Great Bear Rainforest Zodiac Tour
This tour is currently not available for the 2022 season. Please check out our Grizzly Bears of The Wild tour.
Trips depart Friday to Monday at 7:30am. If you’d like to speak with us directly call the office or leave a message, we will get back to you.
Need to see whales too? Don’t worry we view them on this tour as well!
Discover British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest and the grizzly bears that call the world’s largest temperate rainforest home. Our boat-based tour is an immersive wildlife viewing and Indigenous cultural experience.
What will we see?
Our boat-based Great Bear Rainforest Zodiac Tours on the inlets of BC’s Great Bear Rainforest lets guests reconnect with nature and learn about First Nations culture in an all-in-one experience that combines respectful wildlife viewing with a sustainable eco-tour through the supernatural scenery of northern Vancouver Island and coastal mainland BC. Viewing bears and other wildlife from the safety of our boat gives our guests peace-of-mind when taking this tour with their children. We provide binoculars for each person in the boat, so you feel up close and personal to all the wildlife we see both on land and sea, but always from a safe distance.
Where do we go?
This eight to nine-hour tour leaves from Port McNeill at 7:30 am. Travelling from the docks we head to Glendale Cove in the Southern portion of the Great Bear Rainforest. Our local, Indigenous guides are extremely knowledgeable of this area, its history, and culture and will share stories about points of interest along the way. A continental breakfast and lunch are provided by Cluxewe Waterfront Bistro as well as snacks and refreshments throughout the day.
Keep an eye out for migrating orcas while you listen to your guide’s Aboriginal interpretation of local landscapes, as mighty eagles soar overhead the shell-strewn beaches, where ancient villages were once occupied by our people. Grizzlies forage along the shoreline in the Glendale Cove area and during this time we explore the Kwakwaka‘wakw Nation’s beautiful coastline by boat. Viewing grizzlies from the boat is a safe way to experience the wonder of the wildlife while the bears forage for food in their natural habitat. After lunch, catered by Cluxewe Waterfront Bistro, our traditionally trained guides chart us past old village sites, the birthplace of our ancestors, in the Broughton Archipelago. There we share stories about the historic and cultural significance of our existence and occupation of the area. This truly unforgettable wildlife experience ends in the Broughton Archipelago and Queen Charlotte Strait, where we often encounter the gentle giants of the Pacific: migrating humpback whales.
What kind of boat will we travel on?
Safety and reliability are our highest priority for you and your family. Our vessel, a Zodiac Hurricane 630, is an ex-Coast Guard boat that provides a comfortable and extremely safe ride throughout the day. This uncovered vessel takes a maximum of seven guests on authentic adventures through the natural habitat of Western Canada’s grizzly bears. Although there’s no washroom on board, we make plenty of pit stops for bathroom breaks!
You and your family are outfitted with floater survival suits, which keep you warm all day long. All our guides are certified with all the applicable Coast Guard certifications and first aid. Learn more about our vessels.
That’s a Wrap ~ 2025 Lodge Season
Today we set out on our final journey of our inaugural season; a day filled with reflection, gratitude, and quiet joy. Each trip is more than a tour; it is a chance to witness the living heartbeat of our homelands; whales breaking the surface, grizzlies at the river, eagles soaring above the rainforest. To share these moments is a gift, and to end the season feels both bittersweet and humbling.
This year carried a new depth through our partnership with Sointula Lodge; together we created an experience where guests could not only see our territory but feel it. Out on the water, awe and wonder; back at the lodge, comfort and warmth. The rooms offered rest, the meals became memories, and the stories shared around the table carried the spirit of connection. The feedback we received was heartfelt, with guests telling us they felt seen, welcomed, and cared for; to us, that is the greatest measure of success.
We will carry with us the moments of laughter, the tears of joy, the quiet silences in the presence of wildlife, and the deep pride of sharing who we are as Musg̱a̱makw Dzawada̱`enux̱w and Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw people.
To our guests, our partners, and our crew; gilakas’la, thank you. You are now part of our story, and it is your support that allows us to continue walking with respect and responsibility for this land and these waters. This is Reconciliation in motion.
That is the close of our 2025 Lodge Experience; a season filled with travel~truth~beauty, and connection. #traveltruthbeauty #sointulalodge #seawolfadventures 📸 @kkufaas and @westcoastlife
The Great Bear Rainforest can be very rainforesty:) #rain #rainforests #seawolfadventures #traveltruthbeauty
Do we need to say anything more?! #seawolfadventures #traveltruthbeauty #swa #gonorthisland #explorebc #indigenousbc #explorecanada #whales #bbcwildlifepotd @sointulalodge @seawolfadventures
Gentle giants of the sea; no matter how many times we encounter them, the experience never loses its magic! #seawolfadventures #traveltruthbeauty #humpbackwhales #gwayam #gentlegiants #indigenousbc
What a whale day in the inlet today! #seawolfadventures #traveltruthbeauty #whales #tidriptours #backlitphotography
Grizzly bear viewing at heart! Safariing for these beings is what we do; and what we do is who we are!
T̕łuba̱kwila video found on my iPhone:) Nothing is better than traditional style bbq salmon! #salmon #salmonislife #traditionalstyle
What does luxury mean to you?
For some, it is a five-star lodge. For us, it is the opportunity to access our own territories; to welcome you into the rivers, estuaries, and forests that have sustained our people for generations. Luxury is not about volume; it is about time, space, and connection: with wildlife, with wilderness, and with Kwakwaka’wakw culture.
This September, Sea Wolf Adventures launches its inaugural all inclusive lodge season. Premium accommodations at @sointulalodge; rare wildlife encounters; and the privilege of experiencing our territories in an intimate way.
Do you need a last minute booking? Now is your chance to be part of our inaugural season! Click the link the bio for more details! Give our Lodge number a call! #traveltruthbeauty #seawolfadventures #indigenousbc #gonorthisland #explorebc #explorecanada
Little ones of the Great Bear Rainforest; learning the land that raised their ancestors.
Hatsawi are here, happy and playful! They have their babies in our territory, which makes it very special! #seawolfadventures #traveltruthbeauty #dolphins
Motherhood! Where would we be without the mother grizzlies? Shot with my RED Gemini. #shotonred #redgemini #traveltruthbeauty #canonlens #r3d music by @garrettwilliemusic
Today was the most amazing day! #seawolfadventures #traveltruthbeauty #heal #healingjourney
