Every season has a “best of” nature offering, and Oceanwild‘s tours capture the outstanding characteristics of each season. Expeditions feature diving, marine mammal and bear watching, beach and tide pool explorations, birding, wildflower walks, sports fishing and informative harbour and coastwise excursions. All trips are water-based and range from two-hours to overnight and multi-day adventures.

For nature-lovers looking for a more-than-memorable wilderness experience, Camp Oceanwild is the ticket. This rustic float camp is located at the mouth of Work Channel, one of the most prolific wildlife areas on the North Coast. Not only a major feeding ground and virtual highway for Orca and Humpback whales and salmon, it is home to the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary. From the comfort of Camp Oceanwild, you can choose from a menu of tours or customize a program to meet your personal interests and create the most amazing nature vacation of your life.

Tours accommodate four to eight people and departures are dictated by tide and weather. Extra tours may be added to accommodate demand.

Harbour View Tour (2 hours)

$60/person (min 4/max 8)
The many facets of the North Coast‘s history and modern lifestyle come alive on this cruise along Prince Rupert‘s waterfront and surrounding coastline. See the city from the water and learn about the historic and modern industries that have sustained commerce, see vestiges of the wartime era, then travel back to the city through Venn Passage. You will hear the story of William Duncan and the founding of Metlakatla and the tiny communities on Digby Island, and learn about contemporary coastal lifestyles. You‘ll learn about marine life, and there is always the potential to see eagles, herons, sea birds, seals, porpoises and more. This is a comfortable and entertaining outing suitable for all ages.

Whale Watching (3 hours)

$95/person (min 4/max 8)
Minke, Grey, Humpback and Orca whales ply the waters of the North Coast, beginning in early spring with the return of the herring. Season and availability of food determines where these leviathans can be found. Although no wildlife sightings can be guaranteed, we often sight sea lions, dolphins, porpoises and seals, along with the tens of thousands of seabirds. And, as many will attest, there is nothing to compare with sitting quietly amidst a pod of Humpbacks as the bubblefeed around you. This tour can be booked as a separate trip exclusively intended to view sea mammals; however, there is a potential to see sea mammals on any water excursion.

Beach Excursion & Coastal Hiking (3 hours)

$95/person (min 4/max 8)
This is a favorite nature appreciation excursion suitable for families. This tour offering provides guests with an opportunity to discover and explore wild beaches. Your destination will be one of two beaches, the selection of which will be dictated by weather and tide. Travel to both beaches is one hour by boat in each direction. Guests are encouraged to bring snacks or a picnic lunch. For those wanting a fully guided educational experience, the Natural History Tour is recommended.

Oval Bay: This vast beach on Porcher Island is on the island‘s western edge. A cobble beach at high tide, it transforms into sandy flats at low tide. It is exposed to the ferocious southeast gales that regularly sweep through Hecate Strait. Always an interesting walk, sometimes with surprising "finds".

White Sands Beach: Situated in Chatham Sound, this sandy pocket beach is rife with tide pools. Filled with an amazing array of invertebrates, the pools are fun to discover. A truly wonderful introduction to the rocky coastline.

Crab Picnic on the Beach

$175/person (min 4/max 8)
A well-kept secret of the North Coast is the excellence of its crab fishery. Nourishing waters are home to Dungeness and King Crab. A crab fishing trip followed by a beach picnic is absolutely ideal for a family or group and combines perfectly with beach activities. You help set the traps, haul in the catch and under the tutelage of your experienced guide, then cook your catch and enjoy a crab feast on the beach. Oceanwild supplies the bait and traps, and arranges the crab cooker. You bring the trimmings and take home great pictures and fantastic memories.

Natural History (3 hours)

$95/person (min 4/max 8)
On this guided tour you will discover why British Columbia is a veritable hot spot of seaweed biodiversity as we identify and examine more than 20 species of seaweed and shellfish found in these waters and shores. We have special permission to visit special beaches and visit unspoiled shoreline and learn about their fascinating natural histories, diverse economic uses, and essential ecological roles.

Sea Bird & Nesting Colony Tour (3 hours)

$120/person (min 4/max 8)
With 510 bird species, British Columbia boasts more species than any province or territory in Canada. Fantastic summer populations and remarkable over-wintering populations make birding on B.C.‘s North Coast extremely rewarding. Spring and fall migrations produce exciting opportunities to see both breeding and migrating shore birds and water fowl. Guided water excursions and itineraries take you to wonderful locations including undeveloped and remote wetlands, estuaries, bays and inlets, seeking out both endemic and rare birds. Depending on season, you may encounter Trumpeter Swans, Great White Fronted Geese, Bald Eagles, Harlequin Ducks, Marbled Murrelet, Rednecked Phalarope, Pelagic, Brant‘s and double-crested Cormorant, Black Turnstsone, Black Oystercatchers, Loons, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfisher, Pigeon Guillemots, Grebes, Scoters and occasional Storm-Petrels and Jaegers.

