Grizzly Bears in Western Canada — Emma Greenwood

Emma travelled on our ‘Canada — The West’ holiday in September 2017 and wrote this evocative piece entitled ‘The Enchanted Rainforest’ in response to a magical last day of the holiday!

Standing on the dock, the mood of the group was low. The bags were packed and ready to be loaded into the plane. The morning in the hide had yielded yet more amazing views of Grizzly Bears chasing down salmon, including our favourite mum and cubs making a welcome final appearance. We had filled up on yet another delicious meal courtesy of the amazing team. But now we were contemplating having to leave paradise. And it didn’t feel good …

The Great Bear Rainforest is truly one of the most magical places on Earth. Part of the largest coastal rainforest in the world, located on the Pacific coast of British Columbia, even reaching it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. As the Grumman Goose plane glides into the inlet that is home to Great Bear Lodge you can feel every care from modern life drift away. As you disembark — onto your floating home for the next few days — you are met by friendly and attentive staff, and the smell of freshly baked cookies. There is no internet, no phone reception, and the only thing on the horizon are the snow-capped mountains of British Columbia. There is an instant sense of relaxation, and after three brilliant days you simply don’t want to leave.

Before our flight back to Vancouver Island there was one final trip out in the boats, to see a different part of the inlet, in the opposite direction from where we had been viewing the bears. The weather was starting to change, with threatening rain clouds hanging in the sky. The previous few days had seen consistent sunshine — it was as if the rainforest knew we were going and was also unhappy about it. There were four of us in our boat, with Marg — the host at Great Bear Lodge — at the helm of the small motor. There were four boats in total, each one picking out its own route as we set off. Our boat headed down a wide channel, one of the biggest expanses of water we had been on in our time at the lodge. The rocky walls of the gorge towered either side, with the odd tree hanging on where it could. There was not much in the way of wildlife to be seen, other than a cheeky Harbour Seal that kept poking his head out as we chugged along. It was cold, the water was choppy, and it was starting to rain.

As we reached the end of the wide inlet we opted for one of the narrow tributaries. We cut the motor and took up the oars. It was a relief to be out of the wind, the rain was easing off, and we were closer to the banks and forest so there was more wildlife to be seen. Belted Kingfishers could be heard making their piercing rattling cries, and every so often a salmon would break the surface of the water making a soft splash. We were chatting away, trying to identify some gulls on a tumbled tree branch, laughing because it was a running joke with the tour leader about how disinterested the group had been in those particular birds. We were content, making the most of our last hour in the rainforest. And then we saw her.

On the bank, to our right, stood a Grizzly Bear. She was watching us. Silence engulfed the small boat. Nobody moved. It must have been a minute, perhaps two at most, that the world stopped turning. It felt like much longer. She sniffed the air, and then, nonchalantly, turned and melted into the forest. They do that. These huge animals appear from nowhere and then disappear into the depths of the trees. In unspoken agreement we allowed the boat to gently drift forward, the oars slightly steering us. The inlet was narrowing all the time until it was finally blocked, by a fallen tree. We could go no further. So we sat. In silence. Except of course there is nothing silent about the Great Bear Rainforest. An eagle swooped through, every wingbeat moving the still air. The forest crackled with life. And then a different noise, the noise of something large moving through the bushes until — there she was again, looking at us before continuing her walk along the shore of the river. But then she stopped, waiting for something … a bundle of fluffy, almost grey, fur appeared in the shape of her cub! You could feel everyone in the boat gasp with surprise, and then nobody breathed as we watched them, the cub jumping over obstacles, occasionally falling behind, and then running to catch up. And then they were gone. The most perfect goodbye. We all looked at each other in awe, tears of joy in our eyes. Just magical.

If you would like a chance to see Grizzly Bears in western Canada for yourself, please visit our tour page.