Wildlife Watching in Tofino: Whales, Bears, Otters and Puffins

The drive from Campbell River to Tofino takes about three and a half hours, but we made a few essential stops. First was Goats on the Roof for another round of doughnuts. If you are planning to eat at the marketplace (even just getting coffee), arrive before 11:45 as there is a massive lunch rush.

Next up was Cathedral Grove, where towering ancient trees dwarf the car park. Parking here was a bit of a nightmare, but it was worth stretching our legs among the giants.

From there, the road narrowed, steepened, and wound its way towards the coast.

We stayed at Wildpod, a cluster of geodesic domes right on the waterfront. Ours was the “Wood” pod. All pods are identical inside, with the difference being location. The experience reminded us of Ecocamp Patagonia, though “cool” was not the right word. In the afternoon the pod roasted, even at 16°C outside. The suggested fix was to leave the door open and use fans, which was not practical, so we avoided being inside after 1 p.m.

There was also a small round window up high with no shade, which made sleeping in tricky. Of all the pods, Rock is the best option, set farthest from the harbour and with its own fire pit. Wave and Sand come next, followed by Wood, Nest, and Leaf (in that order).

The main challenge was noise. The pods sit close to a small pier with constant boat and floatplane traffic, and people gathered on the rocky shore at night to party. Construction on an old restaurant nearby will only add to the noise once complete. That said, the location is hard to beat, walking distance to everything and we also had several otter sightings, plus belted kingfishers.

Our first pre-booked activity was a whale watching trip with West Coast Aquatic Safaris. The tour had been advertised as a covered boat, but when we arrived at the marina we were directed to the open top deck rather than the enclosed part downstairs. I would have dressed differently had I known we would be outside, and I was not thrilled about the upper deck given my tendency towards seasickness. Still, it was only a short tour, so I decided to make the best of it.

Andy and I took the outside seats in the front row up top. Shortly after leaving the harbour we saw other boats gathering, so we headed that way. Orca! Upstairs was crowded and rocky, so I moved downstairs to the back of the boat where only two other people were, giving access to both sides. For the first time, we saw an orca breach.

Next we spotted humpbacks cruising by, though without dramatic tail flukes or breaches they were less photo-worthy.

The last encounter was a grey whale, a lifer for us. Greys are easier to photograph because of their predictable cycle. This one followed a three-blow sequence with five minutes between surfacings, ending with a terminal dive and a show of its fluke. Three whale species in just two and a half hours felt incredible.

The second activity we booked in Tofino was a black bear watching trip with Tofino Whale Centre. This boat was cabin cruiser and also stayed in the protected and calm inlets of Clayoquot Sound. Departure times are tide-dependent; for us it meant a 7 a.m. start.

During this two and a half hour tour we saw five different bears, including a mother and cub, along with harbour seals and an eagle nest. The captain shared thoughtful commentary not only about the bears but also the salmon industry, including the surprising fact that Atlantic salmon are farmed in Pacific waters. The light was low and typically coastal, but we still managed a few “proof we saw a black bear” shots.

Back at the Whale Centre office I noticed a puffin sticker. Puffins in Tofino? Yes! It turns out that there are puffins at Cleland Island, though birding trips only run once a month. Our timing did not align, but the staff offered to “try” adding it to a whale trip the following day.

We were due to drive back to Nanaimo but decided to stay a few hours longer to join the tour. The same captain from the day before took us out, this time in a brand-new whaler-style boat rather than a zodiac. It was much better for photography: roomy, comfortable, and with only six passengers on board.

The first stop was the same grey whale we had seen earlier, nicknamed Lasso, who sticks to the same patch of water every day.

Nearby we found sea otters in perfect light, cracking shells with their rocks.

At Cleland Island, the surge made things tricky, but the captain spotted a tufted puffin within like two minutes. I couldn’t believe it. We circled the island looking for more, but the conditions were rough, and I started to feel queasy.

Fortunately, calmer waters soon followed, complete with huge rafts of otters. I could have watched them all day.

On the way back we stopped for a final treat: a bald eagle perched perfectly for photos.

Seeing a tufted puffin off Cleland Island reignited the idea of adding Newfoundland to the itinerary. All we needed was to sort out the flights, which meant continuing our search for a phone.

After years of laughing at Telstra phone booths scattered across Australia, I now wished Canada had them. They don’t. I thought about asking the whale office, but I could picture myself on hold for an hour and tying up their line. Even ChatGPT struck out, the municipal building had no phone, and our accommodation had no reception. The visitor centre, seven kilometres out of town, felt like a long shot, but we gave it a try.

They were fantastic. Without hesitation they handed me a cordless landline, and I embarrassingly had to ask how to dial. It had been years since I used one. WestJet could not change our flights to the exact date we wanted, unless we added a five day layover in Calgary. So we decided to let fate decide: if we could snag Qantas reward seats to Newfoundland, we would go, and tack a Rockies side trip onto the side quest.

After four days in Tofino, with whales, bears, otters, and even a tufted puffin, it was time to drive back to Nanaimo and continue the next stage of our Canadian adventure.