Voltaire was as wrong in the 18th century as he would be now. Today Canada, a country of 30 million has one of the top eight economies in the world and plays a leading role in international relations, from the first peacekeeping missions almost 40 years ago to the land-mines treaty last year — and managed to field the world's second best hockey team at the Olympics last February (we're not going to forget that game for a while to come...). Yet the average population density is less than one person per square kilometre! That leaves a lot of room for wide-open spaces and the wildlife that goes with them. Here are a few samples of when and where to shoot Canadian wildlife (with a camera !).

July and August — In the Company of Whales

Summer is the best time to view whales along Canada's north, east and west coasts. During late July, hundreds of Beluga whales congregate in the shallow and nutrient rich Arctic inlets to nurse their young. Often called"canaries of the sea," their "songs" can be heard by whale watchers aboard open air boats. Curious juveniles often approach, adding to the enjoyment of being on Arctic waters. One accessible point to experience this phenomenon is Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, at the Mackenzie River estuary. Organised tours are available there with local Inuit guides will share their knowledge about the ecology and habitat of these beautiful white whales. Wildlife enthusiasts can also extend their Arctic tour and view the large Musk-oxen population located on Banks Island or caribou herds throughout MacKenzie District. For the do-it-yourself Arctic explorer, other beluga starting points include Pangnirtung and Iqaluit, in the newly created Nunavut Territory, or even Kuujuuaq in northern Quebec.

On the east coast, whales gather at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, where underwater channels bring the Labrador Current to the surface, creating an upwelling of nutrient rich waters. The estuary supports one of the highest and most accessible concentrations of marine mammals in the world. The area is the summer feeding grounds for blue, finback, minke, humpback, beluga and sperm whales plus harbour porpoise, white-beaked and white-sided dolphins, three species of seals and many species of shorebirds. Starting points in Quebec include Tadoussac and Grandes Bergeronnes near the confluence of the Saguenay river, Perci and Rivihre au Renard on the Gaspi Peninsula, and Longue-Pointe de Mingan and Blanc Sablon on the Quebec North Shore. Even further east, one finds humpbacks off most of the island of Newfoundland, and right whales off western Nova Scotia, in the Bay of Fundy.

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All three coasts offer the possibility of accompanying researchers into the field to learn more about the animals and their environment than is possible on a three-hour cruise. Non-profit research groups exist in Newfoundland (humpbacks), eastern Quebec (blue and fin whales), Nova Scotia (humpbacks and right whales), Baffin Island (Nunavut — humpbacks and belugas), and on the central coast of British Columbia (humpbacks and gray whales). All of these groups rely on eco-tourism to fund and carry out their research. Participants are typically incorporated as much as possible into the research teams, and have the opportunity to learn first-hand what field research on marine mammals is all about.

June — Lots of Puffin Goin' On

All three coasts are home to populations of puffins, though northern colonies tend to be difficult to get to. On the Mingan Islands, off the Quebec North Shore, you'll find nesting colonies of Atlantic puffins from late May to early July. These birds resemble footballs with wings, and are hardly the most graceful in the air, but underwater they fly with an agility matched by few. On return from the fishing grounds, they can have as many as sixteen fish in their beaks. On the Pacific side, you'll find breeding colonies of tufted puffins off Cape Scott, at the northern end of Vancouver Island, accessible by boat from Port Hardy. These birds are very similar to their Atlantic cousins, with the exception of a set of long yellow feathers reaching back over the eyes.

Summer — Kermode Bears of Princess Royal Island

Along the central coast of BC, there are a number of populations of white black bears — no typo, these guys are in fact black bears, but their fur is white. Called Kermode (kuhr-MODE-ee) or Spirit bears, they are distributed all along the northern Central Coast, and even into the interior as far as Smithers, BC, but the best known population resides on Princess Royal Island, off the Inside Passage, just north of Bella Bella. They are a highlight of many of the wilderness trips operating in that area, especially sailing and kayaking trips, since the bears are often visible from the water.

August — Atlantic Gannets

The northern gannet is an impressive bird to watch. With a wing-span of almost 4 feet, these birds are gracious in the air over eastern Canadian waters. Soaring some 100 feet above the water, they search for schools of fish just below the surface. Then they start dive-bombing the school, dropping head-first out of the sky, raising the water in a splash that almost looks like a whale's spout. Then they run along the surface to get airborne again, and the cycle continues. As graceful as they are in the air, though, they are clumsy and awkward on land. One good spot to see them is Ile Bonaventure, off Perci, Quebec, where trails lead from the dock to observation platforms near the colony of several thousand birds.

September — Grizzlies of Knight Inlet

In early autumn, many grizzlies journey to the spawning grounds of Canada's largest fjord to feast on returning salmon. Often solitary, and seldom seen, the grizzlies congregate along the shore to feed on the abundant fish and build their fat reserves before the long winter hibernation. Resident naturalists and photographers will provide viewers with informative interpretation on-site and evening lectures in the comfort of a floating lodge. Accessed by float plane from Campbell River on Vancouver Island, Knight Inlet offers visitors spectacular scenery amidst tree-lined shores and snow-capped peaks.

October — Bald Eagle Salmon Feast

Toward the end of the summer and into the fall, the returning salmon make their way up the rivers to spawn. The trip is a grueling one, and most don't make it. The bald eagle is one of the reasons they don't. They collect in large numbers near Squamish, BC, every year, to prey on the weaker salmon, and take shots at the stronger ones. The eagles also nest all along the coast of BC, especially in areas where the salmon is abundant like Johnstone Strait and Port Hardy, on northern Vancouver Island. In the east, you'll find bald eagles all around the Bras d'Or lakes, on Cape Breton Island, especially during the summer months.

October — Polar Bears of Churchill

During late October, as many as 150 polar bears gather along the western shores of Hudson Bay in anticipation of their annual seal hunt. Until the Bay freezes over, they are seen roaming the shores and ice patches close to Churchill, Manitoba. This is one of the most easily accessible destinations to view polar bears in the wild and the town has become known as"The polar bear capital of the World." Viewers can watch and photograph these magnificent animals in comfort and warmth from specially designed Tundra vehicles. Other wildlife in the area include caribou, Arctic fox, red fox, Ptarmigan, snowy owls and many other species of Arctic and sub-Arctic birds. Additional attractions include an excursion to where the treeline meets the Arctic tundra and an opportunity to witness the spectacular display of Northern Lights.

These are just a few of the many guided and unguided opportunities to view Canadian wildlife — whether you prefer to do it from behind the wheel of a car, or face to face from a canoe or kayak is up to you, but do come see what Voltaire missed.

Thanks to William Megill & Robert Davis
Coastal Ecosystems Research Foundation
2648 Tennis Cr., Vancouver, BC, Canada
research@cerf.bc.ca; info@cerf.bc.ca

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