Great Bears of Bute: Grizzly Bear Viewing & Indigenous Cultural Tour
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Overview
Witness grizzly bears in their natural habitat on this breathtaking wildlife, cultural and marine tour. Join an Indigenous guide and visit the traditional territory of the Homalco First Nations in Bute Inlet. Bear viewing, whale watching and cultural exploration make for a one-of-a-kind adventure.
This is the only bear tour from Campbell River that is 100% indigenous owned and provides you with an immersive indigenous experience from start to finish. By choosing Homalco Tours you help contribute to the cultural and economic recovery of the Homalco First Nation people and youth. Thank you for choosing us and in the language of our people "ʔiymot" (it is good).
This is the only bear tour from Campbell River that is 100% indigenous owned and provides you with an immersive indigenous experience from start to finish. By choosing Homalco Tours you help contribute to the cultural and economic recovery of the Homalco First Nation people and youth. Thank you for choosing us and in the language of our people "ʔiymot" (it is good).
Inclusions
- All Fees and Taxes
- Coffee and/or Tea
- Lunch - Tailored to dietary requirements
- Restroom on board
- Snacks
What to expect
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Salish Sea
Journey in comfort on-board a covered, heated boat through the Salish Sea to Orford Bay. Along the way your skipper and First Nation guide will share their knowledge of the human history and legends of this spectacular area while on the lookout for humpback whales, orcas, dolpins, sea lions, bald eagles and more.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Orford Bay, Strathcona, BC, Canada
You are now in grizzly bear country on the traditional territory of the Homalco First Nation. Trained bear guides transport you by mini-bus to where the bears gather for safe viewing of these magnificent creatures at various sites and wildlife viewing towers along the Orford and Algard Rivers. Uncover the history and legends of the Homalco people and their relationship to the land while learning about bear behaviour and habitat.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Campbell River, Campbell River, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Return to Campell River from Orford Bay. Keep an eye open for any marine wildlife that may be near!
Duration: 2 hours
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Salish Sea
Journey in comfort on-board a covered, heated boat through the Salish Sea to Orford Bay. Along the way your skipper and First Nation guide will share their knowledge of the human history and legends of this spectacular area while on the lookout for humpback whales, orcas, dolpins, sea lions, bald eagles and more.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Orford Bay, Strathcona, BC, Canada
You are now in grizzly bear country on the traditional territory of the Homalco First Nation. Trained bear guides transport you by mini-bus to where the bears gather for safe viewing of these magnificent creatures at various sites and wildlife viewing towers along the Orford and Algard Rivers. Uncover the history and legends of the Homalco people and their relationship to the land while learning about bear behaviour and habitat.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Campbell River, Campbell River, Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Return to Campell River from Orford Bay. Keep an eye open for any marine wildlife that may be near!
Duration: 2 hours
Additional information
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Guests must be able to climb stairs
- Face masks provided for travelers
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
HansG571
October 2021
This was an amazing experience. Even though the weather did not cooperate, it rained almost the whole time, we saw 4 different bears in their natural surroundings in the estuary. We were looked after very well on the boat trip by Cassie who gave us endless information on Homalco language and trad...
This was an amazing experience. Even though the weather did not cooperate, it rained almost the whole time, we saw 4 different bears in their natural surroundings in the estuary. We were looked after very well on the boat trip by Cassie who gave us endless information on Homalco language and traditions. We were also warmly welcomed at Orford Bay in the Homalco language. We will definately try another tour in th future with the Homalco people.wavesbysea
October 2021
Had an amazing trip to Orford Bay. A gift for my daughter. Cassandra and Jarod were awesome and educated everyone about their culture. Highlight of the trip was seeing a sow and cub. Gary did a great job driving us around and making sure the area was safe. The captain was knowledgeable. Date of ...
