| A Tour of Vancouver Island Seasons with a | | | | phosphorescence at night are magical |
| Naturalist From Sandy Seashores to Mountain | | | | experiences not to be missed. Alpine flower |
| Meadows | | | | meadows peak in July and August, popping up |
| | | | as the snow melts. |
| The mild Vancouver Island climate provides | | | | |
| year round access to nature hiking, wildlife | | | | The pink salmon usher in autumn in early |
| viewing and bird watching. Subtleties mark | | | | September, followed by Chinook salmon peaking |
| your passage from the months of the leaping | | | | in October, then Coho salmon and Chum salmon |
| salmon, vibrant moss, herring spawning, | | | | continuing through November and December. |
| singing frogs, brant geese, blazing flowers, | | | | You can watch them leaping over obstacles, |
| alligator lizards, berries and back again. | | | | jockeying for position or stare eyeball to |
| There's plenty to do and see every month for | | | | eyeball with a 50 pound Chinook the size of a |
| the avid eco tourist on Vancouver Island. | | | | garbage can in an underwater viewing area. |
| | | | Black bears and eagles gather to enjoy the |
| The herring return to spawn in March and in | | | | feast. Massive bird migrations pass through |
| hot pursuit come thousands of sea birds and | | | | in the fall, especially along the coast, so |
| hundreds of sea lions, seals and eagles. | | | | bird watching is a delight while autumn rains |
| April to June is the best time for wandering | | | | spark technicolour explosions of mushrooms. |
| down fragrant paths alight with spring wild | | | | |
| flowers. Salmon berry, red currant, fawn | | | | The winter moisture makes the Vancouver |
| lilies, bleeding heart, trilliums and violets | | | | Island mountains among the snowiest places on |
| are just a few of April's flowers. | | | | earth, receiving up to 10 meters of snow. |
| | | | When you want snow, you can have it by |
| Summer is a parade of berries beginning in | | | | driving up Mount Washington between December |
| June with the orange salmon berries and black | | | | and May and enjoy snow shoeing in the winter |
| raspberries, then trailing blackberries, red | | | | wonderland |
| huckleberries, Himalayan blackberries, | | | | |
| blueberries, black huckleberries and | | | | Unique nature exploration opportunities are |
| cranberries. Where there are berries, there | | | | available every month of the year on the |
| are bears and lots of birds. More than 300 | | | | island. In addition to each season's unique |
| species of birds use the island and | | | | features, beaver, mink, otter, seals, eagles, |
| surrounding waters at least part of the year. | | | | juvenile salmon, many bird species and tide |
| Summer brings some of the lowest daytime | | | | pool life can be seen year round. During the |
| tides revealing tide pools with a colourful | | | | September to May season the trails are less |
| array of bizarre marine life. Visit during a | | | | busy and offer some fantastic wildlife |
| full or new moon to take advantage of the | | | | viewing opportunities. Discover nature's |
| lowest tides and the greatest variety of | | | | delights in the secret corners of Vancouver |
| marine life. Snorkelling the lush eelgrass | | | | Island with a private nature tour by a |
| forests or wading through the sparkling | | | | professional biologist. |