Wildlife Viewing in Canada: An Unforgettable Adventure

BC is incredibly biodiverse, with coastal rainforests, mountains, and interior grasslands. Expect to see bears (grizzly, black, Spirit Bear), whales (orcas, humpbacks), elk, moose, mountain goats, and numerous bird species.

• Great Bear Rainforest: Spirit Bears, grizzlies, wolves, salmon. Best in Sept-Oct.
• Johnstone Strait & Vancouver Island North: Orcas (killer whales), marine life. Best July-Sept.
• Kootenay Rockies: Grizzly and black bears, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats.
• Pacific Rim National Park Reserve: Whales, sea lions, coastal birds.

Famous for its Rocky Mountain parks and prairie landscapes, Alberta is home to grizzly and black bears, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, bison, and diverse birdlife.

• Banff National Park: Grizzly bears, elk, bighorn sheep, moose.
• Jasper National Park: Similar to Banff, with wildlife often seen along roadsides (view safely!).
• Elk Island National Park: Plains and wood bison, moose, elk, over 250 bird species.
• Waterton Lakes National Park: Rich biodiversity, where mountains meet prairies.

Known for its vast prairies and northern boreal forests. Wildlife includes bison, pronghorn, deer, moose, elk, black bears, wolves, and a rich variety of birds.

• Grasslands National Park: Plains bison, black-tailed prairie dogs, pronghorn, burrowing owls.
• Prince Albert National Park: Free-ranging plains bison, elk, moose, black bears, wolves, pelicans.
• Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area: North America’s oldest bird sanctuary, crucial for migratory birds.
• Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park: Diverse habitats supporting deer, elk, pronghorn, wild turkeys, and numerous birds.

Famous for polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba also offers chances to see beluga whales, black bears, moose, caribou, and abundant birdlife in its diverse ecosystems.

• Churchill: “Polar Bear Capital of the World” (Oct-Nov). Also beluga whales in summer (June-Aug).
• Riding Mountain National Park: Bison, elk, moose, black bears, wolves, diverse bird species.
• Whiteshell Provincial Park: Black bears, moose, deer, countless bird species.

Home to vast forests and countless lakes, Ontario is prime habitat for moose, black bears, white-tailed deer, beavers, and a huge variety of migratory and resident birds.

• Algonquin Provincial Park: Iconic for moose sightings (especially along Hwy 60 in spring), black bears, wolves (listen for howls!).
• Point Pelee National Park: A major bird migration hotspot, especially in spring and fall.
• Pukaskwa National Park: Rugged wilderness with caribou, moose, black bears, wolves.
• Bruce Peninsula National Park: Black bears, deer, rare reptiles, diverse birdlife.

Quebec offers remarkable whale watching in the St. Lawrence Estuary, and opportunities to see moose, black bears, caribou, seals, and numerous bird species, including northern gannets and Atlantic puffins.

• Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park (Tadoussac): World-class whale watching (minke, fin, humpback, blue, beluga).
• Gaspésie National Park (Parc national de la Gaspésie): Woodland caribou, moose, white-tailed deer, black bears.
• Forillon National Park: Seals, seabirds, black bears, moose.
• Anticosti Island: High concentration of white-tailed deer.
• Réserve faunique de Matane: Excellent for moose and black bear observation.

The Atlantic provinces offer stunning coastlines and forests, home to whales, seals, moose, caribou (Newfoundland), black bears, and vast seabird colonies (puffins, gannets).

• Newfoundland & Labrador: Woodland caribou, moose, black bears, puffins, whales. Gros Morne National Park is a highlight.
• Nova Scotia: Moose (Cape Breton Highlands National Park), whales, seals, diverse birdlife. Bay of Fundy for tidal phenomena and whale watching.
• New Brunswick: Moose, black bears, deer, abundant birdlife. Fundy National Park offers coastal and forest habitats.
• Prince Edward Island: Seals, foxes, numerous shorebirds and waterfowl. PEI National Park protects important coastal ecosystems.

The vast and wild North offers unparalleled Arctic and subarctic wildlife experiences. Spot caribou, muskoxen, polar bears, grizzly bears, Dall’s sheep, Arctic foxes, wolves, and unique bird species.

• Yukon: Grizzly bears, caribou (Porcupine herd), Dall’s sheep, moose. Kluane National Park and Reserve.
• Northwest Territories: Wood bison (Wood Buffalo National Park), barren-ground caribou, grizzly bears, muskoxen, polar bears (Arctic coast). Nahanni National Park Reserve for Dall’s sheep.
• Nunavut: Polar bears (majority of world’s population), muskoxen, barren-ground caribou, Arctic foxes, walruses, beluga whales, narwhals. Aulavik National Park for muskoxen.