Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours

I took part in a Grizzly tour in September and it was one of the most impressive experiences in my life.i: mote!

We had a fantastic time on our Great Bears of Bute tour. We saw several grizzlies, a black bear, eagles, sea lions and even some whales on the way back to Campbell River.

Janet was a fantastic guide on the boat, aided by captain Jeff, teaching us all about the culture whilst pointing out animals all the way. On arrival at the Bute inlet, Jared and Gary were also excellent in searching out the animals and teaching us further.

An excellent experience from start to finish.

Our tour guides Stewert and Jared were very knowledgeable and friendly and clearly care deeply about what they do. We were blessed with some truly fantastic bear sightings!

We had a great time on our grizzly bear tour! The weather was amazing and the water was like glass going up to Bute Inlet.our lunch was good and we were happy to use re-usable containers instead of one-use plastics. Our guide and captain of the boat were friendly and knowledgeable. Everything was clean and everyone shared in the enthusiasm and excitement of seeing whales going there, and coming back. Once at our destination, the bus crew were helpful and gave pertinent information. Though it was no fault of Homalco Tours, we had hoped to see more bears than the 4 we saw, and some cubs! It was a reality check that the pictures are often done with cameras with much more capacity than our phone cameras! The only recommendation we have from our group of 5, was that a speaker system was needed on the bus! We missed some of the stories and history, which was a shame! Thank you for the lovely memory!

Our afternoon was awesome with Al and Cassey. Lots of whale sightings beautiful scenery and very interesting stories, Thankyou so much

It was an unforgettable time in an impressive landscape. Eagles, whales, seals, Deer, black bear and much more. Homalco Wildlife & Cultural tours is authentic, you can feel the respect for nature and the environment. Thanks to Rosella, Julia and Al, our skipper.
It's not to be missed when in Campbell River.
Clear recommendation.

Ron and Cassie were absolutely perfect as captain and naturalist. My ten year old daughter and I went on the people/water/land tour and were educated, allowed to ask questions, and entertained. I’ve been on several wildlife tours but this was by far the best experience I’ve had. Boat and “facilities” were clean, well experienced captain and the naturalist was dripping with information in a fun and engaging way. I would recommend having Frank/honest first people history conversations with your kids before you go (which I have.) Discussions about European colonization and resultant trauma and attempted cultural genocide are likely to be discussed as it is relevant to the Homalco People (and other First Nations) ; also and more importantly to recognize and discuss with your kids (if they/you aren’t First People) the fortitude and resiliency as their communities work hard at reconstruction/reclamation of their culture, history, and language under their own management.

We enjoyed this tour so much! Ron and Cassie did an excellent job of finding and teaching us about the whales in the area - we saw several humpbacks and orcas! The cultural teachings and personal experiences that were shared with the tour have made a strong impression on all of us since visiting the village site last week. This is such a beautiful area. They also took great care of us and were so pleasant to chat with for the day. Thanks again for a great day - we will be back!

What a wonderful tour! Guides were extremely knowledgeable and we lucked out with phenomenal weather. We were also able to see a humpback whale breach the water and the guides talked us through safe viewing distance to respect the wildlife, a bit of biology and background on the animals, and how they contribute to research efforts on different species. We then got to explore the traditional lands of the Homalco peoples and talk about some of the history surrounding colonization and how the Nation is working hard to preserve their culture, stories, practices, and lands. Just overall an incredible experience!

This is an amazing tour and experience. I feel very blessed to have found it. The value added to my life is priceless. Thank you so much.

We did the Grizzly Bear Tour to Bute Inlet in celebration of my father's 60th birthday. Everyone had such a great time - it will certainly be a highlight for years to come! The guides were all wonderful, especially the on board naturalist, Mari; knowledgeable, friendly and courteous. Lunch was delicious, and the hot chocolate or coffee a nice treat in the morning. We booked at the end of the season expecting to see 1 or 2 bears and ended up see 10 or 11 different ones including mamas with cubs! We also had a bonus whale watching experience when a pair of humpbacks surfaced on our route. It was so neat watching these majestic creatures. I also enjoyed the bird watching and seeing salmon spawning in the crystal clear waters below the viewing towers. What beautiful scenery. I am thankful to the Homalco people for sharing this special place with us!

