Rowan and I have cycled the bit from Victoria to Nanaimo. I'd recommend travelling as close to the coast as possible. The route meanders a bit, but it is quiet, and well suited to road bicycles.

Day 1: We took the ferry over from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay
Day 2: We cycled to Brentwood Bay and took the ferry across to Mill Bay, then cycled up to Duncan
Day 3: We cycled to Ladysmith
Day 4: We cycled to Nanaimo
Day 5: We took the ferry from Duke Point to Tsawwassen, and were picked up and dropped off in Abbotsford
Day 6: We cycled from Abbotsford to Chilliwack

These are photos from that trip in 2011:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/machka...57627943421118


I have also cycled in the Duncan, Chemainus, Nanaimo, Qualicum Beach areas as part of randonnees.


And Rowan and I just got back from a short driving (with a bit of cycling) tour of Vancouver Island a week or so ago. We were thinking of driving out to Tofino, but figured that we would spend all our time driving and not enough time cycling, so we went up to Campbell River instead.


We have always stayed in hotels, so I can't comment on campgrounds.


As for wildlife, you probably won't encounter too much of it going up from Victoria to Nanaimo, but there's a decent chance you'll encounter wildlife on the rest of your tour.