Great Bear Rainforest
🇨🇦 Canada
🐻 Witness the Rare White Spirit BearThe Great Bear Rainforest is a vast coastal wilderness stretching along the Pacific edge of British Columbia, featuring steep mountains, dense temperate rainforests, and winding fjords. Moss-draped trails weave through towering ancient cedars and spruce trees down to cold ocean waters.
53.272° N 130.668° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
★ 
Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
★ 
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
★ 
Killer Whale
Orcinus orca
📊 Most Spotted
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Common Raven
Corvus corax
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Western Toad
Anaxyrus boreas
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Poecile rufescens
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
⭐ Iconic Species
★ American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
★ Brown Bear
Ursus arctos
★ Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
★ Killer Whale
Orcinus orca
📊 Most Spotted
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Harbor Seal
Phoca vitulina
American Red Squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Sea Otter
Enhydra lutris
Northern Sea Lion
Eumetopias jubatus
Northern River Otter
Lontra canadensis
Moose
Alces americanus
American Beaver
Castor canadensis
Dall's Porpoise
Phocoenoides dalli
Elk (wapiti)
Cervus canadensis
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Gray Wolf
Canis lupus
📊 Most Spotted
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Common Raven
Corvus corax
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Poecile rufescens
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Pacific Wren
Troglodytes pacificus
📊 Most Spotted
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Northwestern Garter Snake
Thamnophis ordinoides
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
Thamnophis elegans
Northern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria coerulea
Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Caretta caretta
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Dermochelys coriacea
Common Wall Lizard
Podarcis muralis
Brown Anole
Anolis sagrei
Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta
📊 Most Spotted
Western Toad
Anaxyrus boreas
Pacific chorus frog
Pseudacris regilla
Northern Red-legged Frog
Rana aurora
Rough-skinned Newt
Taricha granulosa
Northwestern Salamander
Ambystoma gracile
Columbia Spotted Frog
Rana luteiventris
Long-toed Salamander
Ambystoma macrodactylum
Wandering Salamander
Aneides vagrans
Western Red-backed Salamander
Plethodon vehiculum
Wood Frog
Lithobates sylvaticus
Coastal Tailed Frog
Ascaphus truei
Ensatina
Ensatina eschscholtzii
Recent sightings in Great Bear Rainforest
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Salmon Run and Bear Emergence
Bears emerge from hibernation and frequent the lower estuaries and shorelines to feed on early seasonal growth and spawning fish.
3Autumn Salmon Spawning
Millions of Pacific salmon return to the rainforest rivers, drawing high concentrations of coastal brown and black bears to riverbanks for the annual feast.
2Summer Marine Mammal Gathering
Calm summer conditions bring peak activity for marine life, where humpback whales, killer whales, and harbor seals converge in the fjords to feed on dense schools of fish.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Salmon Run and Bear Emergence
- 2Summer Marine Mammal Gathering
- 3Autumn Salmon Spawning
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
After visiting Canoona Falls, where we saw Harbor Seals and a Bald Eagle feeding on salmon, we entered Khutze Inlet for our first zodiac bear viewing.
In addition, we encountered humpback whales and orcas in the channels, sea lions, sea otters, river otters, and many different species of birdlife particular to the Pacific side of North America.
While we didn’t see any Spirit Bears, we were rewarded with views of black bears, including two incredible, relatively close encounters with a large, very well-fed, female black bear who was hunting for salmon at a beautiful waterfall.
Though we saw many grizzly bears, photographing them successfully proved difficult.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Great Bear Rainforest?
The most likely sightings are American Crow (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Bald Eagle (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Common Raven (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), American Robin (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Song Sparrow (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 653 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Great Bear Rainforest for wildlife?
April has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see American Black Bear in Great Bear Rainforest?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a American Black Bear sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 786 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Brown Bear in Great Bear Rainforest?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Bear sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 283 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Humpback Whale in Great Bear Rainforest?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Humpback Whale sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 698 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Killer Whale in Great Bear Rainforest?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Killer Whale sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 396 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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