Tofino Wildlife Watching

Come to Tofino and seize the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a wonderful wildlife/bird watching

There lies heaven on the West Coast of Vancouver Island called Tofino. Tofino offers excellent recreational opportunities, including incredible wildlife watching from a small fishing village to a tourist hotspot. Lied along the beautiful waters of Clayoquot Sound, Tofino has fantastic sunsets to observe. Get all you need for a beach picnic, prepare your coffee, and wait till the sun decides to say goodbye and fades away in the waters of the pacific. Many people travel to Vancouver Island and put Tofino as a priority to visit. Incredible nightlife and killing festivals can add up to the fun you are provided in this wonderful city. And what is best for nature admirers to see indigenous animals of the island in their natural habitat living and protecting their families. Now the question is, what should you expect to observe while spending the best time in the beautiful city of Tofino? Well, besides different water recreations, you have the chance to gaze upon the wildlife inhabiting the waters and the coastline of the area. Bear watching, and whale watching tours are the main wildlife watching opportunities you are provided during your stay in Tofino. Both Tofino wildlife watching are off-the-grid opportunities that nobody would miss for the world, all available at affordable prices. In the following, we'll introduce you to Tofino wildlife watching tours and the related features. Stay with us!

Land-based nd Marin Wildlife of Tofino, BC

Black Bear

Black Tail Deer

Cougar

Wolf

Raccoon

Harbour Seal

Sealion

Sea Otter

Killer Whale

Gray Whale

Humpback Whale

Harbour Porpoise

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Tofino Bear Watching

Right after hibernation, from the late spring till fall, is the best time for spotting black bears looking for their delicacy on the shoreline of Clayoquot Sound. Thanks to their eyesight, you can observe the black beasts while they’re looking for lunch in the middle of the day, as long as you keep it down and prepare the peace for a black bear to enjoy their beach feast. Tofino bear viewing cruises travel around Meares Island through the beautiful quiet interior waters. Tours last around 2.5 hours and are always planned during low tide. They can be done in a roofless boat or a covered cabin cruiser. The bears will be able to walk down to the coastline and scavenge for Rock Crab and other delights at this time. Black bears are one of the indigenous and overpopulated species on Vancouver Island. According to BC Government, there are over 7,000 black bears inhabiting the Island for crying out loud! That is almost the reason why people have shown interest in bear hunting on Vancouver Island. Bear tours in Tofino is your best chances to see these black beasts roaring in the woods. Interested in learning more about grizzly bears? In Tofino, no. The only known grizzly population near Vancouver Island is at Knight Inlet, off the island's northeast shore. All that fun is guaranteed when you choose an experienced black bear watching tour guide in Tofino. They can make your bear viewing experience unforgettable! If you have any questions regarding Tofino bear watching tours, please feel free to contact us!

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Tofino Whale Watching

Well, well, well! It is time to talk about paying a visit to the kings of the ocean, formally known as “the wolves of the sea.” Everyone knows pretty well that whales are very social and can do many things to entertain you and your companies. They can dive, spout, breach, spy hop and lobtail! All of them are typical maneuvers you may encounter while whale watching off the west coast of Vancouver Island. But why would we say Tofino is a whale watching hotspot on Vancouver Island? The whale-watching season in Tofino runs from March (sometimes as late as late February) until October. In the spring, a mind-boggling 20,000 gray whales swim through our coastlines on their yearly passage from the Baja Peninsula's birthing waters north to Alaska's Bering Strait. Some of these gigantic beasts spend the summer on our seas, providing great viewing possibilities. We don’t want to forget the majestic orca (killer) whales wandering the Clayoquot Sound waters. There's no certainty of seeing these whale pods because they're temporary to Vancouver Island's seas, but if you do, they're a sight to behold as they pursue their prey. Not to mention the sleeping beauties of Tofino whales; Humpback whales. They are eye-catching and may not bore you till the very last seconds of your Tofino whale watching tour.
Consider orcas, gray whales, and humpback whales. Sea lions, harbour seals, harbour porpoises, and bald eagles are also present. In Tofino, a whale-watching cruise is a full-fledged voyage.

