Toba Bears and Wilderness Grizzly Bear Viewing in Campbell River
Description
Venture out to the sparkling waters of the Toba Inlet on this brand new, full-day tour hosted by our sister nation, Klahoose First Nation. Cruise alongside cascading waterfalls and scenic mountains as you scan the landscape for grizzly bears, majestic humpbacks and orcas, and a variety of other wildlife. Join us in Campbell River before crossing the Salish Sea, one of the world’s best whale-watching spots. You’ll soon reach Toba Inlet, an area densely populated by grizzly bears. The first of its kind, the TOBA BEARS AND WILDERNESS is a collaborative partnership between the Homalco and Klahoose First Nations. Join your Klahoose guides as they take you to their home Territory. Hear stories and learn about the vibrancy of the living Klahoose culture. The toq qaymɩxʷ (Klahoose) peoples have lived here on the west coast of BC since time immemorial. We invite you to see the beauty of Toba Inlet through our eyes and share in our traditions, which have been handed down through generations.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Journey in comfort on-board a covered, heated boat through the Salish Sea to Toba inlet. Along the way your skipper and 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.
You are now in grizzly bear country on the traditional territory of the Klahoose 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. Uncover the history and legends of the Klahoose people and their relationship to the land while learning about bear behaviour and habitat.
Return to Campell River from Toba Inlet. 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
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(13)
Excellent trip, well organised. Great opportunity to see grizzly’s, Elk’s and Bald Eagles. Very good and entertaining guides.
My husband’s dream was to see grizzly bears in the wild. He wasn’t disappointed, we saw a mum with 2 cubs and them at another location we saw a mum with 1 cub, a lone female and a lone male. We also saw bald eagles, a sea lion and a humpback whale. The guides were all very friendly and the lunch was lovely. It rained all day but it didn’t matter. In fact it added to the beauty of the place. Definitely would recommend as it’s a once in a lifetime experience. Thank you to all involved!
It was a wonderful day, with a very warm welcome. We got a lot of information about land, inhabitants and animals. Thank you
Although the weather could be iffy--we had a beautiful day. Carry clothing to be insured you are covered (so to speak) for rain or cool. It is chilly on the boat when you choose to ride outside. We saw whales coming and going and watched bears at every location we stopped. A mama and cubs--an old guy catching fish, a young buck headed up river. It was all glorious.
Our bucket list included seeing a salmon run, grizzly bears & more importantly grizzly bears enjoying the salmon run. We could have gone to Alaska for a lot more $$$$. As we have friends on Vancouver Island, we chose Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours to Toba Inlet from Campbell River, BC. This tour filled our 'bucket'. After a 2 hr boat ride, Captain Ron & 1st mate, Penny got us to the top of Toba Inlet where the 'B Team" of driver Billy & guide Benny took us to 4 viewing boxes around the reservation. These were covered stands about 15 ft off the ground with steps giving easy access. The boxes were big enough to hold the 12 of us plus the 4 staff. Billy & Benny both carried bear spray, they said it had been found to be more effective & quieter.. The first 3 boxes revealed salmon swimming up stream, a male grizzly quietly soaking in the cool water & one bald eagle. However the 4th box was the trifecta; there was a mother grizzly & her 2 cubs. Benny thought the cubs were around 8 month old. The mother was catching salmon & eating them with her cubs. We were approximately 30 ft away & got great photos & videos. It was FANTASTIC!!! Also Penny was taking photos with her Nikon camera & monster lens. She said she will make photos available to us at a later date. Thank you Homalco & the B team.
Monday September 15th, my husband & I along with 3 friends took the Toba Grizzly Bear Tour with Kelly tour manager & Tass (? sp) captain of the boat. We had marvellous weather, saw water falls, sea lions, orca, humpbacks, good Momma grizzly (6 year old) & her first set of 2 (first year cubs) and a male elk with a big rack. Enjoyed our First Nations guide & driver at Toba, so much knowledge & good humor. Kudos to Kelly & Tass, they shared there knowledge & experience with us & we appreciated every bit of it. Thank so much to everyone who made this a memorable day, we won’t forget you.
Fabulous! We were very lucky to get a last minute place on this awesome tour. Ron drove the boat with skill and experience and Penny kept us all up to speed with other details. Delicious lunch halfway up Toba inlet atBrem River watching seals . On arrival at the end of the fjord we were met by our bear guides, first Nations guys with suberb knowledge of the area. From several viewing towers we saw a young male then later we were lucky enough to see a mother and two cubs hunting in the river, full of spawning salmon. The enthusiasm of all concerned was clear! On the return Penny told us the fascinating story of Ripple Rock. The whole day was brilliant, worth every penny. Some of the proceeds go back to various environmental and first nations projects, even better. Highly recommended!
Great tour! Saw a lot of marine wildlife on the way there and saw multiple grizzly's. Tour guides were very kind, knowledgeable en safe. Would recommend!
Highly recommend the Homalco bear tour. My son & I had a wonderful day on the tour led by Clive and Elliott who were both friendly, hospitable, knowledgeable & a pleasure to spend the day with. We were lucky enough to see the Grizzlies and, because Clive and Elliott went out of their way & spent a bit longer at sea on the way back, were able to see some Humpback whales too. A bonus for a bear tour ! Fabulous - thanks 👍🏻.
Our day trip to Toba Inlet was a bit disappointing. On the way to Toba we were told that it is being actively logged and there is a logging camp where you go ashore at Toba. The six bear stands where all in very close proximity to each other off what appeared to be the main logging route, only 6km back from the main logging camp. We didn’t see any bears on our tour, which we understand is part of nature. It was disappointing that we didn’t stay for a minute longer on shore at Toba to try and see a bear, and when we arrived back at Campbell River all the guests just left the boat without a word being said which was quite awkward. Given the high price of the tour it would have been nice if a discounted rate was offered to attend another tour, a small refund or even a free piece of merch. The Homalco guides were great, the boat was comfortable and we had great conditions on the water. How the day ended was dissapointing, coupled with the fact there was no mention of active logging happening at Toba before we booked.
Thank you for sharing your feedback about your visit to Toba Inlet. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the company of our Homalco guides, the comfort of the vessel, and the great conditions on the water. We understand your disappointment about not seeing bears during your tour. While this can be part of the natural unpredictability of wildlife viewing, it can still feel disheartening. For clarity, the bear viewing area in Toba is arranged by the Klahoose First Nation, and the stands are located along the traditional viewing corridor. Logging activity is a longstanding factor in this area each year, and despite this, the Klahoose team continues to run successful bear viewing seasons year over year. As noted in our materials, we do not guarantee wildlife sightings since these are beyond our control. The tour price reflects the high cost of safely operating remote wilderness experiences, rather than any promise of specific outcomes. We sincerely appreciate your feedback and will share your comments with our team. While we can’t alter the natural or logistical realities of Toba Inlet, we are always working to provide the best possible guest experience within them.
