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Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, Vancouver Island
Photo: original work: Adam Jones, Ph.D. derivative work: Shaundd, CC BY-SA 3.0

National park · Canada

Pacific Rim National Park Wildlife Checklist

Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, on Vancouver Island's west coast between Tofino and Ucluelet, is best known for grey whales, sea otters and black bears feeding on the shore at low tide. This checklist covers 61 animals, from orcas and tufted puffins to tide-pool sea stars. Grey whales migrate past in March and April, and some stay to feed until autumn.

The park has three separate units: Long Beach, the Broken Group Islands in Barkley Sound, and the West Coast Trail. Most wildlife boats leave from Tofino, just north of the park, and head into Clayoquot Sound.

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The Pacific Rim checklist in the Wilder app, started as a trip with the first animals ticked
Animals to find
61
Where
Canada
Best time
Mar to Oct
Grey whale migration
Mar and Apr

Top animals to see around Tofino

  • Grey Whale, one of the animals to look for in Pacific Rim

    Grey Whale

    About 20,000 pass the coast on their spring migration north, peaking in March and April. A small group stays to feed in the bays near Tofino through the summer.

    Photo: Carlos Valenzuela, CC BY-SA 4.0

  • Sea Otter, one of the animals to look for in Pacific Rim

    Sea Otter

    Hunted out of British Columbia by the fur trade and reintroduced from Alaska around 1970, they now raft in the kelp beds of Clayoquot Sound. Look for them floating on their backs, cracking shellfish on their chests.

    Photo: Pacific Southwest Region USFWS from Sacramento, US, Public domain

  • Black Bear, one of the animals to look for in Pacific Rim

    Black Bear

    Boat tours from Tofino and Ucluelet watch bears flipping rocks for crabs along the shoreline at low tide, roughly April to October.

    Photo: Acroterion, CC BY-SA 4.0

  • Humpback Whale

    Common again offshore from spring to autumn. Whale-watching boats often find them on the same trip as grey whales.

  • Orca

    Bigg's orcas hunting seals and sea lions can turn up in any month, but sightings are irregular. A lucky bonus rather than something to plan around.

  • Bald Eagle

    Common all year on snags along the shore and around Tofino harbour, often in pairs.

  • Tufted Puffin

    A few nest on protected offshore islands where landing is banned. You need a boat trip in summer that keeps its distance, and some luck.

  • Grey Wolf

    Coastal wolves walk the beaches, mostly at dawn, and their tracks are far easier to find than the animals. Keep dogs leashed.

  • Ochre Sea Star

    Purple and orange stars cling to rocks at low tide. Try the tide pools at Chesterman Beach or along the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet. Look, but leave them on the rock.

All 61 animals to spot in Pacific Rim

Grouped the way you'll meet them. Tips show where to look.

Whales and sea mammals 8

Land mammals 7

Birds of prey 5

Seabirds 10

Shore and water birds 12

Forest birds 8

Amphibians 3

Fish 2

Tide pools 6

  • Last reviewed September 2026.
  • Sources are listed below the questions.
  • Wild animals only. Please give them space.

Best time to see wildlife in Pacific Rim

Spring and summer are the easy seasons. The grey whale migration peaks in March and April, when about 20,000 whales travel north past the coast, and the Pacific Rim Whale Festival runs in March. From May to October a smaller group of grey whales feeds close to shore, humpbacks are regular offshore, and bear-watching boats go out most days. Summer brings seabirds, rufous hummingbirds and calmer seas, though fog is common in July and August. Autumn is quieter: coho and chinook salmon run the rivers in September and October, and the first storms roll in. Winter is storm-watching season, with harlequin ducks, surf scoters and loons on the sea and few other visitors.

  • Mar-AprGrey whale migration and whale festival
  • May-JunFeeding grey whales, bears on the shore
  • Jul-AugHumpbacks, seabirds, busiest months
  • Sep-OctSalmon runs, bears, fewer people
  • Nov-FebStorms, sea ducks and loons

Tips for spotting wildlife in Pacific Rim

  1. Time it by the tide

    Check a tide table before you go. Bears forage and tide pools open up at low tide, so plan bear tours and beach walks around the lowest water of the day.

  2. Go out from Tofino

    Most whale, bear and sea otter trips leave Tofino for Clayoquot Sound. Smaller boats with a naturalist guide tend to spend longer with the animals.

  3. Walk Long Beach at dawn

    Early morning on Long Beach and Combers Beach gives the best chance of wolf tracks, eagles and shorebirds such as sanderlings and whimbrels, before the surfers arrive.

  4. Listen in the rainforest

    On the Rainforest Trail and the Schooner Cove Trail, listen for Pacific wrens and varied thrushes, and watch for rough-skinned newts on damp paths after rain.

  5. Keep your distance

    Parks Canada asks visitors to stay 100 m from bears and wolves and 30 m from other animals. Keep dogs on a leash and never leave food out at camp or on the beach.

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Pacific Rim wildlife FAQ

What wildlife can you see in Tofino?

Tofino is one of the best places in Canada to see grey whales, humpbacks, sea otters and black bears in a single trip. Boats from the harbour head into Clayoquot Sound and along the outer coast, where bald eagles, harbour seals and Steller sea lions are routine. On land, look for black-tailed deer, ravens and Steller's jays, and check the tide pools for sea stars and anemones.

When is whale watching season in Tofino?

Whale watching in Tofino runs from about March to October. March and April are the peak of the grey whale migration, marked by the Pacific Rim Whale Festival. From May to October a smaller group of grey whales stays to feed near shore and humpbacks are common offshore. Orcas can appear in any month, but they are never guaranteed.

Can you see bears in Pacific Rim National Park?

Yes, black bears live throughout the park and are most often seen along the shoreline at low tide in spring and summer. The safest and most reliable way to see them is from a bear-watching boat out of Tofino or Ucluelet. Grizzly bears are not resident on Vancouver Island, so any bear you see here is almost certainly a black bear.

Are there sea otters near Tofino?

Yes. Sea otters were wiped out in British Columbia by the fur trade and reintroduced from Alaska between 1969 and 1972. They have since spread along the west coast of Vancouver Island, and rafts are now seen in Clayoquot Sound on many wildlife tours. Don't confuse them with river otters, which run along beaches and docks and rarely float on their backs.

Is Tofino in Pacific Rim National Park?

No, Tofino is a town just north of the park's Long Beach unit, though most wildlife tours start there. The park reserve itself has three separate units: Long Beach between Tofino and Ucluelet, the Broken Group Islands in Barkley Sound, and the West Coast Trail. You need a Parks Canada pass to stop anywhere in the park.

Sources

Last reviewed September 2026

Photo credits

All photo credits. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, resized.

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