Situated near the northern tip of Vancouver Island, Port Hardy offers many attractions, making it difficult for visitors to leave. Inhabited many hundreds of years ago, the area features a strong Native Canadian influence. Whaling and forestry have also had a strong influence on the inhabitants of the island, and this history has been preserved at the Port Hardy Museum. The Quatse River Estuary offers an observatory where visitors can witness the area's wildlife from the comfort of the viewing tower. Located on the water’s edge, Port Hardy offers a great base for world-class salt-water fishing, canoeing, sea kayaking and whale watching. Underwater, scuba divers can explore the underground caves and reams of soft corals alive with marine life, including dolphins and wolf eels. The Browning Wall, located just outside of Port Hardy, is one of the most well-respected cold water dive spots in the entire world, as the cold water and sheer rock face is home to a thriving community of invertebrate marine life.