Spirit Bears, Grizzlies & Humpbacks - Cruising Canada's Great Bear Rainforest

The ‘Great Bear Rainforest’ protects one of the largest remaining tracts of temperate rainforest left in the world. Stretching along the intricate, island-dotted coastline of British Columbia, from Vancouver Island to the Alaskan border, this is a region of spectacular natural beauty and abundant wildlife. Ancient Western Red Cedars – some over 1,000 years old – grow alongside towering Western Hemlocks, Amabilis Fir and Sitka Spruce, each dripping with curtains of lichens and moss. This forest of towering giants forms a magnificent natural cathedral, bisected by numerous glacier-fed streams which flow into the maze of narrow channels, fjords and wooded islands of the fabled ‘Inside Passage’. On land, the forests, estuaries and rocky beaches are patrolled by Black Bears (including the occasional ‘Spirit Bear’, a rare white genetic variant), Grey Wolves, Cougars and, of course, the ‘Great Bear’ itself, the Grizzly! Overhead soar Bald Eagles, whilst offshore Humpback Whales return every summer, joining pods of Orcas, Grey Whales, Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Steller’s Sea Lions and numerous seabirds.

Since much of the Great Bear Rainforest is remote and inaccessible, the best way to explore this spectacular region is from the water. For this reason, Naturetrek charters either the 12-passenger sailing vessel, 'Island Roamer', or her sister vessel, 'Island Odyssey', to operate our 7-night dedicated wildlife cruise. Our holiday begins, however, with a flight to Vancouver in western Canada, where we spend one night before flying north over the mountains, fjords and islands of coastal ‘BC’ to the small community of Bella Bella. On arrival we drive the short distance to the small harbour, where we board the Island Roamer/Odyssey and begin our cruise.

We spend the first part of our cruise exploring the coastal waterways of the Fjordland Provincial Protected Area. This is a breathtakingly beautiful stretch of coastline and home to an abundance of wildlife both above and below the waves. Waterbirds should include Rhinoceros Auklets, plus the diminutive Marbled Murrelet; the latter is a flagship species for the conservation movement, for it nests only in old growth forest! Great Northern Divers are common, together with Red-necked and Slavonian Grebes, Black and Surf Scoters and parties of twirling Red-necked Phalaropes. Whenever we are on the water we must always keep our eyes open for the distinctive triangular fins of a pod of patrolling Orcas, or perhaps a speedy group of Pacific White-sided Dolphins, or the ‘rooster tail’ shaped splash of a Dall’s Porpoise. We will also explore remote estuaries to look for Grizzly Bears attracted by spawning salmon, and keep a sharp look out at all times along the forest edge for one of the Great Bear Rainforest’s elusive Grey Wolves. A healthy population of Cougars also lives here, but this secretive cat is only seen by the very fortunate few!

Each summer, millions of Pacific salmon return to the streams of British Columbia to spawn. Our cruise has been timed to take full advantage of this annual natural feast for, once the salmon start running up the rivers in the early autumn, the bears, Wolves, eagles and other wildlife move in. Continuing north we next explore the forests and maze of waterways in the vicinity of Princess Royal Island, one of the largest islands in the Great Bear Rainforest. Here we hope to see the rare ‘Spirit’ or Kermode Bear, an attractive ‘all white’ genetic variant of the Black Bear that only occurs in this small area. We will also explore the beautiful Khutze Inlet, a great area to look for Grizzly Bears fishing for salmon, along with Black-tailed Deer, River Otter, American Mink and American Marten. The aptly named ‘Whale Channel’ is a reliable area for Humpback Whales and, if fortunate, we may come across a Grey Whale or two, passing south on their epic journey to Mexico, or even a huge Northern Elephant Seal. Birds to look out for include Fork-tailed Storm Petrel, Harlequin Duck, Pacific and Red-throated Divers, Pigeon Guillemot and perhaps the beautiful Tufted Puffin. We will also try to make daily shore excursions by Zodiac and take time to explore the forests, estuaries and coastlines on foot. This will give us the opportunity to enjoy the abundant and colourful intertidal-life, plus a few lingering woodland birds such as Varied Thrush, Pacific Slope Flycatcher and Townsend’s Warbler.

Our cruise ends in the small coastal community of Kitimat. Here we must disembark from the Island Roamer/Odyssey and leave the moss-draped forests of coastal BC for Vancouver, and ultimately, home.

NB - Please note that some cruises start in Kitimat and end in Bella Bella. The wildlife on offer and sites visited will be the same whether the cruise heads north or south, but please call the Naturetrek office on 01962 733051 should you have any questions.