West Coast Trail Wildlife Watching

Experiencing the Pacific Northwest scenery, various wildlife, multicultural atmosphere, and the awesome weather is off the grid for those adventure seekers who come to Vancouver Island. If you ask hiking enthusiasts who come to Vancouver Island, they would probably admit that fully hiking the West Coast Trail is one of their Vancouver Island bucket list challenges. It is a multi-day backpacking hiking adventure that is not going to be easy for inexperienced hikers. Although it is a pleasant hike with endless evergreen scenery, a newcomer may not be able to take over the challenge and will give it up mid-way. One of the amazing facts about hiking this hidden gem is that it is a ladder-climbing hike. It can be a real please for some hikers, while some may get exhausted from ascending and descending the ladders. However, let us draw an image to see the bright and beautiful side of this matter. Imagine you are climbing up a ladder; in the meantime, a black bear cub is climbing the hill to get back to its hole where its mama has the dinner ready. Have you changed your mind about this sweet challenge? Well, we shall go on about all wildlife viewing opportunities you may find during the hike on the West Coast Trail. Putting the challenge aside, you may encounter different wildlife there on this long-lasting hiking road, including cougars, black bears, wolves, hummingbirds, orcas, gray whales, seals, sea lions, and bald eagles. Plus, you may gaze upon some other marine creatures at the beach like mollusks, sea anemones, and fish. As you complete this once-in-a-lifetime route, you'll learn about vast old-growth forests, the personality of each campground, and your physical capabilities. The opportunity of a lifetime to explore the longest ever-existing trail on Vancouver Island. Inhale the fresh air and walk between the trees to play hide and seek with the creatures inhabiting the area. Not to mention other outdoor activities available for you on this magnificent trail. Nonetheless, keep in mind that, since the West Coast Trail is popular and crowded, you would have to reserve your hike in advance. The good news is that our professional team is ready to gather some hiking enthusiasts with the same interests together and operate an amazing tour on this wonderful hiking route. Stay with us to tell you more about wildlife viewing opportunities on the West Coast Trail.

The West Coast Trail passes through the bear territory, with black bears being the most common. Bears hibernate during the winter and leave their dens to find food from mid-March to mid-July. There are several pairs of scats there, and you have a high chance of noticing them; this is a thrilling possibility for most tourists! Based on experiences others had during the hike, they have only spotted black bears, and in some cases, when it was wandering on the beach, they had waited for it to return to the woods. Nothing is more deadly than a mama bear with cubs, but statistics show that single males are responsible for most bear assaults. Of course, these animals can be dangerous, but in the previous 20 years, there have only been a few bear attacks reported in BC. At the campsite, place your food and waste in a bear-proof container (bear cache). You are not permitted to leave your waste there; you must take it with you at all times, since bears are highly attracted to food scent, and consequently, the bear-attack danger increases considerably. Stay calm, speak to the bear in a calm voice, back away gently, don't run – the bear is faster than you, take out bear spray and know how to use it, and if attacked, use bear spray and fight back! We hope you have a pleasant time viewing bears while hiking.

The steep West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island is known as one of the top hikes in the world for a reason. An undeniable physical challenge set against the backdrop of the gorgeous Pacific coastline and a journey with plenty of marine life viewing, whale watching in particular. Look for luminous marine life in mirror-clear tidal pools; swim beneath energizing cascades; explore an outdoor adult playground with intimidating creek ladders, suspension bridges, and self-powered cable cars. Cross huge sandy beaches under the watchful eye of bald eagles swooping overhead, looking for wolf prints or breaching whales. Although it is called whale watching, you may encounter other underwater creatures coming up for a warm sunbathe in the middle of the day. You may lay an eye on seals, sea lions, and even dolphins if you’re lucky enough. Pay close attention, and there might be a sea otter building a wooden bridge. Nonetheless, whale species you are most likely to view are orcas and gray whales. Whale viewing tours are available at the coastlines along the West Coast Trail. However, if you want to get as close as possible to the endless marine life of the Pacific, there might be a chance to operate our tours aboard. If you have further questions in this regard, please feel free to contact us.

Climate is what matters to birds when choosing a region to inhabit. If we want to start discussing the weather in the West Coast Trail area, we would have thought for hours to find a drawback that denies the fact that it could be one of the best places on the Island for birds, especially migratory ones, to live. Birds can be sighted every where, maybe even visible to the self-guided hikers there. However, some of them will conceal between the branches of trees or, in some cases, on the dense ground to protect their chicks from any possible threat. Then is the need for an experienced guide to show you where exactly these feathered creatures live or fly. Bird species you might spot while you’re hiking are hummingbirds and bald eagles mostly. However, you may spot some migratory birds that have built their nest for the season or reproduction.

Have you ever thought about what would happen if you get lost in lands that are unknown to you? Well, if you think about it deeply and imagine yourself right into the position, you would feel the horror. You go right, and you don’t know the place. You go left, and the same thing happens. So, whenever you travel to someplace for the first time, given it is the gorgeous West Coast Trail, and you want to experience recreational opportunities provided for you, like West Coast Trail bird watching, you would definitely need an experienced tour guide to show you the best ways to build awesome memories. Wherever on the Island you decide to spend your holidays is a mystery; especially when your prim locations to go are the places with bird watching opportunities. As a matter of fact, birds do not build their nests somewhere easily visible and accessed. Therefore, you would need someone utterly familiar with the area and the species that are inhabiting there. And who else is better than people who spend a lifetime guiding people on such adventures. Vanisle Wildlife tour guides with more than a decade of guiding experience are here to make your stay on Vancouver Island as memorable as possible here in West Coast Trail. Besides, wildlife viewing tour operators can provide you with services (e.g., meals and boats) that make your journey more convenient and unforgettable. Also, they know the peak time of the day and the hotspots in West Coast Trail for viewing either Wildlife or marine life and many different bird species. So, if you go to wildlife viewing tours in West Coast Trail with the company of a tour guide, you won’t come back empty-handed. We are proud to tour operators in responsible whale watching, bear viewing, bird watching and wildlife viewing, and we are willing to educate our guests about the wonders and the fragility of the Juan de Fuca Strait waters and the wonder of this fantastic hiking route.