All 4 in 3 days here: ~10%
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
🇨🇦 Canada
Pacific Northwest, Canada 492 spp. recorded
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, part of the Pacific Northwest. It is a temperate conifer forest hugging a rugged shoreline, with moss‑laden old growth, sandy beaches, and tide‑pools.
48.815° N 125.149° W
🦜 Nature
293 Species sighted
61,407 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jun Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
+ 282 more species with insufficient data
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
26Jan
25Feb
26Mar
36Apr
38May
41Jun
40Jul
39Aug
40Sep
34Oct
27Nov
24Dec
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
Comber's Beach
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
Kwisitis Visitor Centre
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
Long Beach, Incinerator Rock
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
Ucluelet · Big Beach
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
West Bamfield
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
American Black Bear~90%+30%
Northern Red-legged Frog~70%+30%
Northwestern Garter Snake~60%+30%
Common Garter Snake~60%+30%
American Red Squirrel~60%+20%
Mule Deer~60%+30%
Western Red-backed Salamander~60%+20%
Harbor Seal~50%+10%
American Crow~50%-30%
Glaucous-winged Gull~40%-30%
Humpback Whale~40%+30%
American Robin~40%-30%
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Entrance
Paid
Tourism
High
Typical stay
1–2
daysTrails
Moderate
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Good
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
3.5
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 374
🐒 Mammals 98
🦎 Reptiles 9
🐸 Amphibians 11
492 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
40 Threatened 4 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
3.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
58% 📊
Coverage (134 species at ≥5% of 492 in the inventory)
27% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (11 bird, 1 mammal)
20% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
93 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
13 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
15 🏕️
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
2.9
Climate Harsh Low
Entrance Paid Low
Tourism High Low
Trails Moderate Medium
World Heritage No —
What visitors say
During this two and a half hour tour we saw five different bears, including a mother and cub, along with harbour seals and an eagle nest.
In fact, our wonderful Tofino Pacific Rim tour has an add-on option for Whale-watching to further enhance your Pacific Rim experience!
While in Pacific Rim Reserve, I explored Nuu-Chah-Nulth Trail, which connects Wickaninnish beach and Florencia Bay, glimpses into original beauty of the area and tells a little bit more about First Nations culture and traditions
Pacific Rim National Park was therefore one of the highlights of our trip. roadtrip through Canada.
Before you go
What animals can you see in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve?
492 species
Pacific Rim National Park Reserve has 492 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are American Crow (about 70%), Glaucous-winged Gull (about 70%), American Robin (about 70%), Bald Eagle (about 70%) and American Black Bear (about 60%). Among reptiles, the most-seen is Common Garter Snake (about 40%); among amphibians, Northern Red-legged Frog (about 40%).
When is the best time to visit Pacific Rim National Park Reserve for wildlife?
April to November
In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 60% on a given day, against about 50% in December to March.
Can you see an American Black Bear in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report an American Black Bear sighting in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on a given day, based on 326 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is May–June and August–September (about 70%).
Can you see a Gray Whale in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve?
Yes
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Whale sighting in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on a given day, based on 40 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April and June (about 30%).
Can you see a Bald Eagle in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Bald Eagle sighting in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on a given day, based on 2,148 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February and April–May (about 80%).
Can you see a Sea Otter in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve?
Yes
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Sea Otter sighting in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve on a given day, based on 44 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February, April, June and October (about 30%).
Where in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is wildlife easiest to see?
Around Comber's Beach
The richest sighting zone is around Comber's Beach, followed by Kwisitis Visitor Centre and Long Beach, Incinerator Rock, ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.
Is Pacific Rim National Park Reserve good for wildlife watching?
3.2 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Pacific Rim National Park Reserve rates 3.2/5: 254th of 316 parks worldwide and 43rd in North America. 21 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
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