Grizzly Bear Expedition

Such an incredibly brillant day, from our boat ride with Jason, who was found us Orca, to hump backs, to dolphins, to seals, he knew where they hung out and found them. To the scenery and the peacefulness of the land. Then to be greeted by the wonderful Holmalco people, Cheyenne, and James were our guides and welcomed us to their land, where they told us and taught us alot of their stories, language, customs.We found bears or all sizes, mamas with their cubs to one giant loner. It was an experience of a lifetime, one we will never forget and have come to appreciate the beauty of BC

Bear Watching with Paul was a Great Trip, we saw 6 Bears, Golden & Bald Eagle, added bonus of seeing Hump Backs and Orcas on the way to the island. Was a great day with a very professional company and the communication by email and verbally was first class. Want a great trip then book this company for a great day out.

We had a fantastic guide Jason who found us incredible sea life on the way to and from the bear expedition. We saw mating orca, humpback whales, sea lions and an enormous pod of dolphins. With the Homalco wildlife and cultural tour guides for the land based expedition we were lucky enough to see 6 grizzlies, including a mumma and cubs. Would highly recommend.

Fabulous day! Big Animal Encounters is a top-notch company, epitomizing Canadian hospitality at its finest. We first watched a safety video, then boarded the very comfortable enclosed boat. Our guide, Jason, ensured we had time to enjoy watching the humpback whales on the trip out. They seemed to frolic - lots of breaching and waving their large pectoral fins. What a treat! Stellar seal lions, Dall’s porpoises, and Bald Eagles also made appearances. Although we had planned to eat the very yummy sack lunches on board the boat, our First Nation Homalco guides, Kalvin and Wilson, invited us to eat in the Homalco Meeting House. We enjoyed the warmth of the wood fire and time to read several posters to learn more about this First Nation tribe. Then, off on the bus to several grizzly bear viewing sites. Although people returning from an earlier excursion had reported seeing lots of bears, and guide Jason said the same about his outing the day before, our group instead practiced quiet patience. Finally, Wilson announced “Bears!”, and we watched in awe as a grizzly sow fished for herself and her two cubs. Clumsy little tykes! One kept doing belly flops onto the salmon in the river. Cute, but certainly not effective. Good thing Mom had the knack for scooping a salmon at every attempt. We bade farewell to Kalvin and Wilson and returned to the boat. Forty-plus years’ experience on these waters guided Jason’s choice of the safest route back to Campbell River. Still, the tide faced opposing winds, and the seas were rough. We appreciated having a seasoned helmsman whom we trusted completely. We would encourage anyone considering such an excursion to go with Big Animal Encounters- and we hope you will have Jason as your guide.

Had an Amazing Adventure with Big Animal Encounters on Wednesday, September 24th to see the grizzly bears! Our Captain Paul was experienced & knowledgeable. The Homalco guides were fantastic giving us a wealth of knowledge. All definitely made our experience memorable & I highly recommend them! Don & Karen M.

Amazing trip with the Grizzly Bear tour part, but the boat driver, Paul, was rude and aggressive. Saw him yell at a German lady for walking to the tour bus, he had several goes at an Arab guy, not racist but rude. Would not answer questions or engage. Made it really tense. But remove the boat ride there and back, bloody amazing we saw 13 Grizzlys

What was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience turned into one of the most frustrating and disappointing days of my trip — all because of the captain, Paul. At first, everything seemed fine. We met the group, got the introduction, and I was genuinely excited. But from the very first interaction with Paul, something felt wrong. I thought maybe he was just in a bad mood, but no — this was his actual attitude. Throughout the day, he was rude, arrogant, and completely unprofessional. The whale incident: Early on, I pointed out what I thought was a whale. Instead of treating me with respect, Paul immediately dismissed me in front of everyone, saying it was “just a log” or “just wood.” When I tried to show him video evidence, he mocked me further, as if he wanted to embarrass me. That moment set a negative tone for the rest of the tour. The humiliating comment: Later, during the bear viewing, I was cold and went back to the bus to watch from the window. Out of nowhere, Paul loudly singled me out: “So many people paid a lot of money to be here, and there are 11 people outside enjoying it while you look bored.” I was shocked. I am one of those people who paid a lot of money. His comment was insulting, humiliating, and completely unnecessary. I found myself having to defend myself and explain I was just cold — which I should never have had to do. Refusing a restroom stop: After four hours in the wild with no facilities, the group was supposed to stop back at the office to refresh and use the bathroom. The guide acknowledged this was needed, but Paul kept insisting to the driver not to stop. He showed zero concern for the group’s comfort. Personally, I was desperate to use the restroom, and I found his attitude extremely inconsiderate and disrespectful. The physical shove: Finally, the worst moment — while docking the boat, Paul physically shoved me aside. I wasn’t in his way at all. Being pushed by the captain in front of everyone was completely unnecessary and humiliating. That crossed a line from rude to aggressive, and it left me feeling unsafe. By the end, what should have been a magical, once-in-a-lifetime adventure was ruined. Instead of feeling joy and wonder, I left angry, humiliated, and deeply disappointed. I’ve never been treated like this on a tour before. All I wanted was to enjoy this experience, but Paul’s behavior made it impossible. I truly hope the company takes this seriously, because no guest should ever be treated this way If there is below one or minus I would not hesitate for a second. I just can’t explain how frustrated and angry I am about this whole experience

I had an absolutely ASTONISHING day! It seemed like every time I turned around there was something wonderful posing to be photographed - Grizzly Bears feeding on spawning salmon (individual bears plus a mother with cub), Eagles, a huge Roosevelt Elk bull and Humpback Whales (both going and coming!). Both the guides on land and the boat’s skipper all went out of their way to find incredible photo opportunities and position us to get the best shots. HIGHLY recommended! I WILL be back!

Brilliant trip. The captain couldn’t do enough to make our trip special and seeing Grizzlies in the wild was spectacular

Great staff in the office, tour guide Jason was very knowledgable and entertaining and always on the lookout for wildlife. Great tour length and we saw grizzlies, orcas, hump backs, bald eagles and turkey vultures. Excellent experience.