Observing Grizzlies at a Canadian Resort The Orford Bay in British Columbia's Bute Inlet is famous for an abundance of grizzly bears between September and November, and the Sonora Resort, 30 miles off the coast of Vancouver Island, gives its guests the chance to see these animals with daily four-hour tours. Guests take a 30-minute boat ride northeast to the mouth of the Orford River, where members of the Homalco First Nation tribe take them by van and foot to various viewing points along the river to observe grizzlies feeding on salmon in the water in preparation for a winter of hibernation as well as playing with their cubs. Sean Ross, Sonora's general manager, said that grizzly bear sightings like a mother with her cubs and single males are highly likely, with most of the tours spotting 10 or more. The tours cost $450 a person.