Bears Watching
One of my favourite experiences here in Canada was seeing bears in the wild. Vancouver Island is home to a large population of black bears – estimated at around 7,000. A particularly good time to see black bears is during the salmon run, which lasts from late September to November. During this time the bears spend a lot of time foraging in preparation for hibernation.
We tried several different places to find bears:
Stamp River
The Stamp River is about a 1.5 hour drive from Nanaimo, near Port Alberni. The river is beautiful and very clear; in addition to the possibility of seeing bears, it is a great place to see the salmon jumping and a wonderful hike. However, it is important to be aware that there are bears in the surrounding forests, so it is advisable to stay alert and speak loudly to warn and not frighten any nearby bears. There is one place where the bears can get to the river. On the other hand, there are many photographers who want to capture the natural spectacle. On sunny and nice days you can also expect a lot of people. You also need to be patient. Although I spent several hours there, I was not lucky enough to see a bear.
Thornton Creek Hatchery
If you prefer to see bears from a safe distance, you can visit the Thornton Creek Hatchery near Tofino. Here you can see the bear from a wooden boardwalk. The downside is that you cannot walk and are restricted to the narrow walkway. The hatchery is open from 10:00 to 15:00 and a small donation is appreciated after the visit.
Unfortunately, we were not lucky enough to see a bear here.
Quinsam River Hatchery
At the beginning of November we thought we should take advantage of the last chance to see bears before they go into hibernation. We took a day trip to the Quinsam River Hatchery. It was raining a bit that day, so no one else was there. We walked along the river and eventually followed a small path into the forest. It was immediately clear that there were bears here as the smell of fish was in the air and we could see fish remains along the path.
Then we finally saw two bears at the water, hunting for salmon! We kept a respectful distance and tried not to disturb the bears. When we turned around to look into the forest, we saw another bear right behind us. Maybe you can find him in this "hidden picture":
On the way back to the hatchery we finally spotted two more bears hunting.
The trip was well worth it!
