Gilakas'la - Thank You
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Jan 15
Shearwaters are a common sight on our birding-focused tours all season, but later in the summer and into the fall they often show up on our Sea Otter and Whale Watching tours too.
We may spot Sooty and Short-tailed Shearwaters in the hundreds, and sometimes the thousands, as they move close inshore to feed.
#Birding #BCBirdTrail #Seabirds #BirdingBC #VisitPortHardy #GoNorthIsland #VancouverIsland #IndigenousBC
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Jan 2
Rainy days still deliver. 🌧️🐋
Photos from this past August 16. A wet morning turned into a remarkable wildlife day: Northern Resident orcas, sea otters, sea lions, and humpback whales.
We can’t guarantee rain or wildlife, but we always do our best to show guests the wild beauty of our coast.
Thanks to everyone who braved the weather with us.
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#Orcas #SeaOtters #HumpbackWhales #SeaLions #WhaleWatching #VisitPortHardy #GoNorthIsland #IndigenousBC #TheInfiniteCoast
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Jan 1
As we close out the year, we have been looking back at some of the rare encounters we had with species beyond our regularly seen sea otters, humpback whales, and sea lions.
Sperm whale (photos 1 and 2): A first for our entire staff. We detected clicks on our hydrophone and later spotted the unmistakable sideways blow of a sperm whale. It was approximately 18 metres long, about twice the length of our boat. While rare, these huge whales are a possibility on our Pelagic Birding tours and our new multi-day September Wildlife Spectacular trip.
Northern Resident super pod (photos 3 and 4): In August, several of our Sea Otter and Whale Watching tours found a super pod of Northern Resident orcas made up of matrilines from clans A, G, and R, with lots of activity and mixing. This super pod was in the remote waters northwest of Port Hardy, and we were the only boat out there with them each day.
Horned puffins (photo 5 and 6): We regularly see hundreds, sometimes thousands, of Tufted Puffins on our Puffin and Seabird tours, but this year we were especially fortunate to see Horned Puffins on every trip. There are estimated to be fewer than 50 breeding pairs in all of British Columbia.
Wolf pups (photos 7 and 8): We had several coastal wolf sightings on our day trips and select multi-day tours. One familiar pack had four pups this year.
King Eider (photo 9): A male King Eider in full breeding plumage is an exceptionally rare sight in British Columbia. Remarkably, this bird was seen on many of our July trips just minutes from the dock. King Eiders are normally found in the High Arctic.
Fin whale (photo 10): The second-largest whale in the world, and typically farther from shore. We were lucky to see two on one Pelagic Birding trip. In this photo you can even spot parasitic copepods on the whale’s flank that can reach 30 cm in length.
Thank you to everyone who joined us this past year. We are already looking forward to what next year brings.
#WhaleWatching #WildlifePhotography #Orcas #RareBird #SpermWhale #FinWhale #visitporthardy #GoNorthIsland #indigenousbc
Sperm whale photos by Andrew Jennings
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Dec 18
Joining a tour with Coastal Rainforest Safaris is more than just going whale watching. It is connection, respect, and stories shared in the places many of our guides and staff come from.
Here is what Indigenous tourism means to our CRS team, and why it matters.
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#IndigenousTourism #VisitPortHardy #GoNorthIsland #VancouverIsland #ExploreBC #TheInfiniteCoast #ResponsibleTourism #indigenousbc #WhaleWatching #SeaOtters
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Dec 15
While wildlife is the main draw of our tours, we also find simple beauty on our routes between sightings. When wind, waves, and tide line up, ocean swells peak and break over a submerged rock in T̓łat̕ła̱sikwa̱la First Nation territory.
📷 Photo: @davehutchisonimages
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#OceanSwell #Waves #CoastalWaters #OceanVibes #Seascape #VisitPortHardy #GoNorthIsland #VancouverIsland #ExploreBC #IndigenousBC
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Dec 13
A calm-water moment from T̓łat̕ła̱sikwa̱la First Nation territory. Two sea otters drifting alongside a kelp bed, calm and curious, and completely at home out here.
