Join Wild Pacific Trail naturalists for a one-hour guided walk exploring the fascinating world of sea otters along Vancouver Island’s wild coast. Learn how these charismatic marine mammals helped shape coastal ecosystems, why they nearly disappeared from British Columbia waters, and how their remarkable recovery continues to influence life beneath the waves today. Discover how sea otters use tools, care for their young, and spend nearly their entire lives at sea. While sea otter sightings cannot be guaranteed, we often spot them along the shoreline during our walk.

A guided tour of the fascinating world that exists where the land meets the sea.

Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday this July!

This event is free with the purchase of a National Park entry pass. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please do not bring pets.

Meet at the Kwisitis Visitor Centre Parking Lot.

Photo by Parks Canada

Join a Parks Canada naturalist to explore the world of sea otters! Ask all your questions and interact with the props provided by Parks Canada. 

Every Thursday this July!

The event is free with the purchase of a National Park entry pass. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please do not bring pets and recording devices are not permitted.

Arrive early as parking is limited.

For more information contact: Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (250-726-4212)

PLEASE NOTE: Events may be subject to change without notice.

Visit Parks Canada Interpreters at the lighthouse Discovery Tent and enjoy interactive activities with rotating topics to discover, learn, and have fun. Get to know some local whales, test your wildlife knowledge on the trivia wheel, and try to spot a whale spout from shore!. Along the way, you'll learn about the biology, ecology, and conservation of whales and other marine mammals.

Every Thursday this July & August!

No registration is required.

Get your gumboots on and join Raincoast Education Society for a hands-on exploration of local eelgrass meadows! We’ll use a beach seine to gently catch and observe the fascinating ocean creatures that call this intertidal habitat home—everything is safely returned to the sea. Learn about local ecosystems, spot some cool critters, and see how interconnected life in the ocean really is! What we find is in-seine!

You will have the opportunity to help pull the seine up onto the beach and investigate species caught inside. Raincoast Education Society staff will teach you how to handle the animals caught with care.

These interactive opportunities are FREE, all-ages events. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join! Events will run rain or shine, and gumboots are recommended.

July 9, 16, 23, 30 & August 6, 13, 20, 27

Contact Surfrider to sign up and learn more. Spaces are limited to boat capacity.

Email kkeats@surfrider.ca to inquire. Date and time may change.

Volunteers needed for all events, email us to be part of the fun!

Grey, humpback, and orca whales are some of the most captivating creatures that visit the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Learn about their mysterious and fascinating lives, and how our relationship with them has changed over time.

Every Thursday this July!

This event is free with the purchase of a National Parks entry pass. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please do not bring pets and recording devices are not permitted.

For more information contact: Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (250-726-4212)

PLEASE NOTE: Events may be subject to change without notice.

Join Redd Fish Restoration Society for their sea star wasting survey at Tonquin beach!

Just like salmon, qasqiip (sea stars) are a foundational species, which means they help define their ecosystem. Sunflower stars are a critical species and fill a similar ecological niche as sea otters. The loss of sunflower stars can lead to the population explosion of one of their favourite prey items: sea urchins.
Overpopulated urchins can quickly devour kelp, which provides essential habitat for juvenile salmon during their transition phase into marine water (as well other functions including sequestering CO2 for us).
Unfortunately, since 2013, sea stars have been experiencing a devastating mass mortality event that has decimated populations in deepwater habitats to intertidal zones along the shores of western North America.
The culprit: Sea Star Wasting Syndrome (SSWS).
The species hardest hit by SSWS is the captivating sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides). This once-abundant apex predator is currently missing from most of its previously extensive range, from Mexico to Alaska, with populations having plummeted over 90%. Researchers estimate that as many as 5.75 billion animals have perished in this most recent bought of SSWS. As of Dec 2020, the sunflower sea star is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

With the help of citizen-science volunteers, this is the 12th year of sea star wasting data gathered on the west coast, contributing to the North-America wide monitoring program by MARINe.

No experience necessary! Meet at the Tonquin Beach parking lot and dress for the weather. No registration required. 

Step into the intertidal zone a world shaped by the rhythm of the tides where every rock pool reveals a hidden story. Join for a guided shoreline exploration and discover colourful seaweeds, crabs, and other fascinating life along the shore. This hands-on, family-friendly program encourages curiosity, careful observation, and respect for the creatures we encounter. Join Wild Pacific Trail for this relaxed, one-hour Naturalist guided walk along the ever changing shoreline at Big Beach. Please wear sturdy footwear and be prepared for uneven, rocky terrain. Perfect for locals and visitors alike.

