A Canada wildlife holiday on Vancouver Island: The 3 best places to go for bears, whales and sea otters.
Published on: July 15, 2021
We were incredibly blessed to live on this beautiful island for many years, with our North American operations manager using this as a base to develop both our Canada wildlife holidays and our Alaska wildlife tours. Our mission was simple, find the best local Canada wildlife tour operators who had years of knowledge and only worked with small groups. Whatever destination you are in the world seeing and photographing wildlife will always be better in a small group with an expert guide, and that is what Wildlife Trails is all about. We have written this personal blog based on 20+ years of travelling to Canada to give you the inside track on the best bear watching in Vancouver island and best whale watching on Vancouver Island.
Are there Grizzly Bears on Vancouver Island?
Although there are several wildlife operators offering grizzly bear day tours who operate from Vancouver Island they are not actually viewing the brown bears on the island itself, but inlets on the west coast of mainland British Colombia. So world famous grizzly bear locations such as Knight Inlet and Bute inlet are accessed by boat safari or floatplane from towns such as Campbell River and Telegraph Cove. These are amazing scenic journeys in their own right, with the chance (if you travel by motor cruiser) to see Orcas, Humpback Whales, Pacific White-Sided Dolphins and Harbour Porpoises. However the jewel in the ground is to see large brown bears feasting on salmon as they bulk up for hibernation.
Timing is everything when it comes to organising your bear viewing tour on Vancouver Island and due to global warming we have see some considerable changes over our 20 years travelling here. We then use that knowledge to pick the right time of year for your bear watching tour on Vancouver Island. Although the viewing stands at Knight Inlet open from late August we now suggest due to fluctuations in rainfall and some rivers not having enough water in them to allow the first to complete their final migration to their spawning grounds, that our clients travel from September to early October, and this planning advice has resulted in some amazing bear viewing from Vancouver Island. Check out our budget Vancouver Island wildlife holiday, which is great for singles, couples and families as long as you are happy to drive?
Grizzly Bear Tour Campbell River: Why this should be your first choice for Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is definitly one of the best places to see bears in Canada, because as well as seeing grizzly or brown bears in the inlet off the east coast of the island, there are also some fabulous black bear viewing opportunities off the west coast of the island in towns such as Tofino and Zeballos. Grizzly Bear viewing off the east coast of Vancouver Island is mainly centred on two coastal towns.
The first is the larger and busier Campbell River, from which you can fly into Knight Inlet for bear viewing at Grizzly Bear Lodge or take full day boat safaris to various west coast inlets, where you can watch brown bears fishing for salmon from multiple observation platforms located on manmade spawing channels originally made for sport fishing. The other advantage of Campbell River is regular Pacific Coastal airlines flights from Vancouver (South Terminal) which allows people who would prefer not to drive an easy route to get to Campbell River and to link up with the floatplane service from here to Grizzly Bear Lodge.
The number of brown bears fishing will depend on the intensity of the salmon run, river levels, the time of year you travel and other environmental factors. During the salmon season expect to see multiple bears fighting over this important food resource; whereas for spring bear viewing it is a more relaxed affair with female brown bears and their cubs eating huge quantities of sedge grasses in the beautiful estuaries.
Allan’s Top Tips
Vancouver Island weather in September is generally good, still warm, with the occasional shower and the real beauty is that you avoid the main tourist months of July and August. If budget allows we would always recommend a 3 or 4 night stay at Grizzly Bear Lodge as it really gives you the full Wild Canada experience! From the spectacular floatplane journey in, the small number of cabins with a true wilderness feel, and the amazing wildlife guides who will accompany you for the Knight Inlet grizzly bear viewing – you will never regret coming here.
Telegraph Cove whale and bear watching: An undiscoved gem waiting for you.
As good as Campbell River is for choice and some superb small group bear and whale watching tour operators, the town itself is rather large, and unless you stay some distance away from the centre and its large marina, you will not get that feeling of nature and wilderness that Wildlife Trails is always trying to find for our many wildlife lovers. Although there has been some development in recent years in the forested hills around the beautiful boardwalk and picturesque harbour. It is still a charming place to stay and visit and if this still feels a little bit crowded for you, we have another little gem just 15 minutes away in a nearby cove that is completely private, and from which you can sometimes view black bears and otters from your outside deck.
Telegraph Cove whale watching is some of the best on the island and the key point to make here is that it is almost directly opposite the world famous, Johnstone Strait, home to many resident pods of Orcas. The closer you are on land to the best place to see Orcas in Canada, the faster you get to be amongst them and also the more time to have to view and photograph them. As well as the Telegraph Orcas you also have the chance to see other marine wildlife on these whale watching tours, which normally last from 3 to 4 hours. You have the choice of the smaller Zodiac boats with a capacity of just 12 passangers (always our preference), or a larger motor cruiser with more space and comfort, which holds 40 to 80 people.
