Hunted to extinction by the fur traders in the 1920s, sea otters have made a remarkable comeback off the Coast of British Columbia since they were reintroduced to Checleset Bay, near the village of Kyuquot on the West coast of Vancouver Island.

Between 1969 and 1972, 89 sea otters were brought from Alaska to the west coast of Vancouver Island. An ecological reserve was created in 1981 to protect the sea otter colony in Checleset Bay, where the animals were first reintroduced. Since then their numbers and range have expanded rapidly, and there are now nearly 7,000 of them along the west coast of Vancouver Island and the central coast of British Columbia.

This photo tour will take you to the premier location in British Columbia for photographing sea otters, in the heart of the reintroduction site, where otters have been around for the longest period of time.

LOGISTICS

You will stay on a remote small island on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, near the village of Kyuquot. In the heart of wilderness, accommodations in beachfront canvas tents are extremely comfortable while ensuring a small footprint on the land. Every day a chef prepares delicious meals that we take in a common gathering area, where we can also recharge our batteries and reflect on the experiences of the day.

You will be primarily photographing sea otters from a stable boat platform, and not from a kayak. The tour provides rewarding opportunities to wildlife photographers and lovers who will come away with spectacular photographs that will tell the remarkable and multidimensional story of a place, its wildlife, and people. All levels of ability welcome.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THIS TOUR

This photo tour provides the opportunity to immerse yourself in the sea otter coast, photograph the otters’ diverse behaviours and document how they leave their mark on the environment in both obvious and subtle ways. In this tour limited to a maximum of four guests, you will:

– Document how sea otters transform their environment. On land and on water, you will not only photograph otters, but also the stunning landscapes these charismatic ecosystem engineers help reshape, as well as the other wildlife species that benefit from the return of the sea otters, from invertebrates in the rich intertidal zone to a variety of birds, including oystercatchers, shorebirds, bald eagles, and more.

– Capture the rich kelp environment that sea otters help revitalize: bull kelp, walking kelp. Not only will you have a chance to create the shots that reveal the variety of sea otters behaviours but also visually consider and “frame” these animals in the context of stunning west coast landscapes.

– Photograph humpback whales that come and feed in these nutrient-rich waters, stellar sea lions, and possibly black bears feeding at low tide, and river otters.

– Connect with local First Nations community members, and learn how they interact with the natural environment.