Some of my most memorable travelling experiences have taken place in Canada.
I love the cities, the people and those seemingly endless landscapes, but there is something else about Canada that has always fascinated me – its wildlife.
My relationship with the country goes back to 1986 when, at a travel industry event, I somehow managed to win a holiday to Hawaii in a raffle with Canadian Pacific Airlines. The journey included a stop in Vancouver and, although I had only 48 hours there, that brief introduction was enough to cement my love of Canada.
In the mid-1990s I returned, travelling through the United States before ending up in Toronto, where I stayed with an old school friend. I loved the cosmopolitan city but also ventured outside Toronto, including some skiing at Blue Mountain.
Then came 2018 and my 50th birthday.
I decided I needed an adventure, so another North American road trip was calling. Starting in New York, I travelled through Cape Cod before driving the Old Canada Road north towards Montreal and Quebec.
Eventually I disappeared into the magnificent landscapes and national parks north of Quebec City, far away from cities, crowds and, for a while at least, the internet.
I was convinced I was going to see bears and moose. I saw neither. In fact, apart from a few birds, the wildlife appeared to have received advance warning of my arrival and kept a very safe distance!
It didn’t diminish the experience, but it did remind me that wildlife encounters are never guaranteed. That is precisely what makes seeing an animal in its natural environment so special.
So where should you go if you want to experience the incredible wildlife of Canada?
Canada’s Extraordinary Wildlife
Canada’s sheer scale and variety of landscapes provide habitats for an astonishing collection of wildlife.
Depending on where you travel, you might encounter black and grizzly bears, polar bears, moose, elk, caribou, wolves, bison, mountain goats, bighorn sheep and foxes.
Head towards the coast and the possibilities become equally exciting, with humpback whales, orcas, belugas, seals, sea lions and sea otters amongst the species found in Canadian waters.
For birdwatchers there is yet another world to discover, including bald eagles, puffins, herons, loons and numerous migratory species.
You could spend a lifetime exploring Canada and still only scratch the surface.
Wildlife Tip: Remember that these are wild animals, not tourist attractions. Sightings can never be guaranteed and that’s part of the excitement. Give wildlife plenty of space and consider joining a responsible guided tour where local knowledge can significantly improve your chances of seeing animals safely.
Atlantic Canada – Whales, Puffins and Moose
The Atlantic provinces provide some wonderful wildlife experiences, particularly during the summer months.
The Bay of Fundy, between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, is renowned for its marine life and whale-watching opportunities. Humpback, minke and fin whales are amongst the species that may be encountered here.
Newfoundland and Labrador offers another of Canada’s great wildlife combinations.
During the right season you may see whales and icebergs during the same trip, while boat excursions can also provide opportunities to see vast colonies of seabirds, including Atlantic puffins.
On land, Gros Morne National Park is home to wildlife including moose and caribou.
Over in Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Highlands National Park combines dramatic coastal scenery with the possibility of seeing moose, black bears, bald eagles and other wildlife.
It is this combination of scenery and wildlife that makes Atlantic Canada so appealing.
Quebec – Whales on the St Lawrence
Quebec provided the backdrop to my own slightly unsuccessful search for Canadian wildlife, although I certainly can’t blame the province for that!
One of the outstanding wildlife destinations is Tadoussac, situated where the Saguenay River meets the St Lawrence.
The nutrient-rich waters attract several whale species and make this one of Canada’s best-known whale-watching destinations.
Beluga whales are particularly associated with the St Lawrence, while other species including minke, fin and humpback whales may also be encountered.
Wildlife isn’t restricted to the water either. Quebec’s vast forests are home to black bears, moose, beavers and numerous other species.
My own experience proved that being in the right habitat doesn’t necessarily mean the wildlife will conveniently appear in front of you.
Next time, perhaps!
Ontario – Moose, Bears and Wolves
Ontario may be home to Toronto and some of Canada’s largest urban areas, but travel beyond the cities and the landscape changes dramatically.
Algonquin Provincial Park is one of the province’s great wilderness areas and a particularly appealing destination for wildlife lovers.
Moose are perhaps the animals most visitors hope to see, although the park is also home to black bears, white-tailed deer, beavers and wolves.
There is abundant birdlife too, including one of Canada’s most evocative birds – the common loon, whose haunting call seems perfectly suited to those great lakes and forests.
Canoeing through the Canadian wilderness while listening to loons calling across the water is about as Canadian as it gets.
Manitoba – Polar Bears and Beluga Whales
Few Canadian wildlife destinations are as famous as Churchill in Manitoba.
Situated on Hudson Bay, Churchill is often associated with polar bears. During autumn, bears gather in the region as they wait for the sea ice to form, providing opportunities to see them as part of organised wildlife experiences.
However, Churchill isn’t only about polar bears.
During the summer months, large numbers of beluga whales gather in the waters around the Churchill River and Hudson Bay.
That means the same remote Canadian destination can offer two very different wildlife experiences depending on when you travel – belugas during summer and polar bears later in the year.
