Bear Watching Holidays to Western Canada

Bear watching holidays that focus on the west of Canada can provide a host of exciting opportunities for wildlife enthusiasts to encounter a vast array of animal species. The main goal is to see Black and Grizzly Bears foraging happily within their natural habitat, but visitors will also have the chance to encounter an enormous range of other wildlife alongside these magnificent kings of the forest.

Black Bear

The west coast of Vancouver Island is the location of Ucluelet, a district on the southern tip of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. It is in this area nature enthusiasts are most likely to spot a Black Bear, with a flourishing population of 10,000 existing in British Columbia. They are often seen foraging for food in the inter-tidal zones, making it easiest to see them on a boat trip. Visitors on dedicated bear watching holidays will also have the chance to look for Black Bears in the Great Bear Rainforest at a later stage of the tour.

Grizzly Bears

Grizzly Bears are the second largest land predator in North America, coming in just behind Polar Bears. While they are not found on Vancouver Island, they can be found in the Great Bear Rainforest, in British Columbia, which is also a very popular location for bear watching holidays. One of the most common places for sighting Grizzlies is along the Nekite River, where the animals can often be seen fishing for salmon. Various bear hides have been constructed in the area, allowing visitors many excellent opportunities for a sighting.

Grey Whale

Enthusiasts on bear watching holidays may also find themselves travelling through the main migration route of thousands of Grey Whales. Ucluelet is one of the best locations in the world to observe these incredible creatures, and some 21,000 Grey Whales travel 10,000 miles from their mating grounds in Baja California (Mexico) to the Bering Sea off Siberia every year. They then return to Mexico after feeding throughout the summer, giving visitors two opportunities a year - during spring and late autumn - to see this spectacular event. For those who miss it, a number of Grey Whales usually reside around the west coast of Vancouver Island to feed for the summer instead.

Birdlife

No nature-focused holiday to the west of Canada would be complete without acknowledging the incredible array of avian species that inhabit the area. Ucluelet plays host to Rhinoceros Auklet, Marbled Murrelet, Pigeon Guillemot, Common Loon, Glaucous-winged Gull, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Bushtit, Steller’s Jay, Hutton’s Vireo, Varied Thrush, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Black-throated Grey Warbler, Sooty Grouse and incredible Bald Eagles.

Port McNeill, which is situated on the Johnstone Strait, reveals exciting birdlife including Rhinoceros Auklet, Marbled Murrelet, Pigeon Guillemot, Red-throated Loon, Red-necked Phalarope, White-winged and Surf Scoters, Belted Kingfisher, Western and Red-necked Grebes, Pelagic, Brandt’s and Double-crested Cormorants, Surfbird, Black Turnstone and Black Oystercatcher.

Western Canada is, without a doubt, one of the world richest and most fulfilling destinations for wildlife holidays.

Marissa Ellis-Snow is a freelance nature writer. If you’re looking for bear watching holidays, Naturetrek specialises in expert-led natural history and wildlife tours worldwide. Naturetrek brings over 25 years of experience to polar expeditions and tours to other spectacular regions on Earth.

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