Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours

Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours

Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours
5
Cultural ToursBoat ToursSightseeing ToursNature & Wildlife ToursDay Trips
About
Homalco First Nation have been the stewards of their traditional territory of Bute Inlet for generations and the cultural and historical significance of this area spans thousands of years. Our guided tours take guests through the Salish Sea to Bute Inlet and along the Orford River, where grizzly bear populations thrive during the salmon run. We also offer marine wildlife and cultural tours all of which are interwoven with knowledge from our traditional way of life. Our commitment to guests is to share our traditional lands, the share stories of our people and to create a sense of connection with our indigenous culture. We welcome you join us and learn about the land, wildlife and people while becomming immersed in the beauty of this spectacular land. ʔiymot kʷunome (It is good to see you).
Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
Meets animal welfare guidelines

Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours and Tickets by Homalco Wildlife & Cultural Tours
Travelers talk about
(9 reviews)

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles424 reviews
Excellent
413
Very good
6
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
2

Cliff M
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
Hmmm where do I start, sure they a good tour guide company. They have pretty good tours and places to visit, I’ve been on a few tours but I think they need to take a second look at there staff and the people they hire, maybe do a criminal record check or a background check?? Cuz sure they seem nice and all but trust me I’ve seen it first hand, they will act all nice and stuff but if you don’t give them an amazing tip or you ask them anything and they will complain about you after and talk bad about you behind your back cuz they really aren’t very nice, sure some of them are but more so the tour guide Cassandra, Somthing is wrong with her, guarantee that she’s fornicated with many many fellow co workers on and off the job site, even her own nephew. So just beware who you book a tour with thank you.
Written February 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

