Many of the surrounding regions have rocky shorelines which allow for the creation of tide pools, my favourite area being Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver. At low tide, the inter-tidal zones along the shores contain pools with a wealth of life. Star fish, anemones, sea cucumbers, crabs, urchins and a supporting cast of dozens more are usually in attendance. These tidal pools make for some very entertaining and educational viewing.

One of the biggest draws for nature lovers is a chance to view the whales as they move through the area. Several companies provide nature tours so you can observe the bird colonies, seal haul outs and hopefully a pod of whales.

Attractions for Families and Kids

• BC Lions - Professional Football at BC Place, Vancouver
• BC Museum of Mining - Squamish, Vancouver Coast and Mountains
• BC Sports Hall of Fame - BC Place Stadium, Vancouver
• Bear Creek Park Train - Surrey, Greater Vancouver
• Big Bus - Double Decker or Open Top Bus Tours, Vancouver
• Bloedel Conservatory - Tropical Birds & Plants, Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver - City of Vancouver
• Bose Corn Maze - Surrey, Greater Vancouver
• Burnaby Village Museum - 1920's Style Theme, Burnaby, Greater Vancouver
• Canada Games Pool - Swimming & Aquatic Playground, New Westminster, Greater Vancouver
• Candy Isle Confectionary - Penny Candy, British Candy, Sweets, Vancouver
• Capilano Suspension Bridge - Suspension Bridge, Treetop Adventure and More, North Vancouver, Greater Vancouver
• Dino Town - Cartoon Dinosaur Park, Greater Vancouver
• Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Gardens - Chinatown, Vancouver
• F440 - Go Karts, Greater Vancouver
• Fort Langley - National Historic Site, Fort Langley, Vancouver Coast and Mountains
• Funland - Amusements for Kids, Cultus Lake, Vancouver Coast and Mountains
• Go Bananas - Playcentre, Multiple Locations, Greater Vancouver
• Greater Vancouver Zoo - Safari Park, Aldergrove, Vancouver Coast and Mountains
• Grouse Mountain - Skyride, North Vancouver, Greater Vancouver
• Gulf of Georgia Cannery - National Historic Site, Richmond
• Harbour Centre Lookout - Vancouver
• Honey Bee Centre - Surrey, Greater Vancouver
• Honeyland Canada - Pitt Meadows, Vancouver Coast and Mountains
• Kids Market - Dozens of Shops for Kids and Their Parents, Granville Island, Vancouver
• Laserdome Plus - Laser Tag & More, North Vancouver, Greater Vancouver
• Lynne Canyon Ecological Centre - North Vancouver, Greater Vancouver
• Maplewood Farm - North Vancouver, Greater Vancouver
• Meadows Maze - Pitt Meadows, Vancouver Coast and Mountains
• Omnimax Theater - Vancouver
• Planet Lazer - Laser Tag, New Westminster, Greater Vancouver
• Playland (PNE) - Amusement Park, Vancouver
• Reptile Refuge Education Center - Surrey, Greater Vancouver
• Richmond Go Kart Track - Richmond, Greater Vancouver
• Science World - Vancouver
• Space Centre and Planetarium - Kitsilano, Vancouver
• Stanley Park - Vancouver
• Transcanada Waterslide - Chilliwack, Vancouver Coast and Mountains
• West Coast Railway Heritage Park - Squamish, Vancouver Coast and Mountains
• Vancouver Aquarium - Stanley Park, Vancouver
• Vancouver Canadians - Baseball, Vancouver
• Vancouver Maritime Museum - Vancouver
• Vancouver Whitecaps - Professional Soccer, Vancouver

Nature, Whale Watching & Nature Viewing

Vancouver & Greater Vancouver

• Steveston Seabreeze Adventures - Whale Watching, Richmond, Vancouver Coast & Mountains
• Stanley Park - Nature Viewing, Vancouver
• Vancouver Whale Watch - Richmond
• Vancouver Whale Watching - Vancouver

Vancouver Island

• Jamies Whaling Station - Ucluelet
• Marine Ecology Centre - Port Sidney
• Orca Spirit - Victoria
• Prince of Whales - Victoria
• Sea Quest Adventures - Sidney, Vancouver Island
• Stubbs Island Whale Watching - Telegraph Cove, Vancouver Island
• WeGo Kayaking Expeditions - Duncan, Vancouver Island

Flora and Fauna

British Columbia (Abridged)

• Black Bear
• Cougar (Mountain Lion, Puma)
• Dall Sheep
• Elk
• Grizzly Bear
• Mountain Goat
• Kermode Bear (Sprit Bear)

