FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What animals will I see on the Trail?

You are almost certain to see:

• Grey whales
• Seals
• Sea Lions
  • There's a good chance to see, hear & smell sea lions from the 2 lighthouses & at Owen Point.

You need a good zoom lens or binoculars on coastal hikes.

• Mink

This mink discovered a dead fish washed ashore.

• Otter
  • Sea otters are the smallest marine mammals though they can grow to 45 kg. The smaller cousin, the river otter, is also often found near the ocean.

Otter in Port Renfrew harbour.

There's a fair chance you'll encounter:

• Great Blue Heron
• Cormorant

Cormorants.

Look for a Parks Canada brochure The Birds of Pacific Rim National Park, 1985 with a photo of a Tufted Puffin on the front. It’s based on a book called The Birds of Pacific Rim National Park by D. Hatler, Campbell and A Dorst.

A total of 254 species of birds have been identified near the Pacific Rim National Park also includes:

• Crow
• Stellar’s Jay
• Robin
• Bald Eagle

Young bald eagle fallen from the nest on Nootka Island.

There are cougars on Vancouver Island but it's highly unlikely you'll see one. They are cautious, secretive ambush hunters feeding mainly on deer. We did see one cross the highway near Sooke, BC.

We keep looking for Orca (Killer Whale) off the west coast of Vancouver Island but none of our contributors have seen one yet while hiking.

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