EXPERIENCE BRITISH COLUMBIA WILDLIFE

Discover Wildlife

British Columbia has a variety of different wildlife. Get a chance to see these wonderful creatures and book with Experience British Columbia, so we help you plan your trip the way you want.

SEA

Jellyfish
Jellyfish

You can find a variety of Jellyfish along the coast. These moon jellyfish are bioluminescent in the dark.

purple starfish
Sea Stars

There are plenty of sea stars in the Pacific waters of British Columbia. The Purple Star feeds on mussels, barnacles, snails and limpets. It is well adapted to long periods without water, but usually retreats to damp crevices to avoid exposure when the tide is out. Specimens from sheltered waters are generally purple but those found on exposed coasts are more often ochre or brown. This is believed to be due to the different types of food they eat.

LAND

Bears
Bears

There are up to 160,000 American black bears living in British Columbia, which is almost a quarter of all black bears in the country. To give you some idea of how many black bears are in British Columbia, there are about 7,000 living just on Vancouver Island. The black bear is a midsize mammal, but they are not always black. Their fur is also brown, tan, or even blonde. They measure from 130 to 190 cm and weigh up to 300 kg. The black bear has a varied diet consisting of fish, mammals, insects, grasses, berries, and roots.

Bald Eagle
Bald Eagles

Found over most of North America from Alaska and Canada to northern Mexico, approximately 20,000 bald eagles live in British Columbia, roughly half of the world’s Bald Eagle population. Indeed, the high salmon stocks in this region account for the Bald Eagle’s prominent presence. Reaching speeds of about 35 mph, flying to an altitude of 10,000 feet, and possessing a lifting power of about 4 pounds, the Bald Eagle is indeed a strong bird with a hunting area varying between 1,700 to 10,000 acres. Once paired, bald eagles will remain together until one dies.

You may also find

  • Blue, Gray, Orca, & Humpback Whales
  • Sea lion, Elephant Seals
  • Dolphins
  • King Crab
  • Soft Coral & Ancient Sponges
  • Anemones & Urchins
  • Giant Pacific Octopus
  • American Bison
  • Caribou
  • Moose
  • Elk
  • Marmot
  • Wolverine
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars