In today’s video, we continue our road trip across Vancouver Island in partnership with Trover, this time visiting three towns in the northern part of the island where we have lots of cool nature sightings and also come across some rather unusual attractions! First up, we visited Port Hardy where we casually encountered a bald eagle - locals were very calm about this occurrence but the three of us were standing by the water’s edge ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the display. Then, in Port McNeill, we came across the biggest burl in the world; we didn’t even know what a burl was up until our visit, so we’ll tell you guys all about it soon enough.And finally, we hit up the picturesque seaside village of Telegraph Cove, where we learned all about killer whales and came face to face with two deer who seemed blissfully unaware of our presence.
It was a great day and we can’t wait to share it with you in this video!
That bald eagle encounter pretty much made our visit to Port Hardy! We then walked along the waterfront, where we spotted a curious seal peeping its head out of the water, plus we saw some impressive totems. It was a short visit, but we really enjoyed the town.
From there, we continued our drive towards Port McNeill, but we pulled down a logging road just shy of the town to visit a rather unique attraction. This right here is a burl; a burl is a knotty growth on a tree that can occur on the trunk, at the base of the tree, or even underground in the form of a rounded growth. It’s the result of stress on the tree due to injury, a fungus, or an insect infestation. This one here is apparently the world’s largest burl!
We then drove into Port McNeill to have a little wander and check out the marina. We continued our drive towards Telegraph Cove, which may very well be the most picturesque town we visited during our whole Vancouver Island road trip. Telegraph Cove started out as a fishing and cannery village, but today it’s an eco-tourism destination where you can embark on a number of adventures including kayaking trips, whale watching excursions, and even grizzly bear tours.
After our little mid afternoon treat, we walked over to the Whale Interpretive Centre, which was founded in 2002 and seeks to raise public awareness about marine mammals and the threats they face. The Whale Interpretive Centre is home to one of the best collections of marine mammal skeletons in British Columbia. Of course we added this place to Trover because it’s a must-visit if you make it out to Telegraph Cove.
We didn’t hike more than 5 minutes before we had a surprise: two deer munching on shrubs and bushes! They were just a few meters away from us and their little snack must’ve been tasty because they didn’t even look at us. And that’s it for today’s adventures on Vancouver Island.
Northern Vancouver Island Road Trip: Bald Eagles, World’s Largest Burl & Telegraph Cove Wildlife 🦅🌲🐋
🚗 Kicking Off the Adventure: Exploring Northern Vancouver Island 🚙🌧️
We started our day in the cozy town of Port Alice, marveling at how nearly every home is paired with its own fishing boat—clear evidence of just how central fishing is to local life. Our goal? To visit three unique northern towns: Port Hardy, Port McNeill, and Telegraph Cove.
🦅 Port Hardy: Bald Eagles, Seals & Coastal Vibes 🐟🦭
Arriving in Port Hardy, we headed straight for the waterfront just in time for a wildlife spectacle: a bald eagle swooping down to claim a dead salmon, sending seagulls scattering. Perched high in a tree, the eagle eyed the horizon.
🌳 The World’s Largest Burl: Natural Oddities Near Port McNeill 🪵🛤️
En route to Port McNeill, we detoured down a logging road to see the world's largest burl—a gigantic, knotty growth that formed on a 350-year-old spruce. Measuring nearly 80 meters tall and weighing over 20,000 kg, this burl is preserved with a fiberglass shell. If you love odd roadside attractions, this one is worth the stop!
⚓ Port McNeill: Marinas, Ferries & Tugboat Dreams 🚤🌤️
In Port McNeill, we wandered the sunny marina lined with fishing boats and the nearby BC Ferries terminal (where we’d soon catch a ride to Alert Bay and Malcolm Island).
🌊 Telegraph Cove: Killer Whales, Sweet Treats & Coastal Heritage 🐋☕️🍰
Next up was Telegraph Cove—arguably the most picturesque stop of our trip. Once a fishing and cannery village, it's now an eco-tourism hub famous for kayaking, whale watching, and grizzly bear tours. We took a break at the Killer Whale Café for a decadent cappuccino and chocolate peanut butter cheesecake.
🐳 Whale Interpretive Centre: Marine Science & Orca Lore 🎧🦦
Founded in 2002, the Whale Interpretive Centre features one of BC’s best collections of marine mammal skeletons—including killer whales, sperm whales, otters, and dolphins. We learned how every killer whale pod has its own dialect, even listening to real recordings of local pods.
NORTH VANCOUVER ISLAND TRIP | Visiting Port Hardy + Port McNeill + Telegraph Cove, BC:
Музыка
Фильмы
ТВ Шоу
Категории видео
