Help? Might not make it to Vanc Island 'til October! Too late for blissful autumn weather & wildlife viewing?
 

Was hoping to see Tofino for the first time (many prior trips had to be cancelled) :-(
and also had hopes of doing some bear watching & orca watching out of Telegraph Cove?

Our other option but will be much harder to make due to work constraints would be around Labor Day or 2nd week in Sept.

I'm sure weather is better then, but any experience w/early October?
If we finished up by Oct 10th at the latest, what do you think?

Would love fall colors (what there are)
and viewing the bears & orcas, like I said. Main concern is that the water would be too rocky for the day outing in a boat we'd been considering. (to see bears...goes across to mainland BC)

Also, would have been nice to see Clayoquot Sound too & maybe do some kayaking there.
Anyone been in October? Is it just too cold & rainy to do such activities?

If so, I suppose except for the bears/whales (which we'd have planned for that long northern drive to Telegraph Cove area)...that, we could find other things to do in Tofino area. As far as Telegraph Cove...would be a bummer as bear outing expensive, but we DO have to plan ahead for it, whenever we go, as it fills up.

Thanks for any thoughts! All the best...

I would go with your Sept dates if possible. Usually becomes significantly wetter in October.

Jerry

Hello Daydreamer,
We spent a couple of days in Victoria last October (as part of a Rockies & Vancouver trip).

From memory, we went to Vancouver Island around the 23rd. The weather was dry, although we had our morning whalewatching trip postponed for a couple of hours because of fog. However, when we did get out, we saw both humpbacks and plenty of orcas...so much more than we expected for the time of year. It was awesome...

I know it's not Tofino or Telegraph Cove (would have loved to have squeezed them in!) but hopefully of some help. I also think we were quite lucky with the weather as we did expect it to be wetter.

Have a great trip!

Claire

Thanks Claire & Gannet (Jerry?)!!
Appreciate the feedback.
It does indeed help. :-)

I recommend to visit telegraph Cove. Begining of October is an excelent time for wild life viewing. I recommend the grzzly bear trips starting from Telegraph Cove.

The whale-whatching trips in Telegraph Cove are not the best. Better you do a trip from Port McNeill (they have a more powerfull boat).

The Port McNeill whale watching provider is Mackay Whale Watching -the best in the area.

Jerry

Thanks so much, you guys!
I think we could get away now (not before due to work) last week in Sept...but to do bears,
only openings are in October.

So...
have to decide whether to gamble on it. (the weather & potentially rough seas then)

I wonder if we might catch a few colors on the island in early Oct, or do colours generally happen much later there? (since a more temperate climate for the most part)
Thanks again for all your help!

Will definitely do Mackay's if we get there. :-)

A few years ago, I did a trip in early October to Clayoquot Wilderness Resort in Tofino and to Knight Inlet Lodge on the mainland (but you fly in from Campbell River) and the weather was fine. I kayaked in both places and also did a whale watching trip (orcas) from Knight Inlet. I think I had a day or two of rain over the course of about a week but that's par for the course for this part of the world. You just dress for it and go anyway!

Yes, early October is more iffy than September but if that's the only time you can go, go! There's no guarantee it would be nice even in August (it's 61 degress and cloudy here in Seattle today, for example).

Thanks again...truly helps to have more feedback! :-)