On the Great Bears of Bute tour, the Orford River and Algard Creek channels provide salmon spawning grounds with different viewing locations that we use depending on where the bears are active. The following information offers what to expect in a TYPICAL year (note that climate change significantly impacts weather and bear behaviour, which is our best interpretation in constantly changing conditions).
- The month of August has the hottest, most pleasant days, and grizzlies are moving from the alpine into the valleys
- Until early September, bears are mostly foraging for grasses, berries and shellfish as they wait for the salmon to begin moving from the mouth of Orford Bay and up the rivers to spawn
- From September onward, bears are hunting for salmon in the rivers
- September typically has the highest number of bears and is the busiest time for visitor volume. The weather begins to adjust to our annual period of rain, which identifies BC’s Coastal Temperate Rainforest
- Despite shorter days and more variable weather, October offers intimate, quiet and yet spectacular fall bear viewing.
Our experienced Indigenous guides know the area well and will help identify wildlife through various bear viewing towers where you can view the bears comfortably.
Please keep in mind that these are wild animals, and we cannot guarantee the number of bears to be seen.