Sea Wolf Adventures
Sea Wolf Adventures
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Cultural Tours • Historical & Heritage Tours • Boat Tours • Nature & Wildlife Tours
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Sea Wolf Adventures connects travellers to destinations in the Broughton Archipelago and the Great Bear Rainforest for grizzly bear viewing, wilderness and wildlife experiences, and First Nations cultural tours. Your guides are well trained in tradition and wildlife guiding. They will give you a deeper experience into First Nations culture and heritage of the Kwakwaka'wakw Nation. Safe. True. Education -- a truly unforgettable wildlife experience. Our vessels are brand new, state of the art, and very seaworthy.
Port McNeill, British Columbia, Canada
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Travellers' Choice
2022
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
364 reviews
Excellent
354
Very good
8
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Rmp P
Zurich, Switzerland265 contributions
Oct. 2022 • Couples
As a returning guest from 2018, I had really high expectations for the tour, which I remember as really unforgettable. Back then, we went out with Mike and his wife, experienced great, informative hours and were lucky enough to see various wildlife. You can stil find the review in my profile. Today was different. Our guides Al and Harry were very friendly and warm, but "only" responded to the occasional questions of the eight guests in our group. So we drove to a different place (?) in the same bay than in 2018, got on a bus (didn't exist then either as far as I remember), walked through the rainforest on paths that definitely didn't come from bears, briefly (2min) saw a grizzly, and then sat down for 1.5h at another place by the river. At this place there were two groups and about 20 people, it was not quiet ... and no bears came. On the way back we saw humpback whales which was great.
I swing between 3* and 4* here. What I find a pity: Last time there was so much information about the culture of the 1st Nations, tracks were searched for in the forest and explained, one had the feeling of really being on bear tracks and didn't see a soul the whole day or tried to avoid the other company that travels the spot.
This time; not a word about history and culture on the way there, no track reading but off-road school bus driving on land, 2 hours together with 20 people from two providers sitting on one spot, done. I know that you can't influence the wildlife sightings, and I don't complain about that. For 500 CAD per person, however, I would like to have an immersive experience every time, as I did in 2018. This time I had the feeling of being "passed through" ... thats it. Nevertheless: Harry was extremely friendly and the tour is still an adventure. Too bad it wasn't as perfect as 2018 with Mike (the owner) himself.
I swing between 3* and 4* here. What I find a pity: Last time there was so much information about the culture of the 1st Nations, tracks were searched for in the forest and explained, one had the feeling of really being on bear tracks and didn't see a soul the whole day or tried to avoid the other company that travels the spot.
This time; not a word about history and culture on the way there, no track reading but off-road school bus driving on land, 2 hours together with 20 people from two providers sitting on one spot, done. I know that you can't influence the wildlife sightings, and I don't complain about that. For 500 CAD per person, however, I would like to have an immersive experience every time, as I did in 2018. This time I had the feeling of being "passed through" ... thats it. Nevertheless: Harry was extremely friendly and the tour is still an adventure. Too bad it wasn't as perfect as 2018 with Mike (the owner) himself.
Written October 5, 2022
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.
Amanda Z
Seattle, Washington, United States41 contributions
Sep. 2022
We had an amazing experience with Sea Wolf. Our crew of Harry and Steven were amazing. They have life-long experience living in the area and a warm and friendly. Although we were hiking in grizzly country, I felt that we were in the best hands possible.
Written September 28, 2022
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.
Crieffy
Shetland Islands, UK264 contributions
Sep. 2022 • Couples
We did a Grizzly Bear watching trip in early September. We were picked up by the boat at Alder Bay campsite (great place!) This was the first time I've seen any kind of bear in the wild - to see and even hear it was amazing. I was surprised how few photos I took, as it was so good to just watch it eating berries then wandering down to the shore to turn over huge boulders while looking for food.
We also saw dolphins and were literally surrounded by around 10 Humpback Whales - including two who breached close behind the boat - what a sight!!
On the way back we stopped off at Brennan's ancestral island, which was a beautiful and personal addition to the trip. It was quite moving to see the old homes and learn of the First Nations history.
Even without the wildlife, it was such a beautiful experience with Brennan and Alan leading the way. The scenery is jaw-dropping - speeding along below cloud topped trees before the sun burnt through, then having lunch on the boat on emerald coloured water, with the only sound being a Humpback whale exhaling as it fished nearby.
We also saw dolphins and were literally surrounded by around 10 Humpback Whales - including two who breached close behind the boat - what a sight!!
On the way back we stopped off at Brennan's ancestral island, which was a beautiful and personal addition to the trip. It was quite moving to see the old homes and learn of the First Nations history.
Even without the wildlife, it was such a beautiful experience with Brennan and Alan leading the way. The scenery is jaw-dropping - speeding along below cloud topped trees before the sun burnt through, then having lunch on the boat on emerald coloured water, with the only sound being a Humpback whale exhaling as it fished nearby.
Written September 27, 2022
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.