This was an awesome trip! A premium venue complimented by quality equipment (boat). We’ve been on a lot of bear viewing trips in British Columbia and this was by far the most immersive and rewarding. This is the epitome of North American Bear viewing. The Orford River is an incredible backdrop for watching bears be bears. The beautiful ride in and out of Bute Inlet was just a bonus! Janet and Al provided the right mix of culture, knowledge and human connection. We would highly recommend this trip!

Had a fantastic experience with the Homalco Wildlife Tour. All the staff that we interacted with were friendly and welcoming. The boat tour up to Orford Bay was comfortable and exciting on the landing-craft boats, and provided a perfect platform for taking in the stunning scenery in Bute Inlet. We saw humpback whales on the journey up to Orford Bay. The cultural center at Orford is very informative and well worth spending time in.
Many thanks to the Homalco people!

On October 14th 2022, I had the good fortune to partake in my 2nd Great Bears of Bute tour with Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours. I was blown away by the tour I experienced in 2021 and didn't think anything could top it but I was so so wrong! My friend from Ontario and I saw so many bears (with cubs this time!), orca, sea lions, and whales. I didn't know where to look! And having Janet share her and Captain Flavian's culture made the experience so much deeper and more meaningful for me than "just" seeing the wildlife. I definitely recommend this tour and will probably be inviting all of my house guests in years to come to enjoy a Homalco tour with me!

Deb

Initially we were booked with another tour company who cancelled the trip due to numbers and being late in the season and I'm so GLAD they did.

Our day started with pods of orcas popping up around the boat on the river before the safety briefing had even finished, after watching them for a bit we continued on to the grizzlies and were treated to the highest number of bears seen on a tour to date, we saw 28 bears in total along with eagles, sea lions, humpbacks and some of the most breathtaking scenery I have ever been blessed to witness.

The guides were all superb and well knowledged on the ecosystem and history's of the area. It will be a day that lives with me forever and stories I will one day tell my children and one day their children about the day we saw the bears of Bute.

Thank you for an amazing trip

Simply put, if you want to see grizzly bears this is the company to come with. The Bute Inlet is part of the traditional territory of the Homalco people and their knowledge and love of this spectacular place is shared with you. Being close to the the grizzly bears catching salmon is the most incredible experience I have had since emigrating to Canada 30 years ago. This was our second tour, both times bringing friends from the UK who were simply awestruck. Being able to do this as a day trip out of Campbell River is amazing—other bear watching trips take several days and cost thousands of dollars. Living on the BC coast we are surrounded by wonderful nature but this is something beyond. We felt safe, comfortable and privileged to witness this incredible spectacle guided by lovely, knowledgeable people. We saw a total of 8 bears including 2 mothers with cubs.
And did I mention the elk and the 2 pods of Biggs orca who were by the dock when we were dropped off?

30 seconds off the boat and right away we saw a grizzly! We saw 8 grizzlies in all, including one that popped out of the forest right behind us. SO EXCITING! The guides were knowledgeable and friendly, and the boat is state of the art and so comfortable whether inside or out. It was really meaningful to learn about the Homalco First Nation and their traditional land. After being on three different bear tours, this one was hands-down our very favorite!

We had the most amazing day. We say humpback whales, sea lions, eagles but most importantly, bears! I was amazed about how many and how close we could observe them in their natural environment. We were so lucky and would absolutely recommended this tour to anyone.

We had the pleasure of going on the Butte bear watching tour on the 5th of October 2022.

From the moment we were greeted in the office until we returned to shore it was like being a member of your Family.

Not only did we see at least 16 bears! But we also saw humpback whales, eagles, seals and plenty of seagulls. (can't forget the sea gulls!)