Telegraph Cove bear watching can be a rewarding activity in both the spring and autumn seasons. For different reasons the bears start moving into the estuaries opposite Telegraph Cove, and you then use a silent ‘skiff’ (flat small boat with no engine) to see and photograph them. In spring they will be mainly feeding on sedge grasses around places like Knight Inlet, as well as some crustaceans . In a good year you may be able to see 10+ grizzly bears in the one trip. The Autumn season is a little trickier as it depends on the water levels in the various rivers. If there is enough water the 4 different species of salmon will quickly pass through the estuaries and into the rivers, so if you take your tour a little too late you may miss the best of the bear viewing action. Don’t worry, we are experts on Vancouver Island and animal behaviour so we will make sure the timing of your Canada wildlife holiday to the island is perfect.
Allans Top Tips
Speak to Wildlife Trails about staying at a Canadian wilderness lodge in a smaller cove on the east coast between Telegraph Cove and Port Hardy. By doing this you are more likely to see wildlife from your oceanfront cabin, as there will be only a few other guests staying and the wildlife feels comfortable to be on the shoreline feeding or passing through the area. Expect to see Bald Eagles, Black Bears and maybe even Sea Otters.
Port Hardy whale watching: Best area for Sea Otters and chance to see Black Bears on foot.
Not many travellers make it all the way up to the northern tip of Port Hardy, but if they do they will find true wilderness not far from town and the real chance to see black bears on foot. There is also a superb local whale watching operator based here which specialises in small group whale watching tours and sea otter safaris. Sea Otters are only found in good numbers in some places around the island and the water which lie between the Great Bear Rainforest and the northern edge of Vancouver Island are one of their favourite habitats. The company has excellent credentials and is a member of Indigenous Tourism BC, Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, and the North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association.
The tour lasts 5 to 6 hours and you have the chance to see humpback whales, sea otters, Dall’s porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins, orcas, Steller sea lions, bald eagles, and many different species of seabirds. Port Hardy is also a hub for BC Ferries and the gateway to coastal communities like Bella Coolla – which is our personal favourite.
The Fort Rupert Trail is an easy 3-4 km hike with sections of boardwalk between Storeys Beach and Bear Cove which ollows the traditional route of the Kwakiutl First Nations. The trail is mainly flat with some short uphill section and is suitable for people with medium fitness levels. It is not uncommon to see different local wildlife when walking, including black bears. Only take water with you when attempting this trail as food can attract bears.
Finally, between Telegraph Cove and Port Hardy is the town of Port McNeil which offers both whale watching and bear watching tours off the north east coast of the island. You can either base yourselves in the town or drive from one of the nearby coves. Expect high quality Port McNeill whale watching companies who use Zodiac style boats and have a small number of passengers. For the bear viewing tours which also give you the chance to see Humpback Whales in Blackfish Sound, expect a maximum of 12 passengers, a heated covered cabin and toilet on board, as this tour lasts 9 hours and includes a breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks.
Allans Top Tips
For a really epic self-drive Canada wildlife holiday why not link up Vancouver Island with the stunning Bella Coola valley by taking the BC ferry from Port Hardy. We did this as a family back in 2008 and had some spectacular bear and whale viewing experiences, including seeing Humpbacks from the ferry itself. You can also extend this trip further by driving from Bella Coola into the Canadian Rockies
Best time of year to see bears in Canada on Vancouver Island
We have been organizing bear viewing on Vancouver Island since 2003 and have noticed a definite trend for the largest salmon runs to be later and later. On a practical basis this means that the month of September on Vancouver Island has become the prime month for viewing grizzly bears and this does bring with it some considerable advantages. Firstly, in Canada generally and on Vancouver Island the peak months for tourists are July and August, so by delaying your Canada wildlife holiday until September, you not only avoid the crowds and keep accommodation costs down, you also maximize your wildlife viewing and opportunities to see bears and whales.
Grizzly Bear Tours on Vancouver Island your way!
If you would like to follow in our footsteps and view grizzly bears in the wild then we would love to organize a custom Canada wildlife holiday for you to a country we have a deep passion for. As a starting point take a look at all our Canada wildlife holidays here and see what takes your fancy.
We hope this wildlife blog on three of our favourite bear and whakle watching locations on Vancouver Island has helped you with the planning process and please don’t hestiate to call us on 01946 841495 or email us for further information, or requests for a bespoke Canada wildlife tour. This is a destination that we simply love, and with our destination experts at Wildlife Trails we can make your dreams come true.
