Deluxe Grizzlies and Culture Tour in Campbell River
Description
Experience the most comprehensive Indigenous and wilderness tours we offer. You’ll journey through the majestic Salish Sea to a historic Homalco First Nation village site, then view grizzly bears and other wildlife from a safe distance. Learn about our peoples’ rich history and how we’ve lived alongside these majestic creatures for millennia. This deluxe wilderness and Indigenous cultural tour will lead you through Aupe, an uninhabited Homalco village site, giving you unique insights into the ways of our peoples. From there, you’ll journey through the Bute Inlet, one of British Columbia’s most epic whale-watching stretches, to Orford Bay for a picnic lunch surrounded by a spectacular mountain vista. Our experienced guides will lead you on a land-based search for grizzly bears, elk and eagles along salmon-bearing rivers.
Tour Options
Itinerary
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 marine wildlife.
The uninhabited village of Aupe, or Church House, is a place of bountiful fishing and clam beds. The last Homalco people left Aupe in the early 1980s, but the area is still rich with stories and memories of our people.
Take in the breathtaking scenery of Homalco territory as you venture up Bute Inlet toward Bute Inlet, where you will be served a picnic lunch with the stunning backdrop of the Orford River estuary.
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.
Return to Campell River from Orford Bay. Keep an eye open for any marine wildlife that may be near!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(13)
Recently did a tour with them and it was an amazing experience. All the guides were very friendly, knowledgable, very patient and we spotted 6 bears including mama bear with cubs. It was an amazing experience and would definitely recommend them to anyone interested in a tour. We also saw whales on the way back making the tour extra special!
Guy did a fantastic job of finding orcas and humpbacked whales for us. Janet, with her amazing cedar hat, shared her culture, and was a good educator about the wildlife. Saw some new birds for me . A glorious morning of watching birds and mammals on the water! Kalvin and Wilson found the places where we saw seven grizzlies! Unforgettable day. Awesome tour!
Oh my! I’m still not sure I’ve processed just what a special tour that was. Learning about the Homalco culture from Cassie felt like we were getting to know the historic Canada I’d really hoped we’d get from this. Then along side that so much wildlife - sea lions, seals, vultures, eagles, a baby humpback, black bears and the phenomenal grizzlies! It was made more precious seeing the obvious love and care for these animals from our hosts - they were truly as happy to see them as we all were. This was a once in a life time trip that excelled beyond all our expectations - thank you Cassie, Ron, Dude and Gary for your kindness and wonderful knowledge throughout the day.
Incredible full day tour loaded with wildlife experiences and a great opportunity to learn more about the Homalco culture. The star of the wildlife was the grizzly bear but we also saw humpback whales, orca whales, eagles, multiple waterfowl and the salmon run. Buck and Caitlin were the guides for the grizzly tour and did and awesome job (I believe that Buck may be part bear himself). Cassie and Elliot were outstanding hosts and did an amazing job presenting the Homalco people and their relationship with the natural landscape. In addition to culture, they explained the geological wonders we were boating through and sighted whales to make the trip extra-special. They engaged the audience, welcoming questions and made the effort to know their audience by asking us questions. Their passion for wildlife preservation and love of the animals was real (Mama Cass)!
What an incredible day tour! We were well cared for and kept safe throughout. Cassie shared information about the Homalco people and she made this personal by referring to family members and their experiences. Our captain, Elliot was also full of knowledge and they were both happy to answer any questions. The boat ride was beautiful and you could sit in or outside. There was less walking that anticipated. Lunch was pretty good - nice sandwich, cookie and hot drink. Wildlife was amazing, 8 grizzlies, humpback whales, an eagle and some distant orcas. It was a shame not to stay with the whales longer but I guess there was a curfew!! Honestly, one of the most lovely, intimate, fascinating and mind-blowing days! Thank you
Thank you, Kalvin and Buck, for a wonderful experience in viewing grizzly bears in their natural habitat. I loved the stories you shared from your culture and explanation of challenges in getting your language recognized. It was a privilege to be invited onto your territory. You provided me with a day I will long cherish.
We had a brilliant day which was certainly helped by the gorgeous weather and lovely staff that were informative and helpful. We saw Grizzly Bears and Whales
Kalvin and Gary were excellent tour guides. We carried out a tour arranged by the Sonora Resort yesterday and as Kalvin would say ‘The spirits were with us’. Apart from the stories Kalvin gave us an excellent insight into the Hamalco ways. Blessed by good weather and sunshine we were guided through the various viewing areas where we followed a number of Grizzly’s and had an amazing experience observing a mother with her two cubs feeding and playing. It was the highlight of our tour and a very special experience.
Fabulous experience. Jenny and Mark were our cultural specialist and pilot, very knowledgable and made time to see any wildlife when the opportunity arose and there were lots of them. We were looked after with lunch, snacks and hot drinks.
Great experience! The tour was 10 hours and our boat guide and pilot were terrific - thanks Cassie and Guy. Our grizzly experience was awesome - a mother and 2 yearlings and 5 independent large males - all from close distances, as little as 30 meters. Thanks to our bear guides, Conrad and Jared. The culture aspect of the trip was excellent and so well explained.