All of the tour guides were knowledgeable and we enjoyed hearing about the culture.

Thank you!

Randy & Gloria

Went out for the Orford River grizzly tour. Saw 19 bears in 2-3 hours. Saw humpbacks on the ride back. Tour guides were amazing and hilarious. Can’t wait to go back

We had a wonderful day with Janet and Ron. Our visit to see the Grizzly Bears on Stuart Island was very memorable and most enjoyable. Their experience and knowledge made them excellent guides. Booking a tour through a First Nation company not only supported a local business but gave us an extra insight and enhanced the experience of the day.
We had booked a second day with them to go Whale watching but this was cancelled, the company were most professional, asked us what we wanted to do. Once we described the day we had in mind they arranged for a competing company to take us out on a Rib Safari and we did indeed see 7 whales. The Whale watching companies appear to work together to give all visitors to Campbell River, who want to see the whales, the best experience possible.
We would thoroughly recommend Homalco Tours.

What a wonderful experience I had with Homalco Wildlife tour yesterday. A very pleasant boat ride to Bute inlet on a very clean vessel skippers by Falvian. Our stops on land to the viewing points were incredible. Our guide Janet made sure it was safe for us to step out of the bus to view the Grizzlies, it was just awesome. The whole day was outstanding, we saw grizzlies, humpback whales, orcas dolphins sea lions eagles as well as the outstanding beauty of the landscape. Our guide, Janet, was exceptionally knowledgeable about the wildlife and the history of the Homalco people. Flavian also shared his experience growing up there at Church hall. Well worth every penny.trip of a lifetime. Thank you.

Janet, Al and Calvin…it was an honour to learn from these guides about the Homalco people as well as seeing amazing sites of Grizzly bears in the wild

Memories to last a life time! Highly informative, fun, breathtaking. The guides are very professional and highly knowledgeable. The boat is very comfortable and great for all ages. You don't want to miss these tours.

The highlight of our trip to BC a couple of weeks ago was without a doubt the excursion we were fortunate to be on with the staff at the Homalco Wildlife and Cultural Center. Thanks to our knowledgeable guide Calvin and quiet but wise driver Gary, we have memories, legends and photos of grizzly bears to last us a lifetime.

We did a Grizzly Bear tour with Homalco and it was fantastic. Great guides and boat captain. We would definitely do this again!

Wonderful experience! Our captain and guide were very knowledgeable. Lots of wildlife. New, covered vessel was great to keep dry during the rain. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone travelling to Campbell River!

Wonderful cultural and wildlife boat cruise.
Capitan Dave and cultural guide Cassie were very welcoming. Cassie shared traditional myths and stories and gave lessons on her traditional language.
We saw sea lions, seals, whales.
Highly recommend this very interesting and enlightening adventure.

Came on a Grizzly tour with Big Animal Encounters. We had Tony as our tour guide - he was fantastic! He shared lots of information about the bears and it was so cool to hear some of the stories passed to him as a child. He was very pro-active about bear safety and made sure everyone knew what was going on at all times. We saw three bears total, two of them less than 30 ft away, and felt safe the entire time. My family loved the experience and we will come back soon!

Damien, Kelsey and Kassey (may have misspelled) were amazing. Damien, the boat captain, had an answer to all our sea and marine wildlife related questions and volunteered very interesting bits of knowledge of conservation and behavior or animals encountered (Humpback wales and Seals). He did an excellent job at explaining the responsibility of approaching tourism for an environmentally conscious ethical perspective. Kassey spoke his native language and taught us how to pronounce words and told gripping stories of the Homalco People's legends. She was also very kindly accommodating and hospitable in her approach. Kelsey was very calm and confident during the nature walk and made funny jokes along the way in addition to teaching us how to make cedar bark bracelets. All in all I think the crew did the best they could and I genuinely thank them for their effort and professionalism.
Now, I need to add this to help future clients perhapd get a better understanding of the tour, especially if said clients share certain qualities like myself. This tour is not a very active one. While the nature is spectacular and the stories are riveting, there is quite a bit of idle time to take in nature. If you're the type to get your fill quickly, you might find yourself bored at times between events. The nature walk a short stroll and not physically demanding, if you're hoping for exertion this is not what you're getting. If you are overall an impatient person you need to either adjust your expectations or pick the Grizzly tour, because it's not very likely to see bears during the walk section of the trip. The boat ride is 4 hours long or more so make sure to dress warmly. All in all I thought it was a very memorable experience and cannot wait to do the Grizzly tour next season!