Please supervise children carefully, wear sturdy shoes,. No pets please. Respect the power of the open ocean, stay with your guide. Meet at the Big Beach Picnic Shelter or find us on the beach if you arrive late. 

Visit Parks Canada booth on the Wild Pacific Trail to learn about rotating topics each week!

Parks Canada Coastal Stewards will greet you at the Amphitrite Lighthouse Discovery Tent. Learn about staying safe on and near the water. The ocean is unpredictable. Always stay on the trail. Never venture down into the surge channels along the Wild Pacific Trail or out onto the rocks near the ocean. Learn fun facts about the power of the ocean!

Find the tent at the Amphitrite Lighthouse Discovery Tent on the Wild Pacific Trail.

For more information, check out their website here!

Photo Credit: Parks Canada

Experience the sights, sounds, and scents of an old growth rainforest with a Parks Canada Naturalist.

This event is free with purchase of a National Park entry pass, and open to all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please do not bring pets. Meet in the Kwisitis Visitor Centre Parking Lot.

Every Sunday, Wednesday & Friday this July!

For more information contact: Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (250-726-4212)

PLEASE NOTE: Events may be subject to change without notice.

Photo Credits: Parks Canada

Come take part in a unique, all-ages event where you’ll help assemble a life-sized whale skeleton and learn about the amazing marine life off our coast.

Build-A-Whale (BAW) is a hands-on educational program featuring the skeleton of a real offshore orca, O120 or ‘Palm’.

The program allows participants to assist in constructing her skeleton while learning about the biology, ecology, anatomy, evolution and conservation of killer whales. Join Wild Pacific Trail for a hands-on, family-friendly activity!

Sharks and bats are often misunderstood, and many are rare species that need our help.  Learn more about these fascinating animals, and why they are so important with Parks Canada!

This event is free with purchase of a National Park entry pass, and open to all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please do not bring pets. Recording devices are not permitted. Arrive early as parking may be limited.

Every Friday this July!

For more information contact: Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (250-726-4212)

PLEASE NOTE: Events may be subject to change without notice.

Photo Credit: Parks Canada

Search for signs of the exciting animals that call the rainforest, ocean, and beaches their home.  Between towering whale spouts and crawling banana slugs, what will we find today?

Every Monday & Friday this July!

This event is free with the purchase of a National Parks entry pass. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please do not bring pets and recording devices are not permitted.

Arrive early as parking may be limited.

For more information contact: Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (250-726-4212)

PLEASE NOTE: Events may be subject to change without notice.

Photo Credit: Parks Canada

Parks Canada will host guest speakers to speak on various topics related to Pacific Rim National Park and the surrounding areas. 

Every Friday this July!

Doors open at 7:45.For more information contact: Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (250-726-4212)

PLEASE NOTE: Events may be subject to change without notice

Immortality? Hidden underground networks? It might sound like we are talking about the next greatest superhero movie but we’re talking about the heroes of our forests - trees! Join our naturalists for this one hour guided walk to uncover their secret to longevity and the underground web they rely on. You will never look at a tree the same way again.

Walk the slopes and crests of windblown sand. Discover a world that is not beach or forest, but a strange and disappearing blend of both.

Every Tuesday and Saturday this August!

This event is free with purchase of a National Park entry pass, and open to all ages. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please do not bring pets. Recording devices are not permitted. Arrive early as parking may be limited.

For more information contact: Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (250-726-4212)

PLEASE NOTE: Events may be subject to change without notice

Photo Credits: Parks Canada/K. Kwasnecha

Join us to visit a variety of gardens, literally from sea to sky. We'll be diving deep with mini workshops on building your soil, using space efficiently, companion planting, and more.

More info coming soon on their website!

Ticketed event: 

$20 - Adults

$5 - Children

To purchase tickets follow the link below

https://www.tofinocommunityfoodinitiative.com/event-details/edible-garden-tour-ucluelet-2

Learn about the carnivores that live in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, and the trail cameras that Parks Canada staff use to study them.

Ask all your questions and interact with the props provided by Parks Canada. 

Every Saturday this July!

The event is free with the purchase of a National Park entry pass and is open to all ages.  Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please do not bring pets and recording devices are not permitted.

Arrive early as parking is limited.

For more information contact: Pacific Rim Visitor Centre (250-726-4212)

PLEASE NOTE: Events may be subject to change without notice.

Photo credit: Parks Canada Trail Camera

A guided tour of the fascinating world that exists where the land meets the sea.

Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday this July!

This event is free with the purchase of a National Park entry pass. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please do not bring pets.

Meet at the Kwisitis Visitor Centre Parking Lot.

Photo by Parks Canada