Whales & Bears of British Columbia

Those on the group flight will be met at the airport and transferred to our

hotel in Vancouver. Those on Land Only arrangements should make their own way

to the start hotel this afternoon/evening. There will be an opportunity to

meet your guide and fellow travellers this evening.

Vancouver is often hailed as Canada's most beautiful city. This cosmopolitan

and diverse metropolis is in stark contrast to the rest of British Columbia,

but always proves to be a highlight. We have an orientation tour this morning

with time to take in the sights of Gastown and Granville Island, from which

they are some great viewpoints overlooking the city. In the afternoon

transfer to the port to board a ferry to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, a one

and a half hour journey across the Strait of Georgia. We spend some time

visiting this gateway city before settling into our hotel for the night.

After breakfast we begin our drive to Ucluelet or Tofino, our location for

the next three nights. On the way we will make a stop for a walk at

Cathedral Grove Provincial Park to see the last remains of the temperate

rainforest that covered the island more than a thousand years ago. This is

one of the most accessible areas of giant Douglas-fir trees in the province

and there are many trails enabling us to meander through Douglas-fir, Western

Hemlock, Grand fir and Western Red Cedar trees. Today's total journey time

is around 3.5 hours.

Pacific Rim National Park is nestled between the mountains of the Vancouver

Island Range and the Pacific coastline. We walk inside the park this morning

in order to admire the rich natural heritage of the west coast of Canada.

With almost 10 miles of sand and a huge collection of driftwood, the next

stop from the rugged beaches is Japan! We usually take one of the trails to

the beach and visit during low tide to explore some of the intertidal pools

and rocky islands.

In the afternoon we board Zodiacs with a naturalist guide who will lead a 2.5

- 3 hour whale observation excursion (depending on the low-tide schedule,

this activity may take place earlier in the day). Our goal is to see Humpback

and Grey whales, but it is also common to come across Orcas, seals and sea

lions amongst the rocky headlands. Today's driving time should not exceed two

hours.

Obtain a greater understanding of the rainforest environment this morning at

the Tofino Botanical Gardens. There is a lovely birdwatching area where

woodpeckers, songbirds and hummingbirds can be found and Bald eagles are

sometimes seen circling overhead in search of prey on the neighbouring Tofino

Mudflats.



Late this afternoon we board Zodiacs for a 2.5 hour expedition to observe

Black bear and Bald eagle (depending on the low-tide schedule, this activity

may take place earlier in the day). In the wilderness of Clayoquot Sound,

Black bears can be found searching for crabs and clams on the rocky beaches.

We'll travel the fjord inlet by Zodiac, looking in sheltered bays and

stopping to see any Black bears that we find from the comfort of our Zodiac.

Depart Ucluelet and drive for four hours to Campbell River on the North Shore

of Vancouver Island. Campbell River is known as the 'Salmon Capital of the

World' for its hugely impressive salmon runs where five species of Pacific

salmon can be found in the river. It has been designated as a Heritage River

for its importance in British Columbia - following the fish are bears, seals,

kingfishers and eagles. This afternoon we take a short walk in Elk Falls

Provincial Park with its thundering, impressive waterfalls.

Board a covered boat for a full day excursion to the Orford River area (on

the mainland of British Columbia) to observe Grizzly bears in their natural

habitat. Conservative estimates suggest there are 10,000 Grizzly (Brown)

bears living in British Columbia, with 92% of the original habitat of

Grizzlies still occupied. The abundance of spawning salmon in the Orford

River at this time of year brings Grizzlies down to feast. A two-hour journey

by boat with a spectacular backdrop of mountainous scenery brings us to the

mouth of the Orford River. From here we take a short bus journey inland,

where there are five viewing platforms from which to spot the bears. We visit

one or sometimes two of these platforms, from where we hope to observe the

bears catching and feeding on salmon, sometimes with cubs in tow. On the boat

journey to and from the Orford River we may also see Black bears, Orcas,

Humpback and Grey whales, dolphins, porpoise and Sea lions.

Board a ferry for a 10-minute journey across the Discovery Passage to Quadra

Island where we spend the day exploring the islands trails and beaches by

foot. There is also an optional excursion from Quadra Island to try sea

kayaking. This three-hour excursion is accompanied by kayak and marine life

observation guides and is suitable for beginners. There is never a dull

moment paddling by kayak around Quadra Island - we could see soaring eagles,

Oyster catchers, herons, cormorants, gulls and if we are lucky, we may come

across seals, Sea lions, dolphins and porpoise! In addition there will be

lots of inter-tidal life including starfish, sea urchins, jellyfish and

crabs. The mountain views offer a stunning backdrop to this excursion.

We drive for around four hours to Victoria, making stops along the way to

enjoy the scenery of Vancouver Island for the last time. This afternoon we

board a ferry across the Strait of Georgia, admiring the small islands and

breath-taking panorama of the city of Vancouver as it comes into view. In the

late afternoon there will be some free time to explore Vancouver at your own

pace, visiting Stanley Park or China Town.