Had an amazing trip to Orford Bay. A gift for my daughter. Cassandra and Jarod were awesome and educated everyone about their culture. Highlight of the trip was seeing a sow and cub. Gary did a great job driving us around and making sure the area was safe. The captain was knowledgeable. Date of experience: October 2021W836TDquenting
October 2021
The trip there and back fills the senses with the majesty of coastal B.C. Steep sided fiords, magnificent forest, swirling ocean currents in an area where man has but a toe-hold and nature reigns. Our Homalco guides Cassie, JJ and Ian were charming, knowledgeable, informative, enthusiastic and ve...
The trip there and back fills the senses with the majesty of coastal B.C. Steep sided fiords, magnificent forest, swirling ocean currents in an area where man has but a toe-hold and nature reigns. Our Homalco guides Cassie, JJ and Ian were charming, knowledgeable, informative, enthusiastic and very mindful of safety protocols. Wayne, our boat captain, expertly navigated us through narrow inter-island passages pointing out landmarks and stopping to respectfully view orcas, porpoise, sea lions etc. The stars at Orford Bay were of course the bears, which we saw after a bit of a quiet wait - but that just made us more aware of our surroundings. The beauty of the setting, salmon spawning, eagles and hawks overhead, gulls dipping in and out of the river eating fish eggs, deer and Roosevelt elk in the woods and the trees themselves... This was a memorable experience. Thanks to the Homalco First Nation, the people of the fast running waters, for being such gracious hosts.Sailorboy102
October 2021
5 of us, all good friends arranged the weekend trip to Campbell River with this Grizzly Bear day as the highlight. Our day was excellent, 4 bears treated us, one was very close but our 3 guides showed confidence and good judgement in providing safety. Their experience and knowledge about the Gri...
5 of us, all good friends arranged the weekend trip to Campbell River with this Grizzly Bear day as the highlight. Our day was excellent, 4 bears treated us, one was very close but our 3 guides showed confidence and good judgement in providing safety. Their experience and knowledge about the Grizzly Bear behaviour was really educational and exciting too. This was a valuable life experience and escalated our appreciation for so many beautiful aspects that Vancouver Island has to offer. I will be recommending this to my friends and might even host another small group to the Homalco tour.Ed B
October 2021
The whole tour was fantastic. We had perfect weather. Sunny/overcast. Only 11 people, so the tour was very personal. Seeing the grizzlies in their habitat was so wonderful. We actually saw one grab a salmon from the river right in front of us. The Homalco guides, JayJay and Ian where so goo...
The whole tour was fantastic. We had perfect weather. Sunny/overcast. Only 11 people, so the tour was very personal. Seeing the grizzlies in their habitat was so wonderful. We actually saw one grab a salmon from the river right in front of us. The Homalco guides, JayJay and Ian where so good at sharing their stories and insight into the Homalco Nation and the grizzlies. They were also very concerned for our safety. We saw a small herd of Roosevelt Elk. Tour leader Holly was very informative and fun. Our boat captain Wayne was so good at finding extra special things to see like waterfalls. He also got us close (not intrusively) to Dall porpoises, dolphins, seals and sea lions. We saw a humpback whale. Wayne could point out who owned many of the beautiful homes and resorts along the waters edge. I highly recommend this small group tours with Hamalco Wildlife Tours.R9070VTstevep
October 2021
Having done much research, we opted for this tour as a special birthday present for my wife. We liked the idea of supporting the First Nations people and the sustainability of their land and employment. Also a comfortable new boat with washroom. A day to remember for the rest of our lives. Cassi...
Having done much research, we opted for this tour as a special birthday present for my wife. We liked the idea of supporting the First Nations people and the sustainability of their land and employment. Also a comfortable new boat with washroom. A day to remember for the rest of our lives. Cassie and our captain, Damian and our land hosts JJ and Gary kept us informed and proudly shared their heritage and took us to some fabulous scenery. We were fortunate to see 8 adult bears and one with a cub. Some were amazing close encounters to capture on video and photos, from our safe viewing towers. The whole day was an amazing experience. Boat trip, Bute Inlet, scenery, learning about the culture heritage and of course the bears! Perfectly summed up by our captain, as 'sustainable tourism with a purpose'! Thank you so much for a wonderful day, highly recommended.