Come For Wildlife Adventure

Tickle your sense of fun and adventure as we explore the breathtaking scenery and exciting wildlife in the waters of Vancouver Island.  Whisk yourself away from the stress and pace of everyday life.   Expect the unexpected and find magical moments in the beauty of nature.

We travel by covered aluminum boat which has a washroom and seats for 12 passengers. Along the way we often see black bears on the low tide beaches, bald eagles, harbour porpoises and seals, Dall's porpoises, sometimes dolphins and river otters. Seabirds we encounter include marbled murrelets, murres, pigeon guillemots and rhinoceros auklets.
Marine animals and birds need undisturbed access to their food source, social gathering and nesting sites.
We view from appropriate distances, close enough for pictures but not too close. Why do we want to show you our magnificent wildlife? Viewing wildlife aids in their conservation. People come to see, then get excited about supporting wildlife conservation here* or in their local area. The last 30 years have seen a radical shift in peoples' attitude about the orca whales through whale watching tours, interaction in aquariums, movies and school programs. We can to do the same for the grizzly bears and black bears.

Our company is run by Howard Pattinson of Comox,  a knowledgeable guide with over 45 years experience in these waters. Whether it be exploring a remote sandy beach or watching grizzlies, Howard's local knowledge brings you nose-to-nose with nature. His experience with everything marine brings you safely home with a renewed sense of wonder.  " You're in good hands."Howard Pattinson - Tour Guide  for Tide Rip Tours

Lindsey Pattinson earned his Transport Canada Master's for running the water taxis in 2005  

Lindsey loves watching grizzly bears on the estuary in Knight Inlet in the summer time; winter sees him in Columbia with his wife Ximena.

For several years Bill Mehan of the Sunshine Coast gave us a hand. In the winter he works in chest waders, counting salmon in the local streams. Bill loves to watch the moms & cubs hassle over the best fishing spots.
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Derek Kyostia loves taking our viewing skiff into impossible places in the estuary to see eagles, grizzly bears and salmon. That's 2 eagles on the stump:

 
In the winter Derek studies surf scoters on the Baja, Mexico 

or climbs mountains for a better view:



*Conservation organizations supported by us: Georgia Straits Alliance www.georgiastrait.org 

Glendale Spawning Channel clean-up:
www.wildbcsalmon.ca



RainCoast Conservation Society www.raincoast.org 



 

Tide Rip Tous