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About Homalco Tours

Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours and its staff have been the stewards of the grizzly bear population in our traditional territory of Bute Inlet for over a decade. The site’s cultural and historical significance spans thousands of years, and today our community welcomes tours to view the bears, learn about our connection to the land and wildlife, and become immersed in the beauty of the inlet.

For two decades, Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours has guided groups through the Bute Inlet and along the Orford River, where grizzly bear populations thrive during the salmon run.

A long, deep fjord, the Bute Inlet cuts into the coastal mountain range of the British Columbia mainland. The mouth of the inlet begins northeast of Vancouver Island’s Campbell River, and snakes its way up the coast, where the Homathko and Southgate rivers run from glaciers and icefields high up in the mountains.

While our roots are in wildlife viewing, Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours is now giving voice to the Homalco First Nation way of life, language, and traditions as we begin to develop new immersive cultural tours.

We offer bear-watching tours, whale watching, and cultural tours, all of which are interwoven with knowledge from our traditional way of life.

On each tour, we share our stories, insights, and language. We welcome the inquisitive explorers, those who want to experience a deeper connection with our Indigenous culture. Whether you’d like to take in the lumbering steps of a grizzly on the move, watch the tail fluke of a humpback, or get hands-on experience weaving cedar, our tours will bring you into the fold of a region rich with Homalco culture.

Let us open the door to our traditions and culture through our immersive tours. To learn more about the tours, head over to the bear watching tour page & read more about our culture.

Our commitment to our guests is to share our traditional lands, perspectives from our people, and create a sense of connection with our Indigenous culture.

Learn about the pivotal role of cedar, join in on celebrations, and sing with us. We’ve worked with our youth to expand our cultural experiences, offering not only a trip to remote inlets but also exposure to an ancient culture. Our trips directly contribute to the rekindling of our culture, traditions and language. Homalco First Nation works diligently to enhance and revive the native salmon stock of the Orford Bute Area, thanks to our salmon enhancement hatchery. Increasing the salmon stock helps to support the bear population, and contributes to the overall conservation efforts in the area.

Contact us to learn more about our tours.

Our Tour Guides

Our tour guides are certified in safe bear viewing from the Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC and trained in first aid. Each guide receives cultural training to be able to share the Homalco traditional ways of life. 

For Whales, Wildlife and Culture Tours, our guides and skippers are certified in the Marine Education and Research Society.