Arctic foxes, Arctic hares and an impressive variety of birdlife add even more interest.
When to Go: Wildlife seasons matter enormously in Canada. Decide which animal you particularly hope to see before choosing your travel dates rather than simply booking the trip and hoping for the best.
Alberta – Wildlife in the Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies are probably the landscape many of us picture when we think about Canada.
Banff and Jasper National Parks are home to black bears, grizzly bears, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, wolves, coyotes and moose.
The spectacular Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper passes through some magnificent wildlife habitat, although the scenery alone is worth the journey even if nothing appears.
This is also somewhere that responsible wildlife viewing is particularly important.
If you encounter an animal, give it plenty of room. Never approach wildlife for photographs, never feed animals and don’t create a dangerous roadside obstruction in an attempt to get a better look.
For anyone particularly interested in wildlife, a guided excursion can be worthwhile. Experienced local guides understand animal behaviour, habitats and seasonal movements and can help you look for wildlife without disturbing it.
British Columbia – Bears, Whales and the Pacific Coast
If I had to choose one Canadian province purely for the variety of wildlife experiences available, British Columbia would certainly be high on my list.
The province has everything from mountains and temperate rainforest to remote islands and a vast Pacific coastline.
Vancouver Island is an excellent starting point.
The waters surrounding the island support orcas, humpback whales, seals, sea lions, porpoises, sea otters and numerous seabirds.
From Tofino, wildlife excursions explore the Pacific coastline, with opportunities to look for whales and black bears.
Further north, areas around Telegraph Cove and Johnstone Strait are particularly associated with marine wildlife, including orcas and humpback whales.
Then there are the grizzly bears.
Remote wilderness lodges in British Columbia provide some extraordinary bear-viewing experiences, particularly during the salmon runs when bears gather around rivers and streams.
For something even more unusual, British Columbia is also home to the famous Kermode or Spirit Bear.
Despite its creamy-white appearance, the Spirit Bear isn’t a polar bear. It is a rare colour variation of the American black bear and is particularly associated with the temperate rainforests of British Columbia’s coast.
The Yukon – Canada’s Wild North
For anyone seeking wilderness, the Yukon takes things to another level.
This vast northern territory is home to wildlife including grizzly and black bears, moose, caribou, wolves, lynx, foxes and Dall sheep.
The distances are enormous, the population is small and wildlife really does have the space to remain wild.
A road trip through the Yukon isn’t simply about ticking animals off a list. It is about experiencing a landscape where humans can sometimes feel like the visitors.
And perhaps that is the greatest appeal of Canada’s wilderness.
Whale Watching in Canada
Whale watching deserves a section of its own because Canada offers opportunities on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
On the Atlantic side, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec all provide excellent possibilities.
On the Pacific coast, British Columbia offers encounters with humpbacks, orcas and other marine mammals.
As with all wildlife experiences, I would choose an operator that puts the welfare of the animals ahead of getting passengers as close as possible.
A whale doesn’t need to swim alongside the boat for an encounter to be memorable.
Sometimes seeing that first blow in the distance, followed by a tail disappearing beneath the surface, is more than enough.
Seeing Bears in Canada
Canada is home to black bears, grizzly bears and polar bears, while British Columbia’s rare Spirit Bear is a white-coated form of the black bear.
Seeing any bear in the wild would be an unforgettable experience, but it comes with responsibilities.
Never approach a bear, feed it or attempt to attract its attention for a photograph.
In recognised bear country, check local advice before hiking and learn how to behave should you encounter one. In some areas carrying bear spray is recommended, but it is important to know how and when to use it.
For many visitors, an organised bear-viewing experience is the best option. You benefit from local expertise while reducing the temptation to make poor decisions when an unexpected animal suddenly appears.
Photography Tip: Take a telephoto lens or binoculars and let distance work in your favour. A photograph of an animal behaving naturally in its environment tells a much better story than one obtained by getting too close.
Respecting Canada’s Wildlife
The most important rule when watching wildlife in Canada is simple: the animal comes first.
Never feed or entice wildlife and never approach an animal simply to obtain a photograph.
Parks Canada recommends keeping at least 100 metres away from bears, wolves and cougars and at least 30 metres from other large animals such as moose, elk and deer.
If an animal changes its behaviour because of your presence, you are already too close.
Follow local signs and closures, keep food properly stored when camping and remember that regulations can vary according to the park and the wildlife present.
Canada’s animals are extraordinary precisely because they are wild. Our responsibility as visitors is to help keep them that way.
My Next Canadian Wildlife Adventure?
My previous attempts at spotting Canada’s larger wildlife didn’t exactly go according to plan.
There were no bears emerging dramatically from the forest and no moose standing photogenically beside a lake.
But that’s wildlife.
There are no scripts and there are certainly no guarantees.
Canada remains one of those countries I could return to time and again. There is still British Columbia to explore properly, whales to watch, bears to hopefully see from a very respectable distance and huge areas of wilderness I’ve barely begun to discover.
And perhaps one day I’ll finally find that moose.
Until then, there is always another road to travel.
