Great Bear Rainforest

Q: What animals can you see in Great Bear Rainforest?

The most likely sightings are American Crow (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Bald Eagle (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Common Raven (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), American Robin (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Song Sparrow (seen by 50–60% of wildlife watchers) — among 653 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.

Q: When is the best time to visit Great Bear Rainforest for wildlife?

April has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.

Q: Can you see American Black Bear in Great Bear Rainforest?

Yes — about 45% of wildlife watchers report a American Black Bear sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 688 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: Can you see Brown Bear in Great Bear Rainforest?

Yes — about 24% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Bear sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 223 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: Can you see Humpback Whale in Great Bear Rainforest?

Yes — about 37% of wildlife watchers report a Humpback Whale sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 482 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: Can you see Killer Whale in Great Bear Rainforest?

Yes — about 28% of wildlife watchers report a Killer Whale sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 288 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

🇨🇦 Canada

🐻 Witness the Rare White Spirit Bear

🌍 #195 Global · 3.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #28 in North America #25 in Temperate Forest

Canada, Canada 653 spp. recorded

The Great Bear Rainforest is a vast coastal wilderness stretching along the Pacific edge of British Columbia, featuring steep mountains, dense temperate rainforests, and winding fjords. Moss-draped trails weave through towering ancient cedars and spruce trees down to cold ocean waters.

53.272° N 130.668° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Ursus americanus

Ursus arctos

Megaptera novaeangliae

30–40% · Possible

★

Orcinus orca

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Corvus brachyrhynchos

60–70% · Likely

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Corvus corax

Turdus migratorius

Melospiza melodia

Junco hyemalis

Anaxyrus boreas

Odocoileus hemionus

Poecile rufescens

Larus glaucescens

Regulus satrapa

Phoca vitulina

⭐ Iconic Species

Ursus americanus

Ursus arctos

Megaptera novaeangliae

30–40% · Possible

★

Orcinus orca

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Odocoileus hemionus

Phoca vitulina

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

Enhydra lutris

Eumetopias jubatus

Lontra canadensis

Alces alces

Castor canadensis

Phocoenoides dalli

Cervus elaphus

Procyon lotor

Canis lupus

📊 Most Spotted

Corvus brachyrhynchos

60–70% · Likely

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Corvus corax

Turdus migratorius

Melospiza melodia

Junco hyemalis

Poecile rufescens

Larus glaucescens

Regulus satrapa

Cyanocitta stelleri

Branta canadensis

Troglodytes pacificus

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

LC Endemic

Thamnophis sirtalis

20–30% · Possible

Thamnophis ordinoides

Thamnophis elegans

Elgaria coerulea

Caretta caretta

Dermochelys coriacea

Podarcis muralis

Anolis sagrei

Trachemys scripta

📊 Most Spotted

Anaxyrus boreas

Pseudacris regilla

Rana aurora

Taricha granulosa

Ambystoma gracile

Rana luteiventris

Ambystoma macrodactylum

10–20% · With luck

Aneides vagrans

5–10% · With luck

Plethodon vehiculum

5–10% · With luck

Lithobates sylvaticus

5–10% · With luck

Ascaphus truei

<5% · Rare

LC Endemic

Ensatina eschscholtzii

<5% · Rare

Animal Events

🦌

Salmon Run and Bear Emergence

MayJun

Bears emerge from hibernation and frequent the lower estuaries and shorelines to feed on early seasonal growth and spawning fish.

Ursus americanus

Ursus arctos

🦌

Autumn Salmon Spawning

SepOct

Millions of Pacific salmon return to the rainforest rivers, drawing high concentrations of coastal brown and black bears to riverbanks for the annual feast.

Ursus americanus

Ursus arctos

🦌

Summer Marine Mammal Gathering

JulAug

Calm summer conditions bring peak activity for marine life, where humpback whales, killer whales, and harbor seals converge in the fjords to feed on dense schools of fish.

