I moved to Victoria, B.C. on Vancouver Island in September 2003 and have been on a quest to find the best spots for photographing wildlife and nature. I've had to learn a lot from trial and error. Since wildlife tend to stay in the same area, have the same habits, roam in the same places at the same times, it's always helpful to know where and when to spot them. I wish I had a guide like this to reference when I was getting started. Hopefully, this will save visitors and new residents some time.

Here are more sites with information about where to find wildlife on Vancouver Island: http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wildview/island/ and http://www.tourismvictoria.com/Content/EN/320.asp

While I'm a strong advocate for finding places to shoot animals in their natural environment, I have also included some captive wildlife areas. For the most part, the captive facilities in and around Vancouver include wildlife rehabilitation programs and give animals a second chance for survival. Locations in this directory include Victoria, Nanaimo, Campbell River, Strathcona Park, the Olympic Mountains, Tofino/Ucluelet and the lower mainland around Vancouver. I've also included areas where I have tried and failed to see wildlife.

I invite you to add comments and share your own tips, tricks and web sites. Try to leave the time of year, time of day and place -- or any details that would help someone else on a photography excursion.