Otis Excursions, Quebec, Canada

5ISOthegoldenroad 5:00 PM Jun 27, 2012

Definitely book with Otis
If the river is rough it will be a very bumpy ride but we had a great calm day on one of their zodiac boats. Preferred Otis vs AML cause Otis all the seats faced out. We did the 3 hours tour and the time went by so fast.

4UF_RX_1999 5:00 PM Sep 8, 2012

Whale Watching in Canada
We stayed in Tadoussac for one night and went whale watching the next morning. It looks like there were three options for tour companies and we weren't sure which one to go with. Our innkeeper was more familiar with the choices and we decided to go with the new, larger Zodiac with Otis. From what we've heard and read, avoid the small 12 passenger boats where you sit on a box in the middle. It's good as you're looking 'out' the whole time but they're very bumpy and uncomfortable. Other than that, there are pluses and minuses for each boat. We went with the newer Zodiac (24 people?) because it's supposed to give you more of an up close experience. It actually turned out to be pretty comfortable, not terribly bumpy and we were able to maneuver around easier than the larger boats. The negative is you're facing 'in' the whole time but you can stand up when the boat slows down or gets close to the whales. Our captain spoke French and didn't really give too much English narration but a few of the other passengers helped us out with the important points. The larger boats looked nice and might be a good choice for older passengers, small kids, those with bad backs, etc, but they can't zip around as easily as the smaller boats. I think peak season is early and late summer (we went at the end of July) and the tours can't guarantee that you'll see anything at all. We took the three hour morning tour and that was a good duration for us. We saw a few seals and porpoises on the way out and back and got a good view of a couple of humpback whales while out in the 'main' area. All in all, we were pleased with the experience. It can be cold on the water (even during the summer) so dress accordingly.