Jule Kattrin
4 contributions
Aug. 2022
Our day with Steven was the most amazing day we spent on Vancouver Island.
He took us on his boat through the fjords to a great spot where we could watch a first grizzly from the boat. At a small clearing by the river we observed another grizzly catching salmon.
With his incredible experience and calmness, our guide Steven made possible a unique experience for which we are very grateful.
We can't imagine a better guide to lead us through the wonderful nature of Vancouver Island.
Dolphins, sea lions, ancient murals, sea otters and humpback whales - we saw them all and had the best time on our trip. This day will definitely stay in our memories forever.
Many thanks for your great company, Steven!
Herzliche Grüße und alles, alles Gute!
Jule, Oliver, Julian and Clara from Munich
He took us on his boat through the fjords to a great spot where we could watch a first grizzly from the boat. At a small clearing by the river we observed another grizzly catching salmon.
With his incredible experience and calmness, our guide Steven made possible a unique experience for which we are very grateful.
We can't imagine a better guide to lead us through the wonderful nature of Vancouver Island.
Dolphins, sea lions, ancient murals, sea otters and humpback whales - we saw them all and had the best time on our trip. This day will definitely stay in our memories forever.
Many thanks for your great company, Steven!
Herzliche Grüße und alles, alles Gute!
Jule, Oliver, Julian and Clara from Munich
Written September 20, 2022
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.
Kerstin Z
Frankfurt, Germany3 contributions
Aug. 2022 • Couples
We had a beautiful trip in August to Knight Inlet with Shirley and Gana. They gave us many interesting informations about bears, nature and the whole area. Thank you for an awesome and unforgetable journey. Oliver & Kerstin.
Written September 17, 2022
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.
Bonbarber
Essex, UK6 contributions
Sep. 2022 • Couples
Brilliant boat trip out to see the bears. Guides were really knowledgable and interesting. Loved hearing about all of the First Nation history too, coming from the UK.
Guides were very respectful of the animals and we liked this. Good safe distance, not disturbing the bears whilst giving us a good view of them.
We also had a great viewing of a humpback from the boat.
Lunch was good and I highly recommend a trip with this company!
Guides were very respectful of the animals and we liked this. Good safe distance, not disturbing the bears whilst giving us a good view of them.
We also had a great viewing of a humpback from the boat.
Lunch was good and I highly recommend a trip with this company!
Written September 13, 2022
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.
jaynine2014
Cobble Hill, Canada7 contributions
Sep. 2022
We took the grizzly tour with Sherry as our captain and she was amazing. She is such a calm and obviously skilled boat person and we appreciated her storytelling and sharing about local Nations and other information. The tour itself was wonderful within the safety of great boats, on amazing waters and the wildlife was something we will never forget. We took this tour partly because we saw it on CHEK news but also because we ourselves have Indigenous ancestry and were proud to support and honor local First Nations. We come up this way every year and will promote this company and tour to family and friends.
Written September 5, 2022
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.
Gemma M
London, UK37 contributions
Aug. 2022 • Couples
Overall we had a lovely day. The boat was smooth and we saw 2 bears, humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, bald eagles and sea otters which was pretty amazing! The scenery was also unreal!
However, we felt that for the very high price, there could have been improvements.
We came very close to not seeing any bears and they told us after that you sometimes don't see them in August. Their other tour that went out that day saw none. I appreciate they don't know where the wildlife will be, but at over £300 a ticket you'd hope for some sort of compensation if you don't see any. One ran in front of our car when we were on land so we saw it for about 10 seconds. We then spent 3 hours waiting at a river for a bear which never came. We got lucky later and saw one from the boat but we were so far away and it was almost impossible to get a picture without a professional camera. We asked to go closer and they said yes but didn't move the boat. The same happened with the whales which were so far from the boat and no effort was made to go closer even though I'm sure this could have been done safely.
The tour guides were nice but not very informative or interactive. They answered questions when we asked but other than that, provided little to no information about the wildlife or first nation history. Lunch was also poor and just a soggy sandwich and some crisps.
So overall a good day out but I'm not entirely sure what all our money was spent on and we came away feeling a little underwhelmed by the tour itself. The incredible wildlife & scenery was unbeatable though.
However, we felt that for the very high price, there could have been improvements.
We came very close to not seeing any bears and they told us after that you sometimes don't see them in August. Their other tour that went out that day saw none. I appreciate they don't know where the wildlife will be, but at over £300 a ticket you'd hope for some sort of compensation if you don't see any. One ran in front of our car when we were on land so we saw it for about 10 seconds. We then spent 3 hours waiting at a river for a bear which never came. We got lucky later and saw one from the boat but we were so far away and it was almost impossible to get a picture without a professional camera. We asked to go closer and they said yes but didn't move the boat. The same happened with the whales which were so far from the boat and no effort was made to go closer even though I'm sure this could have been done safely.
The tour guides were nice but not very informative or interactive. They answered questions when we asked but other than that, provided little to no information about the wildlife or first nation history. Lunch was also poor and just a soggy sandwich and some crisps.
