The best places for wildlife viewing in Canada

By Michelle Hopkins

From coast to coast to coast (yes, we’ve got three!), Canada boasts countless opportunities to get up close and personal with animals in the wild. Whether you’re on the lookout for bears, birds or whales, here’s where you might be lucky enough to catch sight of one of our beloved animals in their natural habitat. [Photo courtesy of Radium Hot Springs]

Newfoundland is famous for its rocky coastline, windswept headlands and its adorable Atlantic puffins. In fact, this cherished bird has become Newfoundland’s official feathered friend. Some of the best sighting grounds are at Witless Bay Ecological Reserve. It is home to North America's largest Atlantic puffin colony. More than 260,000 pairs of puffins nest here during the late spring and summer.

The Yukon is blessed with massive mountain ranges, crystal clear lakes, wild rivers and the world’s largest non-polar ice fields. It is also home to lots of wild animals, including 6,500 grizzly bears. From a safe distance, grizzly bears can be seen hunting for food in Kluane National Park’s Frontal Ranges. [Image credit: iStock.com/nreflect]

In Alberta’s Elk Island National Park, which is dubbed the Jurassic Park of Canada, you can imagine you’ve gone back in time and witness a herd of bison.  This is where the bison, which are being reintroduced in Banff National Park, came from. In the winter, strap on some snowshoes and take in that soul-stirring moment when you catch a herd of bison up close and personal … ok, not too close!

In Churchill, Manitoba, it’s northern border along Hudson’s Bay is where you’ll discover a small, remote town renowned for being the polar bear capital of the world. It’s the most accessible place in the world to view these cute and cuddly bears in the wild. (OK cuddly … who am I kidding?). Apart from polar bears, which can be viewed from July to November, Churchill is also gaining popularity for another white mammal: the beluga whale.

In New Brunswick, the tiny semipalmated sandpipers flock by the thousands to Fundy National Park. During the peak months of July and August, acrobatic flocks of these loveable shorebirds, uttering thin, piping cries (hence the moniker), simply captivate hordes of visitors in the Bay of Fundy with their skill, majestic elegance and timelessness. [Photo credit: Paul Gaudet]

In La Belle Province, head to Forest Montmorency – the largest teaching and research forest in the world. It is also your best bet for a close encounter with moose in the wild. Its moniker, King of the Forest, fits this mammoth, majestic animal. The Forest features two moose-watching safaris – in September and October – so guests can learn all about this mysterious beast of the woods. [Photo credit: Stacey Philipps]

There’s a lot of myths surrounding owls. One is that they can spin their heads right around. Sorry, they can’t. Nevertheless, owls continue to fascinate and intrigue us. In PEI, owls are a popular bird. The smallest province is home to at least eight species of owls, including the barred and great horn owls. You can see these beautiful birds around Macphail Woods, and in most older mixed woods stands – Townsend Woodlot near Souris, along the Dunk River, the Bonshaw Hills and Stanley Bridge. [Image credit: iStock.com/mirceax]

Whale watching is considered one of Nova Scotia’s top 25 attractions. The best place to grab your camera, point, click and “ooh”  is in the Bay of Fundy, where you could very possibly see several species in one trip.  You might just be lucky enough to witness multiple whales playing, flipping their tails, spraying water, making noises and breaching. The best times to go whale watching are in the summer and fall months. Canada’s wealth of whales means there are plenty of other places to see these awe-inspiring animals: along B.C.’s west coast and on the shores of the St.Lawrence River in Quebec. (Image credit: iStock.com/blake81]

British Columbia’s Radium Hot Springs in Kootenay National Park is where you can bear witness to bighorn sheep. The real drama unfolds in fall when it is rutting season (October into November). That’s when the rams of the 140-strong herd convene and start clashing, literally, for hours at a time in competition to win female attention. The 140 kg bachelors taunt, kick, and then charge each other at 35 kph, vying for the most beautiful ladies. [Photo courtesy of Radium Hot Springs]

In Northern Ontario, people are drawn to its numerous lakes – not for fishing or boating – but to see and hear the haunting call of the loon as it echoes across the water. Loons are strikingly handsome, with red eyes, a dagger like bill, and distinctive black-and-white zebra markings, you can hear these beautiful birds at Eagle Lake, Lake of the Woods, Lac Seul, Rainy Lake, Wabigoon Lake and many more.

If you visit the town of Narcisse, Manitoba, around Mother’s Day, you’ll get to see what is arguably the largest gathering of snakes anywhere in the world. It’s at this time that tens of thousands of red garter snakes emerge from their dens for a writhing spectacle that’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. From the last week of April through the third week of May is prime viewing time. [Image credit: iStock.com/creighton359]

For fluttering flurries of orange-black Monarch butterflies, the place to be is Ontario – and in particular, Point Pelee National Park on the north shore of Lake Erie. Not only is the park the southernmost point in Canada, it is also home to thousands of Monarchs from early spring through to fall. They use the park as a staging point before making their 3,500 km trip south every winter. [Image credit: iStock.com/OGphoto]

The majestic bald eagle may be seen as a true blue American symbol, but it’s in Squamish, B.C., where you’ll have one of the best opportunities to see these birds. Every winter, this West Coast town hosts one of the largest winter congregations of bald eagles in the world. They come to feed on the chum salmon in the Squamish River. A month-long eagle festival every January is a great time to make the trip here for a guided tours or even a float tour down the river. [Image credit: iStock.com/KenCanning]