Ucluelet comes from Yuułuʔił which means "people of the safe harbour" in the indigenous Nuu-chah-nulth language and is the homeland of the Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ.

[2] Ucluelet is located at the western edge of Barkley Sound, 288 km (179 mi) northwest of the British Columbia provincial capital, Victoria, on the outer west coast of Vancouver Island.

Barkley Sound lies southeast of Ucluelet and is a marine area that features the Broken Islands Group unit of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Juan Pérez anchored and traded in 1774 on the west coast of Vancouver Island, at Nootka Sound, 100 km (62 mi) north of Ucluelet.

In 1775, Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra sailed along the coast of Vancouver Island, heading north for Alaska.

Artist Emily Carr spent time on First Nations territories in and around Ucluelet in the late 1890's, creating a series of drawings documenting life in the village.

On December 26, 1905, while attempting to enter the Strait of Juan de Fuca in a strong southwest gale, a 2,346-ton steel-hulled four-masted barque, The Pass of Melfort, was wrecked east of Amphitrite Point.

None of the 35 people aboard the vessel survived the sinking; 26 bodies were recovered and interred in a small cemetery northwest of Ucluelet.

When World War II began, the Government of Canada took measures to protect Vancouver Island’s west coast from potential invasions.

In 1941, the Direction Finding capabilities at RCAF station Ucluelet (Long Beach) were placed at the disposal of the Royal Canadian Navy.

In 1942, RCN operators at Ucluelet, Coal Harbour and Alliford Bay were transferred to Gordon Head in Victoria.

[9] Ucluelet has an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) of the type found in Ireland, with mild, rainy winters and cool summers owing to its coastal location.

Both Ucluelet and nearby Tofino have become target sites for the construction of resorts, restaurants and adventure tourism centres.

Although the local population has historically been based on fishing and logging, increasing numbers of seasonal residents pass through both communities to work in the tourism and hospitality industry.

In 2012, the catch-and-release public Ucluelet Aquarium moved into its new building on Main Street by the Ferry Ramp, displaying the local marine biodiversity with a wide variety of fish and invertebrates.

With a strong focus on marine life protection education, the event celebrates the annual return of migrating Pacific Grey Whales from their breeding and calving grounds along the Baja Peninsula of Mexico.

While the participants are in Ucluelet, the community hosts a special salmon barbecue with live music and a send-off event.

[27] The Pacific Rim Summer Festival is held in early July with two weeks of music, word and multi-cultural concerts featuring national and international performers.

Nightly concerts are performed at venues in Ucluelet, Tofino and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.