Today was our bear watching tour, booked for lunch time so Keith and I left the kids first thing to go and have another look for sea otters while the teenagers chilled. Around the other side of the peninsular we saw another sea lion mooching about off Tonquin beach and more excitingly a hairy woodpecker shouting its head off just above the tree line.
After a quick late breakfast we headed off to our tour. Funky red flotation suit applied and we were off! We saw two harbour seals from the pontoon before we even got on the boat which boded well. Then the first of many, many bald eagles perched on a dead tree on the water line. Next was a group of about 14 harbour seals pulled out and galumphing about. They weren’t worried about us but weren’t impressed by the bald eagle shouting overhead and a few galumphed back into the water. They did have a few pups which weren’t shiny and smooth but still had visible fluffy fur
We next travelled at pretty high speed across an inlet for about 20 minutes, pausing half way after Mila spotted a sea otter grooming itself at least half a mile from any land. I expected they would stay near land but apparently not- born, live, eat, mate and die in the water so land unnecessary. Derek told us it was an older one as it had a silver grey head. It carried on rolling around and grooming itself without really paying much attention to us. It did get a bit close accidentally and disappeared under the boat to pop up on the other side and carry on! A bucket list moment for me so I was very excited.
Next Derek wanted to find us a bear to see so he asked us to help spotting them along the shoreline. The tour was planned to coincide with low tide as then black bears come down to eat soft shelled crabs, shellfish and anything else they can forage. Seafood counts for about 15-20% of their diet on Vancouver Island. We had a lot of distance with no luck but then suddenly the Dutch/German tourist at the back of the boat shouted that he had seen one. His directions were rubbish (even in English!) but Derek found it and got us a bit closer. It was an adolescent black bear that went back above the tree line almost immediately. We hung around for a bit hoping but then Derek took us round and we started to head back.
The Dutch/German tourist struck again with another shout and we got an even better sight of an adult female flipping rocks right on the edge of the water and eating whatever was underneath. She kept looking at us so could clearly smell and hear us so we didn’t go too close but it was very cool. Derek radioed in to tell the other tour guides where to come and all the local boats descended on our location. Just behind us as we watched the bear was a harbour seals by itself nursing an injury on its neck which was bleeding. The rest of the herd/pod (Google says either) was on the far side of the island being sociable. Poor lonely seal.
Derek was worried we would be late back so we said goodbye to the bear and started motoring back. The boat was a lot of fun and we waved at multiple eagles and the same sea otter on the way back to Tofino.
Bear tour – 10/10 would recommend.