It might seem ridiculous from the outside that people would pay to view bears living! On the contrary, it is extremely fascinating to observe these black or brown hairy beasts walk, feed, and hunt. Not to mention the mama bears looking after their cubs in the forest and try to protect them from the wild. Everything in the creation is worth watching as long as you have enough inspiration. Bears, especially black bears, are widespread around Vancouver Island, and bear watching/viewing is one of the popular activities with aficionados from both locals and tourists. Vanisle Wildlife's vision is to provide the best and most productive bear watching/viewing tour on Vancouver Island; so that if you have not checked “bear watching” on your bucket list, we will be able to lead you to do so in the best way possible. In order to satisfy our clients’ expectations regarding bear viewing on Vancouver Island, we have designed a variety of tours for each and every taste.
You may have a question regarding the population of grizzly bears on Vancouver Island. Unfortunately, their population is not ample enough, making us confident about holding grizzly bear watching tours on Vancouver Island. However, don’t worry! We still operate grizzly bear watching tours that will be headed to Great Bear Rainforest. As the name indicates, it is a heaven for bears, grizzly bears in particular. Plus this bear viewing paradise, we also have tours for Knight Inlet and Bute Inlet in which grizzlies are waiting to grasp a salmon flying up to the sky.
Spend Your Bear Watching Journey in Comfort:
Put the Following in the Backpacks for the Upcoming Bear Watching Tour:
• Bring warm clothes for Zodiac / open deck boat adventure (long sleeves, pants, fleece or sweater)
• Pun on comfortable clothes while you’re floating on a covered boat
• Rain gear
• Warm hat and gloves
• Enclosed shoes (no sandals)
• Binoculars in case, however, we have them on our vessels.
• Sunglasses/sunscreen
• A camera / mobile phone to capture an “Ocean view selfie”
• Gum/Mints
• Antiemetics
• Drinking water
• Your smile, Curiosity, and a true Tofino-adventure spirit!
Bear Watching Methods
Know Before You Go on a Bear Watching Tour:
• Although there haven’t been any reports regarding bear attack for eons, no food or drinks other than water is allowed throughout bear watching/viewing tours. • Keep in mind that smoking is not permitted during bear watching/viewing tours. • No adventure is done without capturing the moments of it. However, if you want to record every moment you spend, the only rule is the rule of “no flash photographing” during bear watching/viewing. We don’t want to disturb bears in their natural habitat. • Vessels, no matter what kind, are floating on the water and therefore hard to control. Movements aboard the boats must be kept at a minimum level. • At any case, do not motivate the bears to approach you with any movement or hand signal. Keep up with your guide and spend a splendid time watching/viewing bear. • We recommend not wearing any strong perfumes when you are to go on a bear watching/viewing tour. Bears are highly sensitive to olfactory cues.
Our Policies for Booking & Cancellation Bear Watching/Viewing Tours
When you make your mind about choosing one of our tours paying at a lump sum is required. At any case of cancellation within 48 hours and for teams up to 4 members, full refund or credit will be granted to the customers. Keep in mind that if your bear viewing team members are more than 4, the cancellation notice should be made 7 days in advance.
Answering another question of our beloved customers, full refund or credit would be grated to the applicant if any operator’s cancellation happens due to bad weather condition or other unforeseen circumstances. Contact us by phone to cancel or inquire about a cancellation.
Based on the experience our bear watching guides have gained through many years of operating bear viewing tours, and the locations we bring our guests to observe these huge land animals, the possibility of no-shows is low. However, at any case if no bear shows up, the tour is charged for the full price. All trips are subject to fees and taxes.
Book Your Dreamy Bear Watching Tour in Advance!
If you are interested in bear watching on Vancouver Island, please fill in the form below. We at Vanisle Wildlife custom tours and exclusive wildlife watching trips at their best.
Choose the right location and when you plan to start your bear watching trip, how long you need to be in nature, mention the number of your companions, and add any other options you want to match your desire and exceed your expectation.
We will schedule a call or message to discuss your interests and how we can make them a reality. After that, we will send you a proposed package and fine-tune it until it's what you want with a competitive price.
Bear Watching Tours FAQs
When is the best time of day for bear sightings?
Our bear watching tours are basically done on-board, and accordingly, it is done based on the tides since bears come out then in search for rock crabs, starfish and other beach delicacies.
Do I need bear spray for my bear watching tour?
There haven’t been any reports indicating bears attacking humans for so long now. Nonetheless, for more safety, carry one in your backpack.
I am a very keen photographer, which boat should I book the Bear Watch on?
All of our vessels are good to take eye-catching photos; since our boat drivers are specialized in approaching creatures without a little of disturbance.
How long is a Bear Watching trip?
Our bear watching adventures vary according to our customers’ will and the feature included in that particular tour.
What types of bears can we see?
Depending on the location we are headed, you may encounter grizzly or black bears.
When is the best time of year for bears?
From the beginning of April
Where do the trips go?
Based on the region you choose or the bear subspace you desire to gaze upon, our bear viewing tours varies regarding the location.
What More You Expect Us for Your Bear Watching Experience?
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