Wow where do I begin? If you are looking for the experience of a lifetime I highly suggest booking a tour with Homalco Wildlife & Cultural tours. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Exploring the channels and currents of the west coast was magical with this crew. Kelcey, Damian and Cassie were incredibly well versed in the history of the Homalco people and the orford river. All three were extremely professional and I learned alot from them. The wildlife was breathtaking. I was completely immersed in culture and the beauty of the outdoors. I even bought the book that Kelcey suggested when I got home! (high slack by Judith Williams). I cannot recommend this crew enough. One of the best tours I've ever been on in my life. I would go on one of their grizzly bear tours in a heartbeat!

I saw orcas, bears, eagles, ravens, seals, sea lions and more but I still would be amazed if I only got to see the incredible landscapes on the tour. Fantastic tour guides, fantastic views, I loved it!

People Water Land- Indigenous Cultural and Wildlife Tour

This was an absolutely incredible experience. I have lived on the coast all my life and always enjoy learning more about this beautiful place.

Our guides shared their culture and the stories that have been passed down and told through many generations. They also included personal experiences to make the places we were seeing come alive. Their passion makes the tour second to none. Janet, one of our guides, also sang in her language for us. Her voice was amazing and hearing it while viewing an old village site, sent shivers down my spine.

Orford Bay and Bute Inlet are breathtaking! We enjoyed our delicious lunch sitting on the dock in Orford Bay, before heading into the forest to learn more about the Homalco way of life and their connection to the land, sea and wildlife.

We were lucky enough to see a grizzly bear, eagles, squirrels, kingfisher, humpbacks, orcas, porpoises, seals and sea lions!

This tour was everything I hoped it would be and would highly recommend it to everyone!

Wow! What an awesome and incredible experience! Very professional and knowledgeable tour guides. This was by far the best whale watching experience I've ever had!

We had the best experience celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary
Saw 3 whales learned so much from our friendly guides who kept us hydrated during our whole trip. (39c) comfortable on the water though. We saw so many things, sea lions, harbor porpoises, eagles etc.the beauty of nature surrounding us was incredible. Learning about the culture of the area was so interesting

We had a wonderful half day tour - great views of the islands off Campbell River, several whales seen. They had water and snacks for us too.

We had a fantastic day out on the water with Homalco Tours, with their 'WHALES, WILDLIFE AND CULTURE' tour. The staff were all very knowledgeable, courteous and friendly. We were able to see several Humpback Whales (from a safe distance) and learn about the area surrounding Campbell River and Quadra Island. Thanks again for the great day!

We booked a Grizzly tour via Campbell River Whale Watching who sails up to the Bute Inlet to the Homalco First Nation. Our fantastic Homalco-guides lead us to at least 12 Grizzly sightings including two very close encounters on the ground! One bear was less than 5 meters from us and yet our guides Tony (Anthony) and? (sorry, I forgot his name!) calmly and impressively guided the bear away from us. What a great job by them and what an amazing experience! Highly recommended!

They didn't even mention that I'd get to see whales on the way to the bears! Saw sea lions, seals, eagles, and cranes close up too! So many bears in such a short distance. A momma grizzly even crossed the path in front of us but the staff are friendly and knowledgeable, I felt so safe with them. Learning about Homalco culture along the way is what made this tour interesting. It was an exhilarating day and I'd recommend it to anyone.