📷 Photos: @davehutchisonimages
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#seaotters #visitporthardy #gonorthisland #vancouverisland #explorebc #indigenousbc #TheInfiniteCoast
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Dec 12
A September highlight: seeing the A62 matriline of Northern Resident killer whales passing by Hardy Bay at the end of one of our trips. It is always a privilege to watch these magnificent animals travelling together and surfacing in rhythm. Moments like this are a powerful reminder of how special these waters are.
📷 Photos: @davehutchisonimages
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#Orcas #KillerWhales #NRKW #NorthernResidents #WhaleWatching #VisitPortHardy #GoNorthIsland #VancouverIsland #ExploreBC #IndigenousBC #TheInfiniteCoast
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Nov 27
Turn the sound on and count the tail lobs… 🔊
Filmed this summer in T̕łat̕ła̱sikwa̱la territory, where this humpback spent minutes tail-lobbing while we floated at a respectful distance.
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#WhaleWatching #humpbackwhale #taillobbing #WildlifePhotography #visitporthardy #GoNorthIsland #VancouverIsland #ExploreBC #indigenousbc #theinfinitecoast
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Nov 25
Steller sea lion pups!
Off the north coast of Vancouver Island, these noisy little pups are busy learning how to swim, bicker, and haul out like the adults. We’re fortunate to have several year-round sea lion haulouts that we may visit on our Sea Otter and Whale Watching tours.
Early in the season we might only see a few pups, but as summer goes on more and more return with their mothers from distant breeding rookeries to these local haulouts.
We keep our distance and drift quietly, listening to the growls, squeaks, and splashes echo off the rocks — one of our favourite soundtracks on Vancouver Island North with local Indigenous guides.
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#SeaLions #visitporthardy #GoNorthIsland #VancouverIsland #ExploreBC #indigenousbc #WhaleWatching #WildlifePhotography
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Nov 2
One of the most consistent sights on our tours is the bald eagle — Kwikw in Kwak’wala. Built for the elements, their layered feathers (and lots of preening!) shed rain as they watch from oceanside perches for unsuspecting prey. 🦅🌧️
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#BaldEagle #Birding #Birdwatching #BirdPhotography #BCBirdTrail #visitporthardy #GoNorthIsland #VancouverIsland #ExploreBC #indigenousbc
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Oct 20
How many of these pelagic bird species can you identify?
*** 2026 Pelagic Birding Tour Dates Announced! ***
Looking to head offshore in search of rare seabirds and marine life? Join us for an unforgettable full-day Pelagic Birding Adventure departing Port Hardy on September 5 & 19, 2026.
We’ll explore along the continental shelf edge and deep offshore canyons where albatrosses, shearwaters, storm-petrels, jaegers, and whales are often spotted.
Departures are very limited — don’t miss your chance to experience one of Canada’s most unique birding expeditions!
🔗 Book now: [link in bio]
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#Birding #PelagicBirding #Birdwatching #BirdPhotography #BCBirdTrail #VisitPortHardy #GoNorthIsland #VancouverIsland #ExploreBC #IndigenousBC
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Oct 18
📣 New 2026 Tour Announcement!
September Wildlife Spectacular
Join us for an unforgettable 4-day marine wildlife expedition during one of the most active times of year on the BC coast! 🌿
This exclusive small-group tour (just 8 guests) explores remote inlets, protected passages, open ocean, and deep-water canyons in search of incredible wildlife — from sea otters, humpback whales, and orcas to Steller sea lions, seabirds, and even rarer species like northern fur seals or sperm whales.
🐋 Highlights include:
✨ Peak wildlife season — the most diverse sightings of the year
🚤 Full days on the water aboard our custom RHIBs
📸 Fantastic photo opportunities with plenty of space onboard
🌊 Offshore pelagic adventure (conditions permitting!)
🏨 Five nights in Port Hardy at @hotel19_porthardy
September is one of the best times to experience BC’s wild coast — don’t miss it!
Limited to only 8 participants.
Visit our website — link in bio — to learn more
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#WhaleWatching #SeaOtters #humpbackwhale #orca #WildlifePhotography #visitporthardy #GoNorthIsland #VancouverIsland #ExploreBC #indigenousbc
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