesting with the chance of seeings whales/orca.

I recalled one site not mentioned yesterday, and even though they are not Orca, since the OP was thinking "whale" watching I would add it for anyone interested. Because it's one of those places that nobody ever thinks of. Oman.

Oman is home to about 20 species of whales and dolphins, and if you are lucky (we were) you might even see the endangered Arabian Humpback. This is the only Humpback whale that does not migrate. Although endangered, they are not able to introduce new stock from other herds because these Humpbacks have been isolated from others for so long that doing so could cause more damage than good.
https://wwfwhales.org/field-to-policy/arabian-sea-whales

We flew into Vancouver and then got the boat to Vancouver Island and went Whale Watching from Victoria. It was AMAZING, I would go back in a heartbeat.

OK so I've just spent several hours looking at this.
Thinking flight to vancouver
Book hotel independently and stay a few days
Ferry to vancouver Island and stay there several days
Whale watching boat
Ferry back to vancouver and there till flight home
Is this all feasible?

Yes absolutely and sounds great! Have a look on iPlayer and watch one of the series of Race across the World. They started in Stanley Park, Vancouver and then went via Vancouver Island.

Ooh I will!!
Initially i was looking at a package hol but i think I can do all of this by myself!

We've been whale watching twice - Vancouver Island and Tenerife, saw no whales at all - plenty of other marine life, but no whales. In fact on the VI trip they had a whale guarantee, so we got a free trip the next day - still no 🐋 despite Orcas being in the area.

So, good luck I guess!