brenda d
Alvaro Obregon, Mexico1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
Incredible! We went on the grizzly bear tour, and it was a beautiful experience. The main guide (boat captain) was wonderful and extremely friendly. The bear guides were fantastic, the lunch they provided was delicious, and we were lucky enough to see orcas on the way. Additionally, we had the amazing opportunity to witness a mother bear and her cub enjoying salmon. Highly recommend!
Written November 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review! We are thrilled that you had an incredible time and that you had such amazing wildlife sightings! ?imot (Thank you)
Written November 22, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mary-Frances M
Napanee, Canada8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
This tour led by Xwemalhkwu First Nation was beyond extraordinary. It was called the Great Bears of Bute Island. Meeting in Campbell River, BC on an early fall morning, we boarded a brand new boat with indoor/outdoor space, comfortable chairs and a bathroom! Traveling north for 2 hours we learned about the bears from our knowledgeable guide and viewed the most incredible scenery. Upon arriving at Bute Inlet we were greeted by more guides who took us under their wings to explore the area by bus to safe forest stands to observe the bears. We saw 8 Grizzlies and 2 Black Bears and other wildlife. We felt perfectly safe as our guides took many safety precautions.
A delicious lunch and dialogue on the way back made for an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend this tour.
Written November 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Mary for the kind review. We are so happy to hear when our customers have a great time on one of our tours. It is always a fun adventure viewing marine and other wildlife in their own environment. We look forward to seeing you again soon. i:mote (thank you)
Written November 10, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Bernardien H
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
Wonderful small-scale excursion, carried out by a dedicated group of professionals from the Homalgo First Nation Tribe. Experienced skipper and on-board guide, high quality lunch ( make sure you inform them in advance of dietary wishes ! ), restroom on board and on the island where the grizzlies live, breathtakingly beautiful scenery and powerful first acquaintance with stories and songs from the Homalgo First Nation culture. Plus a 100% seeing rating for the bears in 2023!
We went on the very last excursion of the season and saw grizzlies, bald eagles, fish eagles and Steller sealions.
Written November 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for the kind review. We are always happy to hear that our customers had an awesome adventure with us. Our staff are all very dedicated to their jobs and love to make everyone's tour a rememberable one. Hope to see you next year. i:mote (thank you)
Written November 10, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Michelle C
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
It was truly fate that we ended up on this tour. We were told they were booked for the 1 day we were there but I insisted we go to the dock. We met Captain Ron on the boardwalk. Super nice fella. Got on the next tour. Janice was so informative. Pictures of the different animals. I loved the blessing she gave before departing. Being end of season, no promises but we saw it all. Humpbacks, sea lions, seals and a variety of birds. I loved the tenacity of these 2 to ensure we saw whales. Boat was very nice and warm. Skipper was impressive with his skill set. We had an awesome time and I would recommend this tour
Written October 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the kind review. We are happy that you got to go on our Salish Sea Whale Watching tour. Both Ron and Janet are very good and have amazing knowledge of the area and the marine life. We look forward to seeing you again next year. i:mote (thank you)
Written November 8, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sarah
Gravesend, UK1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We had a fabulous time and the memories of getting up close to these beautiful bears will remain with us forever. Thank you.
Written October 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
That's fantastic to hear that you had such a fabulous time on our Great Bear of Bute tour. Wild animals are so amazing especially when we get to view them in their natural environment. We hope to see you next year for another fun adventure. i:mote (thank you)
Written November 8, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jessica_Cliffe
Campbell River, Canada1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Solo
Though I am a local, being able to view a Grizzly Bear has been on my bucket list for a while. I felt fortunate that I had waited until now to go.
I felt that I was in comfortable hands and was able to enjoy the tour and not worry about my safety.
Ron was an excellent captain of the boat.
I found our co-pilot, Janet to be extremely knowledgeable on the various wildlife, and her knowledge of First Nations history made the tour enjoyable.
Upon arriving at Orford Bay we were met by James and Stu, who were our guides on land, who were also very knowledgeable of the history, culture and stories of the First Nations territory.
Again I was impressed by the safety that the whole team had for us guests. Being in the bears territory , one team member would watch in one direction and another would watch in the other direction, while we were told the history and stories of the culture.
On our first stop we saw a Grizzly Bear not more than 10 feet from the lookout tower, and we saw many eagles also.
On the way back home to Campbell River we saw Sea Lions, seals, eagles, and cormorants.
I will definitely go on this tour again next year.
Thank you for this amazing experience.
Written October 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Jess for the kind review. We are so happy to hear that everyone made your adventure a fun and safe one. It is always so amazing to view wildlife in their natural environment. We look forward to seeing you back next for another adventure with us! i:mote (thank you)
Written November 8, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jason M
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
Such an amazing trip! We went towards the end of the salmon run but still saw some Grizzlies! Even saw a mom and her Cub! The views are absolutely breathtaking on the boat ride and while eating the provided lunch on the dock. The team even tracked some whales on the way back and we saw a family of orcas! Trip is worth the money!
Written October 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Jason for the kind review. We are happy to hear that you had a great tour with us. It's always so exciting reading reviews from our customers. Wildlife are amazing especially when we get to view them in their natural environment. Hope to see you next year! i:mote (thank you)
Written November 8, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Philipp
Innsbruck, Austria12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Friends
Amazing experience to come soo close to these incredible animals! We were able to spot a few bald eagles, 5 grizzlies, 2 black bears and lots of other stunners which nature has to offer! Also the cultural part about the heritage of the Homalco tribe was very interesting. On our way back we have also been very lucky to spot a few Orcas passing by 😍
Written October 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the great review. We are always happy to hear the fun time that everyone has on one of our tours. It's also great when wildlife helps out to make your adventures that much more fun. i:mote (thank you)
Written October 21, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MarkV68
Lincolnshire, UK55 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Solo
Great day out and an hour longer than what was on offer in Victoria (an hour south). No guarantees but the team did all they could and we saw orcas and humpbacks on the trip. Some boats were lucky to have them surface nearby too and whilst they may have better photos, that comes down to pot luck not a whale preferring another boat. The main point is all boats tried to maintain a reasonable distance but you can't help where they pop up.
Written October 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Mark for your kind review. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your adventure with us. And yes there is a legal distance that we have to follow when viewing marine life but sometimes they do mug the boats. Hope to see you again. i:mote (thank you)
Written October 21, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Showing results 1-10 of 392

HOMALCO WILDLIFE & CULTURAL TOURS (Campbell River) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go