Wildlife We See

Whales, Wildlife & Spectacular Scenery

Vancouver Island Wildlife

Few areas in the world rival the rich mix of wildlife we encounter in Barkley Sound which lies on Ucluelet’s door step, on the Western edge of Vancouver Island. Rather than focus our tours on one or other species, we offer an all-round wildlife tour. Within a few hours there is the possibility of seeing whales, harbor porpoises, black bears, two species of sea lion, harbor seals, sea otters, bald eagles, and a variety of sea birds. Although we don’t see every species every day, we see most species each and every day. The exception are the unpredictable killer whales that appear only at random.

Animal sightings do vary from year to year, season to season, sometimes even day to day. We record the wildlife we see each day, so feel free to inquire about current sightings.

Click on the tabs below to learn about the wildlife you may see! We update this section when needed. We also recommend you read Frequently Asked Questions.

Whales

Humpback Whales

(Megaptera novaeangliae)

Humpbacks are large whales, adults ranging from about 12 to 16 meters in length. They are highly acrobatic and sometimes we are lucky enough to see a performance from their bag of tricks which includes breaching, tail lobbing, lunge feeding, tail fluking and spy hopping.

Once hunted almost to extinction, Humpback whales are making a comeback the world over. They are migratory, spending the winter at their breeding grounds in either Mexico or Hawaii and the summer months in the North Pacific.

Humpbacks are regular visitors to our area. In recent years humpback sightings (within the range of our tour) have been somewhat sporadic. There were periods of daily sightings as well as periods of no sightings. In 2024 sightings have been consistent since early June, and we are hopeful that this will continue throughout the summer. Having said that, the point to note is that we see whales on most days but not every day.

At times when humpback whales are further away, your chance of seeing them is better if you take a dedicated whale watching tour in a high speed boat as these tours focus on whales rather than an all day experience as we do.

We recommend you read our Frequently Asked Questions, in particular the question about guaranteed sightings.

Gray Whales

(Eschrichtius robustus)

Each spring more than 20,000 Gray whales swim along our shores from their breeding grounds in Mexico to their feeding grounds in the Bering Sea. Between 35 and 50 individuals stay all summer to feed along the west coast of Vancouver Island rather than continue their northerly migration. It is these summer “residents” that we watch between March and October.

Unfortunately Gray whale sightings are have not been “dependable” in recent years. We see Gray whales almost daily at times, while at other times sightings were many days apart, even longer periods of no sightings. Over the last four years very few Gray whales were sighted within our immediate area, except for frequent sightings during the latter part of our 2023 season. We hope that at some point Gray whale sightings will once again be more consistent (within the range of our tours) but we have no way of knowing in advance when this might be.

Sometimes Gray whales can be seen in an area that requires a fairly long off shore journey which is in the opposite direction to the Broken Group Islands. At such times, or if seeing whales is your main focus, you might want to consider a dedicated whale watching tour which focuses on seeing whales rather than an all day experience as we do.

We recommend you read our Frequently Asked Questions, in particular the question about guaranteed sightings.

Orcas or Killer Whales

(Orcinus orca)

Don’t “expect” to see Orcas although you can “hope” to see them. The transient killer whales that frequent our waters are constantly on the move. Their movements are random and unpredictable. At times we go weeks without seeing them so it is a bonus when we do.

Transient killer whales are mammal hunters, their favourite meal being a young sea lion or nice plump seal, so it can be exciting when we do see them.

Please note: Current regulations require all boats (except those with special permission) to stay at a minimum distance of 400 meters from all species of killer whales (i.e this does not apply to Humpback or Gray whales). We have a pair of binoculars for each guest which will help you get a closer look in case we are lucky enough to see killer whales. To find out more, please click on this link: https://www.bewhalewise.org/.

Harbor Porpoises

(Phocoena phocoena)

We see harbor porpoises frequently during the summer months. Although common, they are not easy to watch. Unlike many porpoises and dolphins, the harbor porpoise doesn’t believe in midair summersaults. Seeing little, dark backs with a small fin popping up through the water’s surface – this is harbor porpoise watching.

Sea Otters

(Enhydra lutris)

Once hunted to extinction on the coast of BC, sea otters were reintroduced in 1969. Although they are not yet present in large numbers in Barkley Sound, they are making a noticeable comeback. In recent years we have seen sea otters almost daily. Barkley Sound was historically good terrain for otters, so we expect the population to increase over time.

Although we do see single sea otters, more often we see them in small groups, mothers and pups being quite common. Depending on their exact location – which can differ from one day to the next – we are often able to get a close look. Without question, sea otters are a welcome and exciting addition to the abundant wildlife of Barkley Sound.

Sea Lions & Seals

Stellar Sea Lions

(Eumetopias jubatus)

Significantly larger and lighter in colour than the California Sea Lion, Stellers live in our area year round. They live in large colonies and we will see thousand kilogram males strutting and growling, standing off interlopers, all the while dominating their huge family. Although they change their rookeries and habits during the year they are always within our orbit.

California Sea Lions

(Zalophus californianus)

California Sea Lions range from southern Mexico to northern Vancouver Island. Only the males make their way to our waters and from mid-August until mid-June they can be seen in large numbers. They like to be in groups, one piled on top of another, they are noisy, curious and a lot of fun to watch. In mid-June they take off to California to meet the ladies – little wonder they lose interest in tourist watching! They are quite a presence in our area so we do miss them while they are gone.

Harbor Seal

(Phoca vitulina)

Harbor Seals are smaller and very different in character from sea lions. There are several rookeries along our route, so we see them all season. In the spring we see the mothers with their newborn pups and over the summer we watch the little ones grow to young adulthood.

Black Bears

(Ursus americanus vancouveri)

Fortunately Black Bears seem to love our area as much as we do! Turning over rocks on the beach and feeding on crabs that hide underneath, they are often easy to see up close from a boat. Sows with cubs are common.

In the spring bears begin frequenting the beaches. The frequency of sighting varies, depending on the time of year, from about 50% on average to almost daily in the later part of the season. Each year is difference, but in 2024 the number of sightings has been higher than usual, with us regularly spotting a number of different individuals and various sets of mother bears with cubs.

Since we do not see bears every day, in order to avoid disappointment, please ask us for an update of recent sightings before you book with us if bears are your main focus. Or you might consider taking a dedicated bear watching tour (which we do not offer).

For more information, please read our Frequently Asked Questions – especially the question/answer about bears.

Eagles

Bald Eagles

(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Barkley Sound has the highest density of resident Bald Eagles anywhere in North America. Their sheer numbers ensure some close up viewing which is always a thrill. From spring until August our area is packed with Bald Eagles. In August most eagles leave for the salmon streams but enough “Residents” remains behind that we see them daily. There are several active nests along our route.

Sea Birds

Sea Birds and Shore Birds

We always encounter a variety of sea birds, many of which can’t be seen from shore.

The birds change with the year and the season but here is a list of regular sightings (depending on time of year):

Great Blue Herons,
Gulls (Glaucous Winged, California, Mew, Heermann’s),
Cormorants (Brandt, Double Crested, Pelagic),
Black Oystercatchers,
Common Murres,
Pigeon Guillemots,
Rhinocerous Auklets,
Marbled Murrelets,
Scoters (Surf, White Winged),
Harlequin Ducks,
Turnstones,
Grebes (Western, Red-necked, Horned)
Mergansers (Common, Hooded, Red-breasted),
Loons (Common, Pacific)
Phalaropes (Wilson’s, Red-necked)
On occasion we see Pelicans and Puffins.