More than 120,000 black bears and about 13,500 grizzly bears live in British Columbia.
Bears are so prevalent that it's not uncommon for the residents of the North Shore to have black bear visitors in the summer and fall if they leave garbage cans outside.
And hikers in the North Shore Mountains: Holyburn, Grouse and Seymour, often see black bears on summer outings.
Bears are amazing animals. Adults range in size from a couple of hundred pounds to over 1500. They are agile, smart and remarkably entertaining.
If you want to witness bear antics while you're in Vancouver but don't have time for a bear viewing trip, you can visit Grinder and Coola, the two young Grizzlies who live at the top of Grouse Mountain, about 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver.
If you want to see bears in the wild, and you have an adventurous spirit and a day or two to spare, we can offer you four excellent bear viewing options:
Tidal Black Bear Viewing in Clayoquot Sound
Clayoquot Sound offers the most incredible coastline for viewing black bears. Resident bears come down to the beaches at low tide to forage for rock crab, starfish and kelp. Since viewing is done from boats, the impact on the bears is negligible. Most of the time the bears don't even know you're there since their eye sight is poor. Their senses of smell and hearing however, is acute, so it's necessary to stay quiet and downwind.
There's good chance that, along with the bears, you'll see bald eagles, Harbour porpoises, seals, river otters, blue herons and other fascinating natural wonders on this trip.
Clayoquot Black Bear tours are offered as soon as the bears wake up from winter hibernation, about May 1, and end when the bears travel upriver to feast on salmon, about Oct 1.
Grizzly Viewing in the Khutzeymateen Valley
The Khutzeymateen area is home to one of the largest concentrations of grizzly bears on the British Columbia coast and Canada's only grizzly bear sanctuary. The sanctuary has been established primarily to protect the grizzlies living in the area. Human activity in the park is strictly controlled.
The bears come to the freshwater streams to graze on sedges. Watch as they eat and play with their young on the rocky shores. You may even see a mother teaching her cubs how to find mussels and other sea treats along the beach. And, depending on the season, you may see mature and immature bald eagles or watch Killer whales feeding in the deep waters.
Three hour tours or overnight stays include float plane or helicopter ride to the pristine Khutzeymateen Valley. It's not at all uncommon to see black bears, whales, seals, mountain goats, wolves, deer, sea otters, bald eagles and schools of Pacific wild salmon as you travel by boat along the shores of the coastal rainforest.
This excursion combines both boat and air travel. You will depart from Seal Cove Seaplane Base, travelling either by fixed wing aircraft or helicopter. The scenic ride to bear country takes you over rugged and remote valleys and cirque lakes in the high sub-alpine meadows, over steep-walled fjords where rock faces rise sharply from the deep sea floor.
The 30 minute flight takes you to a floating dock, anchored near the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary. Flight paths are carefully planned to ensure that the bears are not disturbed. You will deplane and board a 10-passenger, covered boat for two hours of exciting exploration in the spectacular wilderness in the protected waters of the Khutzeymateen Inlet. Your return flight to Prince Rupert will trace a different route, no less interesting or magnificent.
Knight Inlet Grizzlies
Glendale Cove in Knight Inlet is home to one of the largest concentrations of grizzly (brown) bears in British Columbia. It is common for up to 40 bears to be within a few kilometres of the lodge during the peak fall season when the salmon are running up the Glendale River.
World-class Grizzly Bear viewing at an intimate floating wilderness lodge set amongst snow-capped mountain peaks. Spectacular meals, including fresh Pacific salmon and crabs will be the perfect end to a day of watching the magnificent bears in their natural habitat.
Knight Inlet Lodge is an intimate floating wilderness lodge with modern buildings for guest accommodation. Meals are spectacular, with fresh Pacific salmon and crabs served along with plenty of fresh produce. Please note that Knight Inlet Lodge retains the charm of a wilderness lodge and should be considered rustic. There are a host of activities included at the lodge: * Orientation for wildlife viewing * Scenic boat rides * Interactive hiking * Wildlife tracking * Eagle viewing * Guided kayak trips
Three night / four day trip starts and ends at Vancouver International Airport and includes roundtrip flights to Campbell River and the floatplane trip to Knight Inlet Lodge. Once at the lodge, all meals and activities are included.
Polar Bear Experience - Ice Bear Tour 4 nights/5 days
Experience an unforgettable five-day Arctic wildlife adventure at an exclusive Polar bear viewing lodge. These lodges offer luxury wilderness accommodations and gourmet cuisine in a pristine and remote environment.
Get up close and personal with the mighty Polar bear in its natural setting. The vast Arctic tundra near Churchill is home to Polar bears throughout the year and offers other spectacular wildlife viewing, including moose, caribou, wolves and seals.
Begin your Polar Bear Experience from Churchill with a flight by helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft to your accommodations at the Polar Bear Lodge, where you will spend three nights. Search for Polar bears and other local wildlife on guided, comfortably paced walks, geared towards plenty of viewing and photo opportunities.
Your guides are expert in keeping bears at a safe distance without sacrificing exciting viewing. Return by air to Churchill on day four and take time to explore your new surroundings. On your last day, travel across the tundra in a world famous Tundra Buggy for more Polar bear viewing and 'lunch with the bears' to end your magnificent adventure in style.
Polar Bear Experience - Birds, Bears and Belugas 6 Nights/7 Days
You'll come for the bears and go home with so much more. The vast Arctic tundra near Churchill is home to Polar bears throughout the year and offers other spectacular wildlife viewing, including wolves, seals and Beluga whales.
Begin your Polar Bear Experience in Churchill with one night's accommodation, before traveling by helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft to Landing Lake. Enjoy a breathtaking aerial tour of the Hudson Bay coast en route to your home for the next five days at the Seal River Heritage Lodge. This luxury wilderness lodge offers a wide variety of tours and great opportunities for wildlife sightings in a pristine and remote environment.
For the next few days your expert guides will lead you across tundra and sea on a variety of wilderness adventures and at the end of each day, you'll have a chance to see the Northern Lights, a sight never to be forgotten.