Many visitors come to British Columbia to enjoy the delights of summer, but autumn ushers in a whole new wave of wildlife and natural wonder. Some might even argue that’s it’s the best time of year to go wildlife watching on Vancouver Island.
In particular, the salmon spawn in and around major rivers is a sight to behold particularly in those around Campbell River. The water churns and splashes with hundreds of salmon, and other wildlife like eagles and bears come to feast on the fish. The best way to truly soak up Vancouver Island’s spectacular autumn wildlife is to embark on a guided tour that takes you to hard-to-reach locations and hidden gems scattered throughout the local area and its neighbouring communities.
Grizzly Bear Tours on Vancouver Island
Grizzly Bear tours from Vancouver Island are at their peak in September and October, departing from coastal towns like Campbell River and Port McNeill to spectacular fjord-like inlets to the north east. Join local tour operators to their Grizzly Bear viewing areas in remote inlets. You can join these tours confident that guides are putting both human safety and bear wellbeing at the heart of their business operations, abiding by the Commercial Bear Viewing Association’s (CBVA) guidelines for bear viewing best practices on Vancouver Island.
To be an informed, empowered, and respectful guest, we also inspire visitors to brush up on all the knowledge in the “For the Bears” campaign before arrival. “For the Bears” is an impactful collaboration between the CBVA, Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Destination Campbell River, Tourism Tofino, and 4TVI.
Whale Watching in the Ocean Surrounding Vancouver Island
For many visitors, sighting whales is the pinnacle of wildlife watching on Vancouver Island. Many respectful tour operators traverse our waters, prioritizing wildlife viewing best practices and sharing their appreciation and knowledge with travellers.
Autumn is a wonderful time to go whale watching, as the whales come to feast on the juvenile pink salmon and chinook salmon, and marine traffic tends to decrease. Humpback whales and Orca are the more frequently sighted species, but Gray Whales and Minke Whales also travel here.
Other marine mammals you might spot on a Vancouver Island whale watching trip include seals, sea lions, harbour porpoise, and Pacific white-sided dolphins. Join a whale watching tour from Campbell River, Telegraph Cove, Port McNeill, or Quadra Island, as the protected inlets and deep bays of the Discovery Islands are a prime location for these beautiful animals to breed, feed, and rest.
When you’re out on the water, commercial tour operators must abide by legal marine mammal watching guidelines. As a guest here, you can learn all about the best marine mammal viewing guidelines before you arrive thanks to the “For the Whales” Campaign; a collaboration between 4TVI, North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association, and the Pacific Whale Watch Association.
Where Elks Roam and Sea Otters Play
Other wildlife sightings might include the majestic Roosevelt elk that rut and roam in the autumn, and deer. Sea otters play in the waters of Quatsino Sound and around the north coast of the island.
Birdlife is also abundant—from Bald Eagles and migrating raptors like Osprey to owls and waterfowl.
Rivers like the Campbell River, Quinsam River, Cowichan River, and Quatse River are where you’ll want to go to see the salmon spawn, trout, and accompanying wildlife. Don’t forget to practice radical attention and appreciate the smaller species too, like the Pacific Treefrog which changes colour in the autumn in parallel with the leaves.
