Ideas for wildlife viewing, etc. in B.C., Canada? CI Whistler?

[Presley Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Presley]

We are hoping to visit B.C. in the distant future during a summer or fall season. What I am really looking for is a location that is similar to being in Alaska. We want the gorgeous trees, waterfalls, etc and we also want to see bears. We'd love other wildlife, too, but bears is something we cannot view close to home.

My HGVC gets me CI Whistler. Is that a good location? Are there better locations that I should trade into instead? It's such a big area and we aren't familiar with it at all. It makes planning very difficult. I can't tell from the website or from reading reviews if that is an okay location for people who have no idea where they are, like myself.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

We are planning to go see the Orcas - there are day trips from Vancouver in season.

[Presley Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Presley]

We are planning to go see the Orcas - there are day trips from Vancouver in season.

I can't wait to hear about that. Orcas in the wild is something I have wanted to see. I was so disappointed that I didn't see any in Alaska last year.
Hubby gets very seasick - please let me me know how choppy it is.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

I can't wait to hear about that. Orcas in the wild is something I have wanted to see. I was so disappointed that I didn't see any in Alaska last year.
Hubby gets very seasick - please let me me know how choppy it is.

I am hoping we get to go this summer. Holding off on airfare due to looming pesky work issues If not this summer, definitely next.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

I worked for the Canadian Hydrographic service on a ship that went from the Gulf Islands by Victoria to the Seymour Narrows north of Campbell river. Our job was to do tidal surveying.

There were many pods of Orcas all around us when we spent a couple months surveying the Seymour Narrows and around there. We would go out in our launch and try to see how close we could get to them. They don't let you get very close.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

We are hoping to visit B.C. in the distant future during a summer or fall season. What I am really looking for is a location that is similar to being in Alaska. We want the gorgeous trees, waterfalls, etc and we also want to see bears. We'd love other wildlife, too, but bears is something we cannot view close to home.

My HGVC gets me CI Whistler. Is that a good location? Are there better locations that I should trade into instead? It's such a big area and we aren't familiar with it at all. It makes planning very difficult. I can't tell from the website or from reading reviews if that is an okay location for people who have no idea where they are, like myself.

Unfortunately that doesn't really exist anymore in BC like it used to several years ago. You just will not see the wildlife like in Alaska or Yellowstone unless you go a way up North where nobody lives. When I grew up in BC, there were bears and moose in abundance where I lived in the Windermere Valley and Banff/Jasper National parks. I have since been back many times and all you see now are Elk. No moose nor bears.

[Presley Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Presley]

Unfortunately that doesn't really exist anymore in BC like it used to several years ago. You just will not see the wildlife like in Alaska or Yellowstone unless you go a way up North where nobody lives. When I grew up in BC, there were bears and moose in abundance where I lived in the Windermere Valley and Banff/Jasper National parks. I have since been back many times and all you see now are Elk. No moose nor bears.

That's sad. I guess I'll think more about Alaska and Yellowstone.

[eal Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close eal]

There is still lots of wildlife left in BC. My son who lives in Squamish south of Whistler has bears in his back yard climbing in the fruit trees. There are hundreds of bald eagles near his home in the fall. Another good place to see wildlife is in the interior, north of Kamloops. There are timeshares at Sun Peaks.

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

There is still lots of wildlife left in BC. My son who lives in Squamish south of Whistler has bears in his back yard climbing in the fruit trees. There are hundreds of bald eagles near his home in the fall. Another good place to see wildlife is in the interior, north of Kamloops. There are timeshares at Sun Peaks.

It is nothing like it used to be. I am sure there are still some areas that have some wildlife. I have seen far more wildlife, bears, etc. in Yosemite in 1 day than in BC in several weeks. When I used to drive through Kootenay National Park there was always moose at the salt licks right next to he road and there were always bears. For the last several years, there haven't been any. My sister lives in Vernon BC and she tells me that the wildlife has virtually disappeared. The Elk have taken over many areas. We went all through the interior, Kootenay, Banff, and Jasper NPs just a few years ago and the only wildlife we saw were elk and lots of them.

[MargeS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MargeS]

Took my husband to Banff area 5 years ago. I was disappointed that the wildlife was not as abundant as I had told him...but we did see a mama bear with 2 cubs very near the road and watched them for an hour. Lots of large groups of elk. Still a most beautiful area, and once you are a bit out of town, heaven...

[eal Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close eal]

Here's an up close and personal wildlife encounter!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle13016937/