Nature and outdoors

Coastal Bear Watch

Remote Passages Marine Excursions13 hr 41 min by bus · 203.1 km

! built for 5+, your youngest are 3 · capacity is 12, your group is 16 · $139 a child is over your $10 budget

Cost

$139 a child

$2224 for 16 children

The following are added at time of payment: 5% Tax, $3 for marine wildlife and forest ecosystem research and education in Clayoquot Sound, $10 Fuel Surcharge. Discounts on Adult rates only.

Ages & size

Ages 5 to 12

Up to 12 children

Duration

2.5 hours

Year round

Any day

Book by

Not published

Plan this trip

Fieldy handles all communication and booking for you.

What it actually looks like

Photos from Remote Passages Marine Excursions's website

Our note

The departure time moves with the tide rather than the clock, so you cannot pick a slot to suit nap time and you will only know the time once you phone. It is a calm water trip, which makes it the gentler of the two Zodiac tours, but the child fare still starts at age 5 and there is no cabin to get out of the weather. Bring a camera that a child can hold, because the bears stay on shore and the boat keeps its distance.

What the children do

A two and a half hour quiet water excursion in a 24 foot Zodiac along fjord inlets, stopping in sheltered bays to watch black bears come down to the shoreline to feed on crab, clams and barnacles. The guide also talks about seals, eagles, porpoise and heron. Departures run daily but the time is set by the low tide, because that is when the bears come down to feed. Adults pay $169 and the child fare of $139 is listed for ages 5 to 12. A $10 fuel surcharge, a $3 research and education fee and 5% tax are added at payment. A group discount is offered for parties of 6 or more, and the site says discounts apply to adult rates only.

Sit in an open inflatable boat in calm inlet water, wrapped in an issued all weather suit, while the guide idles in close to sheltered bays so everyone can watch black bears turning over rocks on the shore. The guide talks about the bears and about the seals, eagles, porpoise and heron on the way.

Good to know

The boathouse has restrooms, a dress-in area and hot drinks afterwards, and car parking is free. There is no washroom on the Zodiac, and bus parking, a lunch space and a wet weather backup are not stated, so it is worth a call.

Sources disagree. Their own pages give two different answers for when tours actually run. One says the season is February to November, while the booking request form will only take dates between April 1 and October 15. If you are looking at the shoulder months, worth settling when you book.

Sources disagree. The youngest child they will take depends on which boat you get. The open Zodiac prices children from 5, and the covered cabin boat is the one they describe as suitable from age 3. Ask for the cabin boat by name when you book a group of little ones.

Washrooms

Yes

Lunch space

Needs confirmation

Rain backup

Needs confirmation

Strollers

Needs confirmation

Wheelchair access

Needs confirmation

Bus parking

Free parking for cars. Yes, parking can be provided for cars while space is available. The good news is the parking is free!

Nearby park

Needs confirmation

Restrictions

A program marked * is not suitable for expectant mothers, or for persons with back problems. This mark is on the Whales & Sea Otters tours, on both vessels, and on the Hot Springs Explorer.. Relevant medical conditions (such as back or neck problems, heart conditions, pregnancy or osteoporosis) must be disclosed to Remote Passages prior to signing this waiver.. Parents and legal guardians of any Participants under the age of 19 agree to be bound by the terms set forth herein, and the waiver must be signed on site before an activity.. On the Zodiac the child fare is listed for 5 to 12 year olds; the covered cabin vessel the Star Light is the one described as suitable for passengers aged 3 years and older.. The Hot Springs Explorer requires a minimum of 6 to launch.. Reserves right to refuse passage, cancel departures, substitute vessels for any reason.

Getting there

51 Wharf St, Tofino, BC V0R 2Z0

On foot

44 hr 9 min

too far with this group

By bus

13 hr 41 min

includes a 9 min wait

Driving

6 hr 25 min

The dark pin is Victoria.

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Details checked on 2026-09-20 against the venue’s own pages. Something wrong? , it takes one tap. · Venue page · 250-725-3330