From spirit bears to whales, these are the best places for wildlife-watching in Canada
Go in search of Canada’s most awe-inspiring animals with our guide to the country’s wildlife hotspots
When it comes to wildlife, Canada has more than a few icons, from bears and beavers to bald eagles and whales.
With the world’s largest coastline – bordered by the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans – its waters are home to more than 30 species of whale, making it one of the best places in the world to spot them.
The country’s famed national parks – such as Banff and Jasper – also offer accessible ways to see wildlife (with a little luck). They’re home to animals including black bears, grizzlies, wolves, elk and moose, and many are within an easy distance from major cities.
Specialist wilderness lodges in remote landscapes also host once-in-a-lifetime trips across Arctic tundra, offshore islands or pristine rainforest, all in search of polar bears, beluga whales and spirit bears, plus other endangered animals in Canada. From misty rainforests to rugged shores, here are some of the best places to see animals in the wild.
1. For spirit bears, grizzlies and black bear: The Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia
Catch a glimpse of white fur amongst the ancient cedars and you’ll join an elite club. The vast Great Bear Rainforest encompasses a quarter of the world’s remaining coastal temperate rainforest and is the only place in the world where you’ll find the white-furred Kermode or ‘spirit’ bear.
With just 50 to 150 of this black bear subspecies believed to exist, it’s one of the rarest animals in the world. The Indigenous-owned Spirit Bear Lodge – open from August to October – takes guests to specific spots within the Kitasoo Xai’xais Traditional Territory for the best chance to spot one. Cross your fingers: the lodge estimates that around 50% of guests get a sighting.
Claire’s insider tip: Didn’t manage to spot one? The rainforest and shoreline are also home to one of the world’s largest populations of grizzly bears (viewing season runs from June to October), 20% of the world’s wild salmon, sea otters, coastal wolves, black bear, bald eagles, whales and more.
Read next: West coast wonders: In search of Canada’s elusive spirit bear
2. For bison: Elk Island and Wood Buffalo, Alberta
Considering an Alberta wildlife trip? You might think of bear spotting in Banff and Jasper National Parks. But arguably, there’s no creature more important than the bison.
Bison have long been critical to the Indigenous peoples of Canada. But after extensive hunting across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, they all but disappeared. Now reintroduction programmes across the prairies and grasslands are seeing their numbers grow. Wood Buffalo National Park – which spans northeastern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories – contains half of the world’s endangered wood bison population. However, Elk Island National Park, just 35 minutes east of Edmonton, is more accessible. Drive the park’s Bison Loop Road at dawn or dusk, or on overcast days for the best chance to spot them.
Read next: Alberta trip planner
3. For humpback whales: Newfoundland and Labrador
Between May and October, the world’s largest population of humpbacks returns from the Caribbean to the Atlantic waters of Newfoundland and Labrador to feed. Late July and August are often peak times for humpback sightings; you could also visit in May or June for the chance to see 10,000-year-old glacier chunks fill ‘iceberg alley’ as well. Keep your eyes peeled for minke, pilot, fin, sperm, orca and blue whales too.
Read next: 12 of the best locations for whale watching around the globe
4. For polar bears, cloud wolves and beluga whales: Churchill, Manitoba
This town of just 900 residents sits 1000km due north of Manitoba’s capital Winnipeg, drawing travellers as majestic polar bears make their way over tundra, and on and off the floe edge of the Arctic. Churchill’s position on the migratory path of the bears, makes it one of the best places in Canada to see them.
Peak viewing season is October to November as the sea ice forms, and specialised tank-like tundra buggies take travellers to safely view them. However, it’s possible to see them during the off-peak summer too. Companies such as Nanuk Operations lead on-the-ground and boat trips to seek them from August.
Claire’s insider tip: Don’t let the bears steal the show. Each summer 60,000 beluga whales fill Hudson Bay, with around 4,000 heading to Churchill between June to October. To see them, kayak or board a zodiac tour: AquaGliding with the Lazy Bear Lodge sees guests lie on a floating mat, getting as close as is safely possible. The Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge – a 250km plane ride from Churchill – offers a rare chance to see cloud wolves, a species that live so remotely, they have little fear of humans.
Read next: Our guide to Canada’s best hiking trails
5. For grey whales, orcas and sea otters: Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Besides its raw natural beauty, Vancouver Island’s wildlife is one of its biggest draws. Each February to April, more than 20,000 Pacific grey whales pass the island on their northern migratory route, coming close to shore to feed.
Head out onto the water to view humpbacks breach from April to October, and orca hunt year-round. Vancouver Island Whale Watch in Nanaimo, focuses on conservation, avoids the endangered Southern Resident orca population and explores the Salish Sea. Keep an eye out for sea lions, seals, bald eagles and porpoises too. Indigenous-owned Coastal Rainforest Safaris departs Port Hardy in the north seeking sea otters and whales.
Claire’s insider tip: Bear watching a must? Many tours from the north of the island head to the Great Bear Rainforest to spot grizzlies, too. And if you can’t make it to the island, whale-watching tours also depart from Vancouver.
6. For moose: Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
The more you stare at a moose in person, the more it dawns on you just how strange looking these creatures – the largest of the deer species – actually look. As large as they are, with their long faces, gangling limbs and protruding snouts, they can be hard to spot. However, Algonquin Provincial Park – located a three-hour drive from both Toronto and Ottawa – is prime moose-viewing territory.
It’s thought that around 3,000 moose walk its nearly 7,770 sq km. Yet one of the best places to spot them is along Highway 60. In May, they are frequently seen drinking salt from run-off ditches by the road. Get up early in the summer and look out for black bears, wolves and deer too.
7. For belugas, walrus and narwhal: Nunavut
It’s easy to see why early explorers used to pass narwhal horns – which can reach up to 3m in length – off as proof that unicorns existed. In the summer, you can view these magical creatures from the shore in spots such as Lancaster Sound, Pond Inlet, Arctic Bay and Naujaat.
Speaking of tusks, when it comes to walrus there’s no better place than Nunavut to spot them. Pond Inlet and Naujaat are again among the top-viewing areas. Head to the shore of Cunningham Inlet between July and August as thousands of beluga meet to mate and nurse their young. Arctic Watch Wilderness Lodge is a bucket-list base to explore from.
