Best Wildlife Viewing Spots Across Canada

Canada's vast wilderness provides sanctuary for an incredible diversity of wildlife. From the Arctic tundra to coastal rainforests, prairie grasslands to mountain ranges, the country offers unparalleled opportunities to observe animals in their natural habitats. This guide highlights the best locations across Canada to view iconic wildlife species, along with practical information on when to visit and how to enjoy these experiences responsibly.

Northern Canada: Polar Bears and Arctic Wildlife

Churchill, Manitoba: The Polar Bear Capital

Churchill, located on the western shore of Hudson Bay, is world-renowned as the most accessible place to observe polar bears in the wild. Each autumn (October-November), hundreds of bears congregate near town as they wait for the bay to freeze, allowing them to hunt seals on the ice.

Best Viewing Experience: Take a specialized tundra buggy tour with experienced guides who can safely bring you close to these magnificent but dangerous predators. These elevated vehicles allow for safe, respectful viewing while protecting both visitors and wildlife.

Beyond Bears: Churchill offers more than just polar bears. In summer (June-August), thousands of beluga whales gather in the Churchill River estuary. Snorkeling and kayaking opportunities allow for remarkable close encounters with these curious, vocal marine mammals.

Nunavut: Arctic Wilderness

Canada's northernmost territory offers opportunities to see wildlife found nowhere else in the world. Nunavut's remote national parks protect vast wilderness areas where wildlife thrives undisturbed.

Sirmilik National Park: This "Place of Glaciers" on northern Baffin Island is home to narwhals, bowhead whales, and ringed seals in its waters, while Arctic foxes, wolves, and the distinctive Peary caribou roam the land. Visit in summer (July-August) when continuous daylight and relatively milder temperatures make wildlife viewing optimal.

Quttinirpaaq National Park: Canada's northernmost national park hosts muskoxen, Arctic wolves, and Arctic hares. Although extremely remote and accessible only by chartered aircraft, it offers the dedicated wildlife enthusiast a true wilderness experience.

Western Canada: Mountains and Coastal Wildlife

Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia: Spirit Bears

The Great Bear Rainforest stretches along British Columbia's central and northern coast, encompassing 6.4 million hectares of temperate rainforest. This remote region is home to the rare spirit bear (or Kermode bear), a subspecies of black bear with a unique genetic mutation that gives some individuals a cream-colored coat.

Best Viewing Experience: Visit in September or early October when bears gather along coastal streams to feed on spawning salmon. Small-group ecotours led by expert guides, often in partnership with local First Nations communities, offer the best chances of spotting these elusive animals.

Beyond Spirit Bears: The Great Bear Rainforest also hosts grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, bald eagles, and coastal wolves. The seas teem with orcas, humpback whales, sea lions, and otters.

Banff and Jasper National Parks, Alberta: Mountain Wildlife

Canada's most famous national parks in the Rocky Mountains offer excellent opportunities to view large mammals against spectacular mountain backdrops.

Iconic Species: Both parks support healthy populations of elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, black bears, and grizzly bears. More elusive residents include wolves, cougars, and wolverines.

Best Viewing Times and Locations:

• The Bow Valley Parkway in Banff is excellent for wildlife viewing, especially at dawn or dusk
• Maligne Lake Road in Jasper often yields sightings of bears, elk, and sometimes moose
• Spring (May-June) brings many animals to lower elevations as snow melts
• Early fall (September) coincides with the elk rut, when males bugle and compete for females

Safety Note: Always maintain a safe distance from wildlife (at least 30 meters/100 feet from large mammals, and 100 meters/330 feet from bears). Use binoculars or telephoto lenses to observe animals without disturbing them.

Eastern Canada: Forests and Marine Wildlife

Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario: Moose and Wolves

Just a few hours north of Toronto, Algonquin Provincial Park offers accessible wildlife viewing in a quintessential Canadian wilderness setting of forests and lakes.

Moose Viewing: May to June is prime moose-watching season when these magnificent animals frequent roadside ditches and wetlands to feed on aquatic plants and escape biting insects. The Highway 60 corridor through the park provides multiple viewing opportunities.

