Canada bear watching holidays

Grizzly bears

British Columbia is a stronghold for North America grizzlies which roam the coastal forests. One of the best places to spot grizzly bears is Knight Inlet Lodge, reached by floatplane from Vancouver Island. A floating lodge tucked into a sheltered anchorage on the forest-draped coast, Knight Inlet is pure remoteness and adventure. During the autumn salmon-feeding frenzy up to 50 grizzlies can be seen within 10 km of the lodge.

On the northeast coast of Vancouver Island between June and September combine grizzly bear viewing with a chance to spot black bears and orcas. Bear watching adventures features in many of our Canada wildlife holidays, alternatively, our tailor-made specialists can create a brand new itinerary focusing on the bear watching experience that suits you.

Black bears and kermode bears

Black bears are common throughout Canada, from Newfoundland to British Columbia. A rare subspecies of the black bear, in which one in ten cubs are born with a white coat, is the Kermode (or Spirit) bear. Western British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest is home to the Kermode bear as well as black bears and grizzlies. During a small ship cruise around the islands and inlets, watch grizzlies fish for salmon, see whales frolic in the waters and, hopefully, spot the Kermode.

Polar bears

In October and November, up to 1200 polar bears gather near the tiny frontier town of Churchill as the region is transformed into the polar bear capital of the world. This is a rare chance to view the world’s largest land predators in their natural habitat – a sight to behold from the safety and comfort of a purpose-built polar rover.