Bella Coola

Whereas in other locations you tend to feel somewhat detached from the bears and their environment in elevated viewing stands, here they can be safely viewed on foot or from the comfort of a small rowing boat drifting sedately down the river. This means you see them at eye level rather than looking down on them, and what’s special about being in a driftboat or on foot is that you feel as though you are part of the environment, rather than just passing through it.

The shallow, crystal clear waters of the Atnarko River team with Chum, Pink, Coho, Sockeye and Chinook Salmon, oblivious to all but the biological imperative to reproduce, and where there are salmon there are hungry Grizzly Bears, not to mention more Bald Eagles than you can count. The local river guides are incredibly knowledgeable having grown up on the rivers, and with the bears frequently encountered there, not that they pay too much attention to passing driftboats and anglers. Another unique feature of a visit to the Bella Coola River Valley is the scope for self-guided bear viewing. There are a number of elevated walking trails overlooking sections of the river where bears often fish, and with a little patience and luck you can be rewarded with some memorable sightings.

The solitary road that runs through Tweedsmuir Provincial Park also offers several elevated vantage points overlooking the river and there are good viewing opportunities to be had simply by pulling over and waiting. We can also arrange for an expert local guide or bear biologist to take you out in search of bears in an offroad vehicle or on foot.

The Bella Coola Valley has much more besides wildlife to interest the discerning visitor. The local population is predominantly First Nations and just outside a nearby Nuxalk reservation there are a collection of ancient petraglyphs (pictures carved in the bedrock). Local Nuxalk guides can provide an interpretive tour of the petraglyphs combined with traditional song and dance. The area also boasts some of the best salmon fishing anywhere in North America.

Despite its remoteness Bella Coola is very accessible with regular scheduled flights from Vancouver over some of the most spectacular mountains and glaciers anywhere in the world. It can also be reached by road or ferry from the town of Port Hardy on Vancouver Island.