Drifting with the Brown Bears and Bald Eagles of the Bella Coola Valley: The Ultimate Canada Wildlife Holiday
Published on: July 15, 2021
We have been privileged to visit many of Canada’s wildlife sanctuaries and national parks on our Canada wildlife holidays and see all 3 species of North American bears. However one location for viewing Brown Bears stood out above all the rest; for the spectacular setting, fully immersive way of seeing the bears on beautiful river drifts and providing visitors with the chance to ‘walk with the bears’ in the company of an expert local guide. We have visited Bella Coola multiple times since our first bear safari there in 2003 and we have never been disappointed with the stunning setting and natural style of bear viewing in Canada.
Getting to Bella Coola: Airport, Ferry, or Road Trip?
The most convenient way to reach Bella Coola is by air from the south terminal at Vancouver Airport using Pacific Coastal airlines. Because this flight is a scheduled daily departure for locals as well as tourists, it is available throughout the main tourist season and although they operate smaller jet engine aircraft, luggage allowance are comparable with international flights, so photographers or keen walkers with a lot of gear can easily be accommodated. Although there is a hire car service in Bella Coola, it is not as reliable as the main branches in larger towns and the daily costs are likely to be higher. So if you feel you need the use of a car to explore this beautiful valley fully, then you might want to hire a car from Vancouver or Williams Lake (see below).
For people with a little bit more time, we can highly recommend taking a couple of days (each way) to drive from Vancouver to Bella Coola. If you finish a Rockies tour in Williams Lake or maybe choose to fly in there, you can also continue starting from here and taking a leisurely fully day to drive direct to Bella Coola. Most of our clients have driven from Vancouver to Bella Coola via Williams Lake and stopped in the Riske Creek area overnight to break the journey. Close by there is Junction Sheep range Provincial Park, which provides a good opportunity to see Big Horn Sheep, as well as an outside chance to view brown bears.
For people with more time and looking for some more brown bear action, you could continue your drive from Riske Creek west and south to Chilko Lake. This is another part of western BC known for its brown bear viewing and there are luxury fly-in resorts and more modest campsites to stay at in this remote destination.
Another way to reach Bella Coola which we have road tested ourselves is to take the BC ferry from Port Hardy. This allows our clients to enjoy a fantastic self-drive Vancouver Island wildlife holiday with multiple bear and whale watching options, before driving north to take the car ferry to Bella Coola, which follows some of the world famous inside passage route along the west coast of British Colombia and extending north to include Alaska. If you time your trip correctly with the help of Wildlife Trails you will be able to take the day ferry between Port Hardy and Bella Coola and enjoy some fabulous scenery and the chance for whale watching long the inside passage. Following your stay in Bella Coola you can drive out of the valley via the famous “Hill’. Nimpo Lake and finally to Williams Lake before heading south back to Vancouver.
Allans top tips
Although we prefer the ferry/road trip combination to reach the Bella Coola valley for time short visitors it makes more sense to fly direct from Vancouver. Also, if taking the ferry from Port Hardy, be very careful checking the schedule fits and you are on the daytime sailing. There are generally less departures as you head towards the end of September and into early October. BC Ferries went through a rough patch a few years ago when they were prone to cancellations and schedule changes but they seem to have improved their performance recently.
Brown bears up close and personal. Thats the Bella Coola experience!
You really have to visit Bella Coola to see how unique and special the bear viewing is in this spectacular valley. Like many major rivers on the west coast of British Colombia, during the month of August to October, the rivers are literally teaming with spawning salmon, providing rich pickings for animals such as brown and black bears, wolves (although rarely seen!) and literally hundreds of Bald Eagles, which ‘stand guard’ high in the treetops like white headed sentinels.
Before we visited Bella Coola for the first time, we had personally experienced many famous bear viewing locations, like the iconic Knight Inlet on our Canada wildlife holidays -which was amazing for close up action of squabbling bears, but where you felt a little detached from the wildlife standing on the raised wooden platform above the river. Here at Bella Coola, your traditional Canadian boat McKenzie Drift Boats, or an rigid Zodiac – these sit low in the water, so when you see the bears on the shoreline you are very much at eye level with them which is exhilerating and great for photography.
The Grizzly Bears (Brown Bears) who fish in the Atnarko river system are very used to local people fly-fishing for salmon, or enjoying recreational activities close to the river. This means to a certain extent the brown bears are relaxed around the boats which drift gently down the river and stop for that special photography opportunity. That said, it is always important to follow the instructions of your guide and to know how to behave in ‘bear country’ and we provide all our clients with detailed notes about ‘bear safety’; based on up to date information provided by the Canadian Park authorities.
Allans top tips
Focus on your low level photoraphy and bring a splash proof cover for your camera. The beauty of the river drifts is the low angle you will achieve with your photography, especially when the grizzly bears are fishing for salmon or apporaching the river from the elevated banks. It’s almost a ‘salmon eye view’ of the river and also makes for an excellent time lapse video with a mounted GoPro.
