Bears, Whales & Vancouver on a Budget

Arrival in Vancouver. Met on arrival at the airport with a private transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Enjoy the morning at leisure to recover from your flight. Around mid-day pick up from the hotel by shuttle bus for the transfer to Steveston.

Enjoy a shared guided whale watching trip into the Salish Sea and San Juan Islands to south of Vancouver in search of orcas and humpback whales.

Both Transient ‘mammal-eating’ orcas and southern resident 'fish-eating' orcas frequent these waters. The southern resident orcas are now sadly very endangered, but the transient orcas are more abundant.

Humpback whales are also now regular in this area particularly from June to September. Other wildlife likely to be seen includes huge Steller’s sea lions, Pacific harbour seals, many seabirds and bald eagles. Return to your hotel in the evening by shuttle bus.

Enjoy a day at leisure in Vancouver to relax or explore independently. Optional tours are also available.

Downtown Vancouver offers many attractions such as the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Granville Island Market and the Vancouver Lookout Tower. While a little further out of town are the Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain Skyride for wonderful vistas. Both Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain offer a free shuttle service from Canada Place.

Today pick up from the hotel and transfer to Vancouver Airport’s South Terminal. Take Pacific Coastal Airlines flight to Campbell River. Take taxi or airport shuttle (**not included**) to your hotel. Spend the afternoon relaxing at the hotel or exploring the town of Campbell River with its attractions such as the Campbell River Museum.

Today depart the hotel for an exciting excursion by powerboat across the Discovery Channel and up the remote Bute Inlet Fjord. Disembark at the mouth of the river where a local Homalco First Nations guide will lead you to purpose built viewing stands overlooking the Orford River.

From mid-August to mid-October grizzly bears gather along this wild river to hunt returning chum salmon that spawn in the river. You may see bears walking the length of the river or actively hunting and splashing after the salmon. Bald eagles and Bonaparte’s gulls also make the most of the feast and the backdrop of autumn forest colours makes for a beautiful setting for this natural spectacle.

Large pods, sometimes 100 strong of Pacific white-sided dolphins also frequent the Bute Inlet and black bears are sometimes spotted foraging along the shorelines. Return to the hotel in the early evening.

Today enjoy a half day (7 - 8 hour) whale watching excursion into Discovery Passage and Johnstone Strait in search of its summer population of northern resident 'fish eating' orcas. The best period to see these “wolves of the sea” as they are often known is from late July until mid-September.

Besides these impressive predators you are also likely to spot majestic humpback whales that spend the summer feeding in the area. The acrobatic Dall’s porpoise are also found here and haul outs of huge Steller’s sea lions and harbour seals all add to the wildlife highlights on this trip.

Today take another bear watching trip, this time into the wilds of Toba Inlet for more magical sightings of magnificent grizzly bears. Your guides today are from the Klahoose First Nation. In the evening, perhaps take an optional water taxi across the channel to April Point Resort for dinner.

Today enjoy some time at leisure to explore Campbell River independently. Perhaps make a visit to the nearby QuinSam River Hatchery to learn more about the life cycle of the salmon that have made this region so famous. During the month of September this is a good location to spot black bears fishing for the salmon in the river. Perhaps also visit Elk Falls Provincial Park and Suspension Bridge.

Enjoy a final morning at leisure. Later, take the taxi or airport shuttle (**not included**) to the Campbell River airport to take a Pacific Coastal Airlines flight back to Vancouver. On arrival in Vancouver, take the hotel shuttle (runs every 20 minutes) to the Sandman Signature Vancouver Airport Hotel.

Morning at leisure. Take the hotel shuttle back to the airport for your onward flight.