Private Tofino Boat Charters — Book the Boat, Build the Day
Fishing, bears, scenic cruises and sunsets in Clayoquot Sound — just you and your group, with local Captain Ian (Skipper). No crowds. No fixed schedule. Let's build the day around what you want to see and do.
Why book a private charter?
Most boats in Tofino run on a schedule, packed with strangers, on a fixed route. This isn't that.
With CatFace Charters, the boat and the captain are yours alone for the day. — nobody else aboard, and the trip bends to you. It's the difference between taking a tour and having a day on the water that's yours.
Just your group.
No strangers, no shared seats. Kids, grandparents, a couple, a few friends — the boat is yours.
Built around you.
Mix and match fishing, wildlife, scenery and sunset. Change the plan on the fly.
Real local knowledge.
Captain Ian reads the tides, the shorelines and the weather so you're in the right place at the right time.
Small, quiet, respectful.
Better for photographers and anyone who'd rather feel the coast than fight a crowd.
Why you won't find a booking engine here: we're one boat and one skipper. No ticket counter, no call centre — when you phone, you're talking to the captain who's taking you out. Call, say what you're hoping for, and you'll have a plan and a price in minutes.
Choose your kind of day
Fishing
Salmon, halibut, bottom fish, crab and prawns in sheltered and open water.
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Bears & Wildlife
Watch coastal black bears flip rocks at low tide, plus eagles, seals and otters.
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Nature
Old-growth, glassy inlets, hidden bays and Meares Island.
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Sunset
A calm, beautiful golden-hour run past the harbour islands.
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Private Charters
Can't choose? Do a bit of everything. Build your own day.
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Can't decide? Do it all.
Here's the best part of going private: you don't have to pick just one. A morning of fishing can roll into a crab-trap pull, a drift past a bear on the tideline, and a slow cruise home as the light goes gold. Tell Captain Ian what you're hoping for and he'll shape a day around the tides and the weather.
Out on Clayoquot Sound
Clayoquot Sound is a maze of protected inlets, old-growth shoreline and islands on Vancouver Island's west coast — calm water where the ocean goes glassy on a still morning. On any given trip you might see bald eagles and great blue herons, harbour seals and sea otters, Steller and California sea lions hauled out on the rocks, and — with luck and the right tide — a black bear working the shoreline. Out in the passes there are harbour porpoises and Pacific white-sided dolphins, and on a lucky day the big travellers move through: humpback and grey whales, or a passing pod of orcas. CatFace Mountain (čitaapii, in the Ahousaht Nuu-chah-nulth language) stands on the horizon.
These are wild animals in a wild place, so nothing's guaranteed — but Captain Ian knows the tides and the shorelines and does everything he can to put you in the right spot.
Meet Captain Ian
Captain Ian (Skipper) has spent years on this coast, and running the boat himself is the whole point — you get his eyes, his stories and his local knowledge all day long.
New to Tofino? Start here.
Wondering when to come, what to bring, or whether the kids will be okay on the water? Our Plan Your Trip guide covers seasons, licences, seasickness and more.
Ready to get on the water?
It's just you, your group, and Captain Ian (Skipper). Call to check dates and build your day.
It's a two-minute, no-pressure chat — you'll get a straight answer and a real number for your date, and asking costs nothing. If Captain Ian's out on the water, leave a message and he'll ring you back. Not a phone person? Send a message instead.