Megaptera novaeangliae

30–40% · Possible

Orcinus orca

20–30% · Possible

Phoca vitulina

30–40% · Possible

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

American Black Bear

10–20

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

30–40

Brown Bear

5–10

10–20

20–30

30–40

10–20

Humpback Whale

10–20

5–10

10–20

20–30

30–40

40–50

50–60

20–30

Killer Whale

10–20

20–30

30–40

20–30

10–20

American Crow

70–80

60–70

70–80

80–90

Bald Eagle

70–80

60–70

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

Common Raven

70–80

60–70

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

80–90

American Robin

10–20

60–70

80–90

70–80

50–60

40–50

20–30

Song Sparrow

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

40–50

30–40

50–60

60–70

Dark-eyed Junco

60–70

40–50

30–40

40–50

50–60

60–70

70–80

Western Toad

5–10

10–20

20–30

40–50

50–60

60–70

50–60

30–40

10–20

5–10

Mule Deer

30–40

50–60

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

50–60

30–40

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

50–60

40–50

Glaucous-winged Gull

60–70

50–60

40–50

20–30

30–40

40–50

50–60

60–70

Golden-crowned Kinglet

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

Harbor Seal

10–20

20–30

30–40

40–50

30–40

20–30

30–40

Animal Events

🦌 Salmon Run and Bear Emergence

🦌 Summer Marine Mammal Gathering

🦌 Autumn Salmon Spawning

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good

🐻 Witness the Rare White Spirit Bear

🦜

Biodiversity

Excellent

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

486

🐒 Mammals

136

🦎 Reptiles

🐸 Amphibians

653 Total Species

850 Global average across 296 parks

45 Threatened 92 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

2.9 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

52%

📊

Coverage (149 species at ≥5% of 653 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

23%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (9 bird, 2 mammal, 1 amphibian)

46% Global avg

54%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

134 Global avg

103

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

15 Global avg

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

27 Global avg

Quick answers

What animals can you see in Great Bear Rainforest?

The most likely sightings are American Crow (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Bald Eagle (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Common Raven (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), American Robin (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Song Sparrow (seen by 50–60% of wildlife watchers) — among 653 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.

When is the best time to visit Great Bear Rainforest for wildlife?

April has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.

Can you see American Black Bear in Great Bear Rainforest?

Yes — about 45% of wildlife watchers report a American Black Bear sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 688 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Brown Bear in Great Bear Rainforest?

Yes — about 24% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Bear sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 223 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Humpback Whale in Great Bear Rainforest?

Yes — about 37% of wildlife watchers report a Humpback Whale sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 482 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Killer Whale in Great Bear Rainforest?

Yes — about 28% of wildlife watchers report a Killer Whale sighting in Great Bear Rainforest, based on 288 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Explore Other Parks

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Great Bear Rainforest

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

American Black Bear

Brown Bear

Humpback Whale

Killer Whale

📊 Most Spotted

American Crow

Bald Eagle

Common Raven

American Robin

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Western Toad

Mule Deer

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Glaucous-winged Gull

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Harbor Seal

⭐ Iconic Species

American Black Bear

Brown Bear

Humpback Whale

Killer Whale

📊 Most Spotted

Mule Deer

Harbor Seal

American Red Squirrel

Sea Otter

Northern Sea Lion

Northern River Otter

Elk

American Beaver

Dall's Porpoise

Elk

Common Raccoon

Gray Wolf

📊 Most Spotted

American Crow

Bald Eagle

Common Raven

American Robin

Song Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Glaucous-winged Gull

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Steller's Jay

Canada Goose

Pacific Wren

📊 Most Spotted

Common Garter Snake

Northwestern Garter Snake

Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

Northern Alligator Lizard

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Common Wall Lizard

Brown Anole

Pond Slider

📊 Most Spotted

Western Toad

Pacific chorus frog

Northern Red-legged Frog

Rough-skinned Newt

Northwestern Salamander

Columbia Spotted Frog

Long-toed Salamander

Wandering Salamander

Western Red-backed Salamander

Wood Frog

Coastal Tailed Frog

Ensatina

Animal Events

Salmon Run and Bear Emergence

American Black Bear

Brown Bear

Autumn Salmon Spawning

American Black Bear