The 9 best places to see Canada's stunning wildlife

Canada is a land of staggering mountains and some of the lushest, greenest forests in the world. Such natural spectacle means that Canada is prime wildlife-watching territory, with large game to rival an African safari, making Canada a must-visit holiday destination for anyone who loves the great outdoors and its wild residents.

We're all familiar with the 'Big Five' animals on a safari, but if you're planning a holiday to see wildlife in its natural habitat don't overlook the huge variety you can see in Canada. The forests rustle with moose, elk, wolves, rare wild cats and three species of bear (polar, grizzly and black). From gentle giants to stealthy apex predators, there's no shortage of stunning sights to see on a trip to Canada. And the wildlife isn't just on land – marine life thrives off both the west and east coasts, from enormous whales to tiny seal pups, and twice a year the skies fill with migrating birds.

This is the ultimate naturalist’s holiday, so if you’re looking to indulge your passion on holiday, let us guide you through the best national parks, towns and forests to see wildlife on holiday in Canada…

Cape Breton Highlands Park, Nova Scotia

Wildlife you might see:

• snowshoe hares
• Canada lynxes
• woodland caribous
• bald eagles
• harbour seals
• pilot whales 

Make the same voyage as the first Scottish settlers did all those years ago, with a trip to the wild frontier of Nova Scotia. You may well believe you’re in a distant section of Scotland, such is the stark beauty of this mountainous landscape – not to mention the local Gaelic words still heard in the taverns! Be sure to visit the Cape Breton Highlands in search of the shy snowshoe hare, the endangered Canada lynx, and waterborne mammals such as harbour seals and pilot whales along the coast nearby. The local seafood is worth a mention too – don’t go home without tasting a fresh lobster or two.

Banff National Park, Alberta

Wildlife you might see:

• grizzly bears
• black bears
• elks
• ospreys
• bighorn sheep
• wolves

Snow-topped, soaring peaks look down into glassy lakes banked by vivid green hillsides, in this stunning national reserve in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Whether you visit in the spring to see the meadows bloom around Lake Louise, or wrap up for a winter tour into the wilderness in search of the iconic grizzly bear, Banff won’t fail to enchant anyone with a penchant for the outdoors. Explore by bike, kayak or on foot for a real taste of Canadian adventure.

Churchill, Manitoba, is one of the best places in the world to see polar bears

Churchill, Manitoba

Wildlife you might see:

• polar bears
• beluga whales
• arctic foxes
• moose

If you thought you’d have to travel all the way to the North Pole to see a polar bear, you might be surprised by the lesser-known wildlife destination of Churchill. Enclosed in the circle of Hudson Bay on the northeast coast of Canada, buggy tours here allow rare access to these magnificent animals in all seasons, although their annual migration during October and November is one to mark in your diary. Visiting earlier in the year? As an added bonus you will have a great chance of witnessing the Aurora Borealis in the skies above Canada between January and March.

Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario

Wildlife you might see:

• moose
• beavers
• wolves
• black bears
• white-tailed deer
• red squirrels

Nothing embodies the call of the wild quite so much as a wolf’s howl, and during August you can join in with regular public ‘howlings’ at this beautiful conservation park in Ontario. Yes, you will be asked to howl! Listen out, and you might be rewarded with an answer from the native pack. Besides these exciting expeditions, you can enjoy a spot of moose-watching in Algonquin, fish for local trout, or simply come to watch the leaves glow gold and red in autumn.

St Lawrence, Quebec

Wildlife you might see:

• Atlantic puffins
• woodpeckers
• humpback whales
• beluga whales
• blue whales

Bird-watchers take note: the elegant, French-speaking province of Quebec is the place to see migrating birds in their thousands every spring and autumn. Arrive at the Gulf of St Lawrence in time for October and you’ll see great flocks of snow geese pausing for a breather before heading north for winter. The charming riverside city of Montmagny even hosts a Snow Goose Festival every year to celebrate. Look out for different feathered species around the estuary, including the comical Atlantic puffin. A good way to explore all of the natural attractions here is to take a cruise along the St Lawrence River, passing by dizzying waterfalls towards the colonial turrets of Quebec City.

St Lawrence also include excellent whale watching, with beluga, humpback and even the mighty blue whales all seen in the area. The whale watching season runs from May to September.

Labrador

Wildlife you might see:

• caribous
• arctic foxes
• wolves
• black bears
• beaver
• lynxes
• arctic hares 

Head to the northernmost part of the Newfoundland and Labrador province and discover snowy tundra and extraordinarily deep gorges. It’s worth braving the remote conditions out here to see the caribou migrations, which happen between September and October. Not only will you witness majestic herds of caribou, topped by their huge, crown-like antlers, but you might sneak a glimpse of the wolves, black bears and arctic foxes that follow hungrily in their wake. If you want to see nature in action on your Canada trip, Labrador is the right place.

Campbell River, Vancouver Island

Wildlife you might see:

• salmon
• river otters
• black bears
• harbour seals
• bald eagles

Salmon fishing may be high on your to-do list, but how about swimming with the salmon themselves? Don a snorkel mask and some fins at Vancouver Island’s ‘Salmon Capital’, the Campbell River, and you can follow every splash of the salmon’s epic voyage home to spawn. Spot up to five varieties of salmon jostling just below the surface, including the legendary Chinook, or king salmon. The river is home to several conservation areas, so there’s no shortage of spectacular evergreen scenery to accompany you, and plenty of excellent hiking trails if you want to explore the landscape more thoroughly.

Lucky visitors to Victoria might spot stunning orcas bursting out of the sea. Photo by Thomas Lipke for Unsplash

Victoria, British Columbia

Wildlife you might see:

• orca whales
• dolphins
• porpoises
• sea otters
• sea lions
• black bears
• cougars
• humpback whales

Always wanted to see an orca in the wild? Now’s your chance as Canada is one of the best places in the world to see this majestic beast. Perched at the southern end of Vancouver Island, Race Rocks Ecological Reserve is a good location for spotting all kinds of whales up close, as well as other marine wildlife like sea lions and porpoises. But it’s those leaping black and white orcas that still capture everyone’s attention – and make truly jaw-dropping photos to show off back home.

The Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia

Wildlife you might see:

• grizzly bears
• black bears
• kermode bears/spirit bears
• cougars
• mountain goats
• bald eagles

Head north of Vancouver to the last major stretch of coastal rainforest in the world, and a vast fairy tale landscape of fjords and moss-carpeted pine forests. As the name suggests, bears top the food chain here in the Great Bear Rainforest, not least the so-called ‘spirit bear’, a rare variety of white-coated kermode bear (a subspecies of black bear) that prowls these woods and is considered sacred by the T'simshian people. This is a veritable paradise for many different kinds of animals – look out for cougars, bald eagles and plenty of salmon in the rushing streams.

Cool mountain peaks and even ‘cooler’ cities, Canada offers a world of experiences. Find out more about our holidays to Canada here