Bella Coola Grizzly tours: Why 4 days is the minimum time you need for the Valley
The two main activities when it comes to Bella Coola grizzly tours are Atnarko river drifts and walking safaris with a qualified expert guide. We always include a minimum of two days of river drifts and one day for the walking safaris. The main focus on the river drifts will be the Grizzlies, but also good chances to see Bald Eagles and other resident wildlife. During the salmon season the river levels tend to be fairly low and so the bear viewing is a gentle drift which feels safe and relaxed in the company of your expert guide. It will last several hours and you will have the chance to see brown bears fishing for wild pacific salmon.
On the half-day wilderness walks the focus in more on interpretation of the Great Bear Rainforest in the stunning Bella Coola valley and looking for signs of activity of both black and brown bears. There is also an appreciation of the indiginous First Nations community which was here long before the first outside traders arrived. They are known as the Nuxalk, or Bilchula and lived along the lower Bella Coola valley, fishing for the same wild salmon as the bears. There are important cultural sites in the valley which we can visit respectfully.
Allans Top Tips
After Covid the way Bella Coola grizzly tours run in the valley has changed and one of the most obvius ones is local operators do not always pick their clients up for the bear viewing river drifts in Bella Coola. Although this varies from company to company it means that having your own vehicle in the valley is now more important. In addition, it is nice to be independent and do your own safe self-guided bear viewing and this can be done at the purpose built Bella Coola bear viewing platform which is managed by Canada parks with a park ranger on site.
Bella Coola Lodge: Our Top 3 Picks
Rather than just promote one wilderness lodge for our Canada wildlife holidays we try to visit and spend time at all of them, so we can provide first-hand knowledge and customize tours to fit in with clients budgets. The first lodge we ever stayed at in Bella Coola was Tweedsmuir Lodge and it holds a special place in our hearts. Back in the early 2000’s we used to make all our reservations with the wonderful cook, Carol, and they had some of the most experienced river boatman and guides in the business and you felt like you were getting a real authentic experience when staying there as a guest. The food was also spectacular and the the cabins well spaced out in the extensive grounds; which also had the bonus factor of having its own grizzly bear viewing stand.
It became the number one Bella Coola lodhe used by many wildlife companies so it was no surprise that it was sold to investors. Interestingly they were more interested in buying a luxury style lodge for their high end Heli-Skiing clients. It is now run on a more commercial basis and we have seen a movement towards a luxury wilderness lodge experience and the expected increase in pricing. Still a great option for small group tours, but now rather expensive for private tours and longer stays – which is something here at Wildlife Trails we have always encouraged.
For those clients wanting a more independent, intimate experience we would highly recommend Jeff and his river facing property in Bella Coola, called the Great Bear Haven. For clients on a lower budget and happy to join groups on river drifts and walking safaris, we would recommend Bella Coola Mountain Lodge.
For more information about our wildlife tours and bear safaris to Bella Coola please contact us at northamerica(at)wildlifetrails.co.uk. You can also take a look at our bespoke Canada wildlife holidays visiting Tweedsmuir Lodge, Great Bear Haven and Bella Coola Mountain lodge to see full descriptions and costings.
Bella Coola Valley uncovered: 3 habitats, 3 transport methods and 3 iconic animals
We have used more than 20 years of experience of trips to the Bella Coola Valley to come up with a truely unique Canada wildlife holiday. You will visit three different types of habitats in this epic eleven day tour starting and finishing in Vancouver. Firstly, you will experience the stunning coastal scenery of Bella Coola and the Great Bear Rainforest with a Bella Coola boat safaris from the harbour. You will cruise along the Bella Coola river estuary, looking for harbour seals and eagles. During salmon season, Bald Eagles congregate along the North Bentinck Arm to feed on the salmon returning to the spawning grounds of their birth. Guests can expect to see multiple eagles and their giant nests along the tree tops. To add to the uniqueness of this section of the trip you will overnight at the historic Tallheo Cannery with its stunning views of the estuary.
The next stop on this Bella Coola road trip is Nimpo Lake from where you will enjoy a short stunning floatplane ride up into the High Alpine mountains which dominate this part of western Canada. There is some incredible hiking to be had and options for canoeing and some stunning sunset view points while staying in your rustic mountains cabins. The high alpine ridges are a great place to see the sure footed Mountain Goats.
Finally, you drive back west to the community of Hagenborg for a stay at Great Bear Haven where your focus will be Bella Coola grizzly tours by river drift and walking safaris. Truely one of the most natural ways of viewing bears in North America and a place which hold a special place in the hearts of many of our clients as well as us here at Wildlife Trails. A great chance to see multiple Grizzly Bears, as well as Black Bears and Bald Eagles.
Check out our 3 habitats of the Bella Coola valley tour here as it could be perfect for you, or contact Allan for a chat about the best time to see bears in Canada.