So overall a good day out but I'm not entirely sure what all our money was spent on and we came away feeling a little underwhelmed by the tour itself. The incredible wildlife & scenery was unbeatable though.
Written September 3, 2022
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.
Rosie B
1 contribution
Aug. 2022 • Friends
I cannot express how AMAZING this company is! My sister and I went on one tour with them that blew our minds so much we ended up going out again with them 48hrs later.
Everything about the trip is 10/10
- the boat is super comfy and perfect for viewing wildlife
- the guides are superb at spotting the animals and clearly care about them and the environment (unlike others I’ve been on where they will chase the animals to the point they actively swim away). They are great fun!
- we saw plenty of grizzlies, orcas, humpbacks, Dalls porpoises, white-sides dolphins and black bears….. anything and everything will be seen on these trips!!
Next time we are back in Port McNeil we’ll be searching out Sea Wolf again 🤗
Everything about the trip is 10/10
- the boat is super comfy and perfect for viewing wildlife
- the guides are superb at spotting the animals and clearly care about them and the environment (unlike others I’ve been on where they will chase the animals to the point they actively swim away). They are great fun!
- we saw plenty of grizzlies, orcas, humpbacks, Dalls porpoises, white-sides dolphins and black bears….. anything and everything will be seen on these trips!!
Next time we are back in Port McNeil we’ll be searching out Sea Wolf again 🤗
Written August 30, 2022
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.
Ellie
United Kingdom3 contributions
Aug. 2022 • Friends
Sherry and Gana were brilliant and made us all laugh from the get go. They were very knowledgable and you could tell how much they cared about the wildlife. The U'mista cultrual centre was so interesting and although we only had 20 mins in their due to us being distracted by a humpback fin slapping the water, it was one of the highlights and we wish we had more time there. We saw orcas, humpbacks, grizzly bears and black bears. The food provided was excellent and everyone was so attentive to our needs and I cannot fault them or the company. Shout out to Stephen who was also a brilliant guide on our second trip with sea wolf. Such beautiful people! We had the best day and we recommend this trip to anyone who visits, you won't be disappointed.
Written August 30, 2022
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.
Kate W
Onchan, UK31 contributions
Hello. I would really love to do this tour. What is the bear watching like in June? I can see it’s best when the salmon is spawning, but would we still see bears in June? Many thanks.
Stephanie V
Victoria, Canada10 contributions
Hello,
Are you still planning on organizing tours this July /August for Vancouver island locals?
Thank you :-)
Yes we are! Our first tour is on July 1st:)
carlotam
Gumpoldskirchen, Austria185 contributions
Is mid August a good time to see the bears?
Yes mid August is a great time to see bears!!
Louise N
Sheffield, UK15 contributions
Hi, we are looking to book a tour with yourselves in July 2019 and will be staying at Alder Bay resort and campground. We will have an rv. Is there parking nearby to accommodate rv’s, or if not, what other methods of transport are available to get us from Alder Bay to Port McNeill ie buses? Thank you, Louise
SeaWolfAdventures
Port McNeill, Canada45 contributions
Hi Louise,
We could just drop by on the boat as it’s on the way:) Get ahold of our office or email us for more details!
Vincent V
1 contribution
Is it normal to pay the remainder of the trip by giving your credit Card number and cvc code by mail or phone? Or is it possible to pay the remaining amount at the Office before entering the boat?
SeaWolfAdventures
Port McNeill, Canada45 contributions
You can pay the remainder at the office on the day of the tour.
Jackie E
Abergavenny, UK108 contributions
Hi, i have limited mobility going off and on boats as my knees don't bend as much as they should.would this be a problem getting on and off the Sea Wolf? I'm fine walking ,
SeaWolfAdventures
Port McNeill, Canada45 contributions
Getting on and off boats is key and is our gauge of wether this tour is fitting for guests. There is hiking and getting on and off smaller boats involved. I’d be worried for your safety and getting injured.
Jeannine S
Cedar Hill, TX6 contributions
How necessary it is to have waterproof pants and waterproof hiking boots or rubber boots? We were planning on wearing jeans and our good walking sneakers. Thank you!
SeaWolfAdventures
Port McNeill, Canada45 contributions
Hi there, only if it’s raining water proof pants is necessary. You’ll be fine with jeans on a sunny day.
where can i have information for reserving/booking and prices for this tour
SeaWolfAdventures
Port McNeill, Canada45 contributions
Hi Jasper, you can visit our website and navigate to our grizzly page. There you’ll find prices, availability, and booking information!
Swamy N
237 contributions
When’s the best time to see the grizzly bears?
SeaWolfAdventures
Port McNeill, Canada45 contributions
I like when the bears feed on salmon and that is from August till October.
Cindy R
Lindsay, Canada68 contributions
Do we need hiking boots or would Keens work?
SeaWolfAdventures
Port McNeill, Canada45 contributions
If we walk bear trails hiking boots are preferable. Keens should suffice though:)