As every good wildlife photographer knows, it takes many hours of patient watching for the best photographic opportunities to present themselves.  These unique wildlife focused tours aim to provide exactly that.

These exclusive multi-day wildlife photographic safaris have been created by Lutra Wildlife in association with Coastal Rainforest Safaris to provide enthusiastic wildlife photographers and naturalists with the best possible opportunities to immerse themselves in the scenic beauty, and wealth of wildlife spectacles, that abound in the waters of Northern Vancouver Island.

Our multi-day boat charters - with up to 9hrs on the water - allow us to schedule and direct the days to make best use of the light, weather, tides, and wildlife. The boats used are stable, fast, and capable of getting us to some of the greatest wildlife watching areas in the world, as well as keeping us there as long as we need.

Each of our multi-day safaris will have a general focus that is best suited to the wildlife interest around at that time of year, and in addition to this, each tour will be kept flexible enough to take advantage of any good wildlife and photographic opportunities that present themselves each day.

The Wildlife

The rich coastal waters and dense rainforests of Northern Vancouver Island are famed for the wealth of wildlife that they sustain, and from our base in Port Hardy, our tours will have excellent access to some of the best wildlife hotspots the island has to offer. Whether our ambitions take us miles offshore, exploring ocean upwellings and rolling pacific swells in search of seabirds, or deep into the sheltered inlets and islets of the Broughton Archipelago in search of whales and bears, each day should provide numerous potential opportunities to observe and photograph a variety of iconic species typical of the Pacific Northwest. Black Bears, Sea Otters, Humpback Whales, Killer Whales, Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Porpoises, Sea Lions, Bald Eagles, a plethora of seabirds and possibly even Coastal Wolves and Grizzly Bears, all are possible targets for our tours in this amazing area.

Our Charters

The boats we charter for our daily excursions are large, open, 33ft Titan RHIB’s with suspension mounted, individual seating (not bench seating) so that people can get up and move into the best position possible when good photographic opportunities arise. These boats provide a relatively comfortable and stable platform for photography. They are fast and built for offshore use, giving us great access to areas that many smaller day boats cannot get to.  These boats accommodate 12 passengers but our charter will be limited to a maximum of 8 guests (and 2 naturalist/photographic guides) to ensure that everyone gets the best photographic opportunities possible. Two-piece floatation suits are provided to keep everyone warm, dry and safe whilst out on the water and the boat is also equipped with an onboard toilet to ensure everyone stays comfortable during our full day excursions.