Wolf Howling: The park is famous for its public wolf howling sessions in August, where naturalists attempt to elicit howling responses from wild wolf packs. These events only run when wolves are known to be near public access points.

Bird Watching: Over 270 bird species have been recorded in the park, with spring and fall migrations bringing warblers, thrushes, and waterfowl in impressive numbers.

Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick/Nova Scotia: Marine Life

The Bay of Fundy, famous for having the highest tides in the world, is also one of the best places in Eastern Canada to observe marine mammals and coastal birds.

Whale Watching: From June to October, the nutrient-rich waters attract numerous whale species, including humpbacks, finbacks, minkes, and the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Boat tours operate from both the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia shores.

Bird Islands: The Bay's islands host significant seabird colonies. Machias Seal Island provides one of the few places in North America to observe Atlantic puffins up close during their breeding season (June-July).

Central Canada: Plains and Prairie Wildlife

Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan: Prairie Specialists

This park preserves one of the last remaining areas of undisturbed mixed-grass prairie in North America, providing habitat for unique grassland species.

Bison Viewing: A herd of plains bison has been reintroduced to the park's West Block, where they roam freely across the prairie. Dawn and dusk provide the best viewing opportunities as the animals are most active.

Prairie Dogs and Burrowing Owls: The park contains Canada's only black-tailed prairie dog colonies, which create "towns" of interconnected burrows. These colonies sometimes host burrowing owls, an endangered species that nests in abandoned prairie dog burrows.

Night Sky Viewing: Designated as a Dark Sky Preserve, the park offers exceptional stargazing opportunities. After dark, you might spot nocturnal wildlife such as swift foxes, kangaroo rats, and various owl species.

Seasonal Wildlife Spectacles

Salmon Runs of the Pacific Coast

One of nature's most dramatic events occurs each fall when millions of Pacific salmon return to British Columbia's rivers to spawn. This natural phenomenon creates feeding opportunities for bears, eagles, and other wildlife.

Top Viewing Locations:

• Adams River (near Kamloops, BC) – Every four years (next in 2026), millions of sockeye salmon create a "dominant run" in October, turning the river red
• Goldstream Provincial Park (near Victoria, BC) – Offers accessible viewing of chum and coho salmon runs from October to December
• Campbell River (Vancouver Island) – Known as the "Salmon Capital of the World," with strong runs from August through November

Bird Migrations

Canada's position along major migratory flyways makes it an exceptional destination for witnessing bird migrations.

Notable Migration Hotspots:

• Point Pelee National Park, Ontario – During spring migration (May), this peninsula jutting into Lake Erie becomes a concentration point for hundreds of bird species, including colorful warblers
• Boundary Bay, British Columbia – Winter brings thousands of snow geese, dunlins, and other shorebirds
• Mary's Point, New Brunswick – In late July and August, hundreds of thousands of semipalmated sandpipers gather to feed on mudflats before their non-stop flight to South America

Responsible Wildlife Viewing

Ethics and Safety

Observing wild animals in their natural habitats is a privilege that comes with responsibilities. Follow these guidelines to ensure both your safety and the well-being of wildlife:

• Keep your distance – Use binoculars and telephoto lenses rather than approaching animals
• Never feed wildlife – Human food is unhealthy for wild animals and creates dangerous dependencies
• Be aware of seasonal sensitivities – Avoid disturbing animals during breeding, nesting, or when raising young
• Learn to recognize signs of stress – If an animal changes its behavior because of your presence, you're too close
• Stay on designated trails – This minimizes habitat disturbance
• In bear country, carry bear spray and make noise while hiking to avoid surprise encounters

Supporting Conservation

Many wildlife viewing opportunities in Canada are made possible by conservation efforts. Consider supporting these initiatives by:

• Choosing tour operators with strong environmental ethics and those that contribute to conservation
• Reporting wildlife sightings to citizen science projects like iNaturalist Canada
• Learning about and supporting species recovery programs for endangered wildlife
• Respecting special rules and closures designed to protect sensitive species