Witness a Rhinoceros Auklet Colony

Witness the amazing evening return of thousands of adult Rhiocerous Auklets each evening in July and August when they come back to their burrows to feed their new chicks. This globally significant colony of Rhinoceros Auklets nests on the Lucy Islands, some twenty-one kilometers west of Prince Rupert. The small, low-lying and heavily forested islands and islets are connected by sandy beaches and tidal mudflats. This sheltered archipelago is an important feeding area for Rhinocerous Auklets and other marine birds. Read more about Rhinocerous Auklets in our Prince Rupert Nature Blog.

Wildflower & Natural History (3 hours)

$120/person (min 4/max 8)
From the vivid splashes of vibrant colour to the soft pastels of delicate blooms, the dozens of species of North Coast wildflowers are a photographer‘s delight. Depending on the time of your visit, you may be able to capture images of British Columbia‘s delicate wild orchids, hardy Fireflower, Indian Paintbrush, Columbine and a host of other beautiful specimens. We will explore coastal islands loaded with wildflowers where you can expect to see vast beds of Shooting Stars, a wide range of wild orchids such as Yellow Lady‘s Slipper, Northern Green Bog Orchid, Fairy Slipper, and Varieties of Rein, and even Black Lilies.

Salmon, Halibut & Crab Fishing (8 hours)

$180/person (min 4/max8)
The excellence of the North Coast salmon and halibut fishing is known throughout the world. For some, a trip to the area is just not complete without sports fishing. Oceanwild is pleased to help fulfill those dreams, and will arrange sports fishing trips for those traveling with or without deep sea fishing gear.

Bear Watching (7 hours)

$175/person

Canada‘s only grizzly bear sanctuary, the Khutzeymateen, is located in Work Channel, close to Camp Oceanwild. "Khutzeymateen" is a Tsimshian word meaning a confined space of bears and salmon. The sanctuary‘s old growth forest, wetlands and extensive estuary provides excellent habitat for a wildlife population that includes moose, wolves, migrating owls, grouse, shorebirds, geese, harlequin ducks, kingfishers, and harbor seals, orca and humpback whales along the coast. All five species of salmon return to spawn in the valley‘s streams and tributaries. The sanctuary provides refuge for some 50 grizzlies and human access is strictly controlled. That being said, there is a considerable wildlife population in the area and wildlife viewing in the region is generally very good.

Oceanwild is pleased to arrange guided bear and wildlife watching tours for its guests.

SCUBA Diving (8 hours)

$175/person (min 4/max 6)
Dive sites have been selected to reveal the range of remarkable sights and species. You will experience the colour and texture of North Pacific waters in an amazing array of soft red and pink corals, yellow sponges and feathery plumose anemones. A myriad of invertebrates, many unique and some even rare, encrust the ledges and you will observe surfaces so thickly covered that you won‘t be able to see the rock itself. Watch giant octopus, wolf eel sightings, sea stars, crab and clouds of rockfish, to name a few. The overwhelming abundance and diversity of life is sure to leave you in awe as you identify and enjoy many species found nowhere else.

Following is the general itinerary for each of our adventure dives [1]. Because these sites are seldom accessed, they are pristine and some border virgin territory. Because our selected dive sites are remote, boat running time is 45-60 minutes each way, we offer three dives per tour: two in the morning and one in the afternoon. Our dive guide accompanies every group and each dive includes three tanks of air.

Bring snacks, lunch and hot beverages along with a warm hat, gloves and boots to wear on the boat. We suggest waterproof pants and recommend dressing in layers for maximum comfort.

[1] Dives in Watts Narrows and within Prince Rupert Harbour differ from the format described in this section.

More information on Charter Diving.
Need Scuba diving gear? See rental gear and rates.
Not a certified diver yet? See our section on learning to dive.

HARBOUR DIVE(4 hours)

$70/person (min 4/max 6)
Inner harbour dives appeal to divers interested in practicing and improving their skills and exploring Prince Rupert Harbour. Because running time is minimal, this package is offered with flexible departures. The waters surrounding Prince Rupert have been home to people for up the past 10,000 years, and the harbour has a history of modern commerce reaching back more than a century. In addition to observing marine creatures, you may also see the impacts and relics of civilization.

Includes dive guide, 2 dives and 2 tanks of air.