Traveling from North to South America has been a truly enlightening experience in many respects. One significant realization was recognizing that we share this planet with various animals. Now, don’t mistake me for being naïve. I was, of course, aware that animals coexist with us on Earth. However, living in a bustling city can make encounters with wildlife feel infrequent. It’s often easier to observe animals in a zoo than to see them in their natural habitats. Therefore, one of the first things I made a conscious effort to do upon beginning this delightful journey was to keep my eyes open.
So, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, allow me to share all the incredible animals I encountered during my travels. Since I spent a considerable amount of time outdoors, I’ll break the experiences into multiple segments to avoid overwhelming you. Let’s kick things off in Canada.
From Toronto to Vancouver via Montréal
Canada symbolizes nature in my eyes. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that, despite Canadians living in urban areas, they share their cities extensively with wildlife. How refreshing!
During my stay in Toronto, this squirrel frequently came to check on me. A friend of mine, Katarina, once mentioned that Europeans stand out in America because they take pictures of squirrels and admire their cuteness. In Canada, these creatures are commonly referred to as “chipmunks.” Indeed, my time in North America was filled with encounters with squirrels, and yes, I took numerous pictures of them. After all, they are adorable!
Toronto held another surprise for me: this cat, who seemed to be the biggest fan of the local baseball team, though it didn’t seem very wild.
Fast forward to Québec – Montréal amazed me. It was my first time seeing a brown squirrel in the urban environment. There was even a little gang of them stealing food from park-goers enjoying their lunch.
While on a road trip through Québec, I was approached by this duck. Given that my name means “duck” as well, I expected a friendly encounter. Thankfully, it merely wanted to show off its impressive wingspan and demonstrate its inability to fly. Safe and harmless!
In Stanley Park, these ducks seemed to be attempting a mass crossing, causing every car to stop and let them pass. This aspect of Canadian driving truly impressed me; despite using large and fast vehicles, Canadian drivers exhibited a refreshing sense of patience that is often lacking elsewhere.
Edmonton, however, did not impress me. On the contrary, I was appalled to witness seals performing in the local mall, which felt like a monument to consumerism. I snapped a photo and left feeling quite disgusted. Later on, I observed elephant seals in their natural habitat (stay tuned for my upcoming second part about U.S. wildlife) and reflected that it felt morally wrong to pay to watch animals perform in a mall. Please don’t support such activities.
My journey also included a trip to Vancouver Island for a few days. While waiting for the morning ferry in Nanaimo, I observed many unusual sights: junkies, a needle collection receptacle overflowing, and an odd number of white rabbits. I briefly questioned my sanity, only to find that the rabbits were indeed real, frolicking around the parking lot near Muffeo Sutton Park.
Cat Sitting in Prince Edward Island
This trip also provided me with many new experiences, including my first opportunity to cat-sit. I spent a delightful eight days with Selleck and Tasha while their owners traveled to Toronto for a disc golf championship.
This was my first experience living in someone else’s home while caring for their pets. If you’re interested in learning about cat-sitting and discovering how to find similar opportunities (and travel the world while staying in people’s homes for free), let me know in the comments at the end of this post. Depending on the level of interest, I may write a detailed post on this topic – or not! 🙂
The Spy Network of Canada – Raven Squad
Throughout my travels in Canada, I was continually accompanied by ravens. Their omnipresence surprised me so much that I began to suspect they were equipped with cameras to monitor the behavior of visitors in national parks. Wherever I parked my car, they seemed to be there. Coincidence? I think not!
One raven even came incredibly close, perhaps attracted by my pungent hiking shoes, or maybe it was curious about my sleeping arrangements inside the car. Spy? Perhaps.
This raven appeared to be enjoying the stunning view at Bridal Veil Falls, yet it was merely circling around the cars parked nearby.
Beware of Bears and Grizzlies
Everyone I spoke to prior to this trip warned me about bears. I was so anxious that I even purchased bear spray before my first visit to a national park. To my relief, I carried it throughout my travels but never encountered a single bear or grizzly. Seeing as bears are even depicted on Canadian coins and are a national symbol, let me introduce you to my bear experiences.
Canadian National Parks – The Majestic Ones
One golden rule for spotting wildlife in Canada is to rise early. This can be challenging for night owls like me. Nevertheless, I managed to see some large animals during my trip.
Canadian National Parks – The Little Creatures
While these animals are less intimidating than the larger ones, they are often shy and hard to capture. So, here’s a gallery of some cute little critters I encountered during my adventures in Canadian National Parks. And yes, all these animals are eating in the photos—except for the first one, where I am enjoying a snack while being watched.
Whales
I spent a considerable part of my visit to Forillon National Park on a boat, eagerly anticipating the chance to spot whales, orcas, and dolphins. Unfortunately, luck was not on my side. It turned out to be an expensive outing, and the whale-watching company offered us an additional trip for free due to our lack of sightings. I changed clothes, grabbed a snack, and hopped onto the next boat trip, only to see a few fins.
I must confess, I felt disappointed and swore off such excursions in the future. Much to my surprise, I was able to witness whales for free during an early morning ferry ride from Vancouver Island back to Vancouver City. What a delightful surprise!
Centipede
Banana Slug
Dinosaurs
To clarify, I didn’t encounter any living dinosaurs, in case you were wondering. However, I did see many dinosaur skeletons during my visits to Drumheller and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology.
As a child, I was always fascinated by dinosaurs, and witnessing the landscape they once roamed was truly special. Zdeněk Burian got it spot on with his depictions. This part of my journey was unforgettable. Did you have an interest in dinosaurs as a child too? Share your thoughts or guesses about which dinosaur this skeleton might represent in the comments!
If you’ve made it this far, you’re my number one fan!
Thank you for taking the time to read my photo report about the animals I spotted in Canada. Stay tuned for more adventurous images from my travels. In the meantime, feel free to share this post with your friends—they might appreciate a little animal cheer as well! 🙂