Nature Links

Vancouver Island

• Bowen Island Conservancy - (604)947-0483, Bowen Island
• Brant Wildlife Festival - Parksville, Vancouver Island
• Birding Vancouver Island - Vancouver Island
• Capital Regional District Parks
• City Green - Victoria, Vancouver Island
• Comox Valley Land Trust - Vancouver Island
• Cortes Land Conservancy - (250)935-6467, Cortes Island
• Cowichan Community Land Trust - Vancouver Island
• Denman Conservancy
• Esquimalt Lagoon Enhancement Association (ELEA) - Victoria, Vancouver Island
• Friends of Beacon Hill Park - Victoria, Vancouver Island
• Friends of Clayoquot Sound - Northern Vancouver Island
• Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society - Victoria, Vancouver Island
• Georgia Strait Alliance - Victoria, Vancouver Island
• Goldstream Nature House - Gold Stream Provincial Park
• Hornby Island Conservancy - (250) 335-2603, Hornby Island
• Islands Trust Fund - (Vancouver & Gulf/Discovery Islands) Victoria, Vancouver Island
• Johnstone Strait Killer Whale Interpretive Centre Society - Vancouver Island
• Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere - Vancouver Island
• Marine Ecology Station - Sidney, Vancouver Island
• Nanaimo Area Land Trust - Nanaimo, Vancouver Island
• North Island Wildlife Recovery Association - Vancouver Island
• Oak Bay Green Committee - Oak Bay, Vancouver Island
• Pacific Rim Whale Festival - Winter, Ucluelet/Tofino, Vancouver Island
• Quadra Island Conservancy & Stewardship Society - (250) 285-3582, Quadra Island, Gulf Islands (Discovery Islands)
• Race Rocks Marine Protected Area - Vancouver Island
• Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary - Vancouver Island
• Vancouver Island Birding - Vancouver Island
• Victoria Natural History Society - Victoria, Vancouver Island

Parks, Lands, Rivers, Lakes & Marine Conservation Areas

• Andreas Vogt Nature Reserve - Salt Spring Island, Land Trust Alliance
• Bodega Ridge Provincial Park - Galiano Island
• Burgoyne Bay Provincial Park - Salt Spring Island, BC Provincial Parks
• Descanso Bay Regional Park - Gabriola Island, Regional District of Nanaimo
• Dionisio Point Provincial Park - Galiano Island, BC Provincial Parks
• Drumbeg Provincial Park - Gabriola Island, BC Provincial Parks
• Gabriola Sands Provincial Park - Gabriola Island, BC Provincial Parks
• Gulf Islands National Park - National Parks Canada
• Medicine Beach Nature Sanctuary - Land Trust Alliance
• Manzanita Ridge Nature Reserve - Salt Spring Island, Land Trust Alliance
• Matthews Point - Galiano Island, Land Conservancy of BC
• Montague Harbour Provincial Marine Park - Galiano Island, BC Provincial Parks
• Mount Erskine - Salt Spring Island, Land Trust Alliance
• Mount Maxwell Provincial Park - BC Provincial Parks
• Mount Park Park - Mayne Island, Capital Regional District
• Pirates Cove Marine Provincial Park - De Courcy Island, BC Provincial Parks
• Ruckle Provincial Park - Salt Spring Island, BC Provincial Parks
• Sandwell Provincial Park - Gabriola Island, BC Provincial Parks
• Wallace Island Provincial Marine Park - Wallace Island, BC Provincial Parks

British Columbia Ecological Reserves

Click on the link above for information on any of the following reserves.

• Anne Vallee - Northern Vancouver Island
• Ballingall Straight - Gulf Islands
• Bowser - Central Vancouver Island
• Brackman Island - Southern Vancouver Island
• Beresford Island - Northern Vancouver Island
• Checleset Bay - Northern Vancouver Island
• Clanninick Creek - Northern Vancouver Island
• Claude Elliott Creek - Northern Vancouver Island
• Cleland Island - Central Vancouver Island
• Comox Lake Bluffs - Central Vancouver Island
• Canoe Islet - Gulf Islands
• Duke of Edinburgh - Northern Vancouver Island
• Galiano Island - Gulf Islands
• Haley Lake - Southern Vancouver Island
• Harmony Bay - Southern Vancouver Island
• Hudson Rock - Southern Vancouver Island
• Klanawa River - Southern Vancouver Island
• Ladysmith Bog - Southern Vancouver Island
• Megan River - Central Vancouver Island
• Misty Lake - Northern Vancouver Island
• Mount Derby - Northern Vancouver Island
• Mount Elliot - Northern Vancouver Island
• Mount Maxwell - Southern Vancouver Island
• Mount Tuam - Gulf Islands
• Mount Tzuhalem - Southern Vancouver Island
• Nimpkish River - Northern Vancouver Island
• Oak Bay Islands - Southern Vancouver Island
• Nitinat Lake - Southern Vancouver Island
• Race Rocks - Southern Vancouver Island
• Robson Bight - Northern Vancouver Island
• Rose Islet - Gulf Islands
• San Juan Ridge - Southern Vancouver Island
• San Juan River Estuary - Southern Vancouver Island
• Sartine Island - Northern Vancouver Island
• Satellite Channel - Gulf Islands
• Saturna Island - Gulf Islands
• Solander Island - Northern Vancouver Island
• Sutton Place - Central Vancouver Island
• Tahsish River - Northern Vancouver Island
• Ten Mile Point - Southern Vancouver Island
• Trial Island - Southern Vancouver Island
• Tsitika Mountain - Northern Vancouver Island
• Tsitika River - Northern Vancouver Island
• Woodley Range - Southern Vancouver Island

  Click on the link above for information on any of the reserves listed.

Resources

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Out-There's Destinations

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• Laurentians - QC
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