Searching for ‘sea wolves’ in Canada
Discover the wildlife along the shorelines of British Columbia’s coastal islands
Most wolves are land-based predators, working in packs to chase down the likes of deer and elk. But on the coastal islands of British Columbia, these adaptable creatures have carved out a different existence, said Andrew Eames in the FT. Having come for the venison, they’ve stayed for the seafood, “browsing the tides”, grazing on barnacles, clams and crabs, and “occasionally swimming to offshore rocks to creep up on seals and sea otters”. These “sea wolves” have thrived, and are widespread today, but spotting them amid the region’s dense forests is not easy.
Still, your chances are not bad on the bespoke “wolf-searching” trips recently launched by Audley Travel, with indigenous guides and much time spent near the islands’ shorelines, walking, camping and travelling by boat.
After a few nights in Vancouver and in Port Hardy, at the northern tip of Vancouver Island, you sail northwards through the smaller islands of the labyrinthine archipelago. There’s plenty of other wildlife to spot, including bald eagles, pods of humpback whales, and “pungent” colonies of sea lions. Particularly comical are the sea otters, gathered in great “rafts”: you might pause to watch mothers showing their pups “how to open shells by thwacking them on stones balanced on their chests”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The first land stop is a shell midden left by humans – the only trace that remains of a former Tlatlasikwala First Nations village on the site. You then pitch camp on a smaller island nearby, setting off on a walk through a rainforest laced with wolf trails.
Amid the dense creepers and cedars like “towering organ pipes”, there’s a sense the animals are watching you. But they’re most likely to reveal themselves at dawn, when they howl together, drawing you out of your tent.
With any luck, you might spot one – its hair “the colour of ginger tea” – gazing at you from a nearby island before padding away into the gloom.
A nine-day trip costs from £5,870pp, including flights (audleytravel.com).
Sign up for The Week’s Travel newsletter for destination inspiration and the latest news and trends.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 10, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - civic duty, uncertain waters, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 ladylike cartoons about women's role in the election
Cartoons Artists take on the political gender gap, Lady Liberty, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The right to die: what can we learn from other countries?
The Explainer A look at the world's assisted dying laws as MPs debate Kim Leadbeater's proposed bill
By The Week Published
-
Juror #2: Clint Eastwood's 'cleverly constructed' courtroom drama is 'rock solid'
The Week Recommends Nicholas Hoult stars in 'morally complex' film about a juror on a high-profile murder case
By The Week UK Published
-
Explore a timeless corner of Spain by bike
The Week Recommends Take a 'dawdling route through the back-country' far from the tourism hotspots
By The Week UK Published
-
Saoirse Ronan: how the actress went viral
In the Spotlight The actress dropped a 'chat-icide bomb' on Graham Norton's BBC show
By The Week UK Published
-
Edmund de Waal on this year's Booker Prize shortlist
The Week Recommends The chair of judges details works by Rachel Kushner, Percival Everett and others
By The Week UK Published
-
Griddled salmon and vegetables with miso and melted butter recipe
The Week Recommends Hokkaido comfort food classic with a delicious twist
By The Week UK Published
-
Shattered: Hanif Kureishi's 'inspirational' memoir of accident that left him paralysed
The Week Recommends 'Exhilarating' book is composed of diary entries dictated to his son Carlo
By The Week UK Published
-
Dr. Strangelove: is stage adaptation of iconic film a 'foolish' move?
Talking Point Steve Coogan puts on a dazzling performance in show that falls short of 'the real thing'
By The Week UK Published
-
Small Things Like These: 'stylish' Irish drama 'casts a powerful spell'
The Week Recommends 'Stylish' drama starring Cillian Murphy as a devoted father
By The Week UK Published