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Pacific Rim Whale Festival; 2022

March-October

The Pacific Rim Whale Festival celebrates the region's famous whale-watching season and the annual migration of over 20,000 Pacific gray whales from Mexico's Baja Peninsula to the Bering Sea, a 13,000-kilometer voyage. The west coast of Vancouver Island, known for its year-round abundance of grey, humpback, and orca sightings, is one of the world's finest whale-watching sites, with more than a dozen companies located in Tofino and Ucluelet offering boat trips from March to October.
A group of concerned individuals set out more than 30 years ago to raise awareness of the island's pristine ecosystem, the endangered grey whale species, and coastal customs. The Pacific Rim Whale Festival Society was created as a result of their efforts. The number of grey whales has thankfully grown, and the celebrations will continue. The migration of these vast ocean monsters from Mexico to the Arctic is the focus of spring celebrations. From the gorgeous coastlines of Vancouver Island, you may witness whales drifting by.

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Tofino Bird Watching

The west coast of Vancouver Island is literally a paradise for bird watching. Tofino is the land with world-class bird habitat. While black bears and whales may be the first creatures that spring to mind when thinking about Tofino, Clayoquot Sound is a significant birding attraction. We're on the Pacific Flyway, a prominent north-south migratory bird migration route that stretches from Patagonia to Alaska. Visit Tofino from late April to mid-May and again from July to October, and you would get lost between the feathers pouring from the sky. You would even be abducted by a flock of sea birds fly over Tofino. Tofino is a multi-habitat environment home to hundreds of bird species. Bird viewing is possible both on foot and from a boat. Seabirds and shorebirds can be seen on a boat journey to the Cleland Island natural reserve. The Tofino Shorebird Festival takes place in May and provides a variety of excursions, presentations, and events for both novice and experienced birders.

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Common Bird Species in Tofino

Pelagic Cormorants

Pacific Loons

Black Oystercatchers

Lesser Yellowlegs

Western Sandpipers

Rufous Hummingbirds

Osprey

Bald eagles

Stellar’s Jays

Blue Heron

Wandering Tattlers

Surfbirds

Rhinoceros Auklets

Tufted Puffins

Albatrosses

Shearwaters

Storm-petrels

Tofino Shorebird Festival; 2022

March

The Tofino Shorebird Festival honors the annual spring migration of shorebirds by offering educational bird-watching opportunities around the region. This is an excellent opportunity to see the region's biggest wildlife migration, find out about these magnificent birds, and see why this destination is regarded as one of the top bird-watching hotspots on Western Vancouver Island.
This is the best time to visit the Tofino mudflats to see flocks of shorebirds grazing and resting as they migrate north for the winter. This location's mudflats provide some of Tofino's greatest and most accessible high-quality shorebird habitat. The rising tide pushes birds up to the upper mudflats for a better perspective, making bird watching on the mudflats tidal-dependent. This is an excellent opportunity for both novice and expert birders to learn more about the Tofino Mudflats Wildlife Management Area.

The Best Wildlife Watching Tour Guide on Vancouver Island

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 new, given it is Tofino, and you want to experience recreational opportunities provided for you, like Tofino wildlife watching, you would definitely need an experienced tour guide to show you the best ways to help you build awesome memories. Now, given that you know the area, both Tofino wildlife watching happens on the boat. If, in any case, you happen to know nothing about paddling, well, that is the time the need for a professional tour guide emerges. Bear watching tours in Tofino is going to be the best experience provided that you ask an experienced guide to be with you on this journey. Besides, wildlife watching tour operators can provide you with services (e.g., meals) that make your journey more convenient and unforgettable. Also, they know the peak time of the day and the hotspots in Tofino for watching either black bears or whales. So, if you go to wildlife watching tours in Tofino with the company of a tour guide, you won’t come back empty-handed. We are proud tour operators in responsible whale watching, bear watching, bird watching, and wildlife viewing, and we are willing to educate our guests about the wonders and the fragility of Clayoquot Sound and Tofino.