Captain & Crew
Owner and Captain, Eric Boyum
Ocean Adventures and our ship Great Bear II is owned and operated by Captain Eric Boyum. Eric has been exploring and working on the coasts of B.C., Alaska, the Caribbean, and the Sea of Cortez for over 30 years. As Captain, Eric is certified by Transport Canada.
As a professional firefighter for over 25 years, and now serving as a Captain, Eric is also trained in commanding emergency scenes, advanced first aid and CPR, and many kinds of technical rescues. With these qualifications and experience and his Wilderness First Aid training, our guests feel an added confidence when traveling with us.
Eric is a founding member of the B.C. Commercial Bear Viewing Association, formed to set standards for ethical bear viewing by commercial operators.
As a fully certified bear guide, Eric has high standards for bear and wildlife viewing. All of our bear viewing departures or trips where we could encounter bears, are led by Eric and sometimes other certified bear guides. Before guests go ashore for the first time where there may be bears, Eric briefs everyone on his best practices for bear viewing. To further ensure the safety of our guests, our group sizes are limited to 2 to 6 guests. This allows our guide(s) to provide the highest level of safety to our guests, while having the least impact on the lands we visit and the animals we view — something that is extremely important to us. Our small groups also ensure a more intimate experience for our guests and unparalleled opportunities for our photographers.
As owner, Eric believes that is it important for him to be leading our trips. This ensures that his high standards for safety and ethical bear and wildlife viewing, are always met. His strong leadership, his vast knowledge of the natural and cultural histories of our coast, his passion for the coast and its wildlife, and his great sense of humour, keep our guests coming back. On board the ship or on shore in B.C.'s most remote and spectacular locations, Eric brings out the best and inspires all of us, as he leads by example.
Coming soon... our Captain's NEW message.
In the Office & On-board: Trish Boyum
Helping Eric with the running of the company, marketing and trip reservations, is Eric's long time partner and wife, Trish Boyum.
After having grown up on cattle ranches in B.C.'s interior, Trish now calls the coast her home, and is passionate about the preservation of its wildlife and intact rainforests.
Trish is adamant that Trophy and Sport Hunting in B.C., must be ended! All of us at Ocean Adventures SUPPORT THE COASTAL FIRST NATIONS INITIATIVE that is ending trophy/sport hunting in the territories of its members.
Please click on this LINK to take you to their declaration on the banning of trophy hunting on the central and north coasts of British Columbia by Coastal First Nations.
Working with our Naturalist and with clients, Trish is supplying ID photos of whale activity to Cetacealab to help in their fight to stop oil super-tankers from coming to our coast.
Trish is also spear heading Ocean Adventures campaign to stop the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Project and the resulting SUPER tankers that are proposed for waterways in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest... the largest intact temperate on earth.
See our Enviro Alerts page and Contact Us to learn more about this proposed project and what you can do to help stop it.
Brought up in the interior of the province means that supporting projects there too is important to Trish — projects that Wayne McCrory of Valhalla Wilderness Society, leads. Wayne, passionate about the preservation of B.C.'s wilderness and wildlife, has been instrumental in gaining protection for many areas of our province. Trish and Eric feel honoured to call Wayne a friend and mentor.
Trish is also our chef on board our ship, Great Bear II. Having been brought up by a mother who believed in lots of good, fresh food, Trish is inspired by her example. A wide array of cuisine is offered, made with the freshest ingredients, brought on board at the start of each trip. Trish shops for foods that are grown naturally or organically, in season, and locally as much as possible. Her on board organic herb garden, the pairing of British Columbia VQA wines with dinner, and the chocolates... ahh yes, the chocolates, provide some of the unexpected luxuries Trish loves to surprise us with while we travel in B.C.'s most remote wilderness.
If you are planning on traveling with us, and you have any questions or concerns about the menu on board Great Bear II, please contact Trish: trish@oceanadventures.bc.ca or call 604-812-9453. She will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
If you have traveled with us in the past, and would like one of Trish's recipes, please feel free to contact her for that as well.
If you are planning a Custom (Private) Charter with us,
Trish would be happy to discuss your food and beverage preferences.
Chef Barb van der Gracht
Barb van der Gracht has been involved in the culinary field for many years. After graduating from BCIT in Restaurant/Hotel administration, she took a family hiatus and then came back with a culinary diploma from Dubrulle French Culinary Institute. Her focus for the past years has been on whole food cooking, with an emphasis on local food, taste, and nutritional value. Being a BC resident has exposed Barb to a number of world cuisines, and she feels comfortable dipping into many varied cultural styles, as long as the taste, and nutritional quality is there. Barb presently works a personal chef, and does private catering in Kamloops, BC.
We are looking forward to welcoming Barb back in 2013 as lead chef on some of our trips!
Chef Darren Stevely
Darren has been a long time friend of Trish and Eric's so they knew that the combination of his cooking skills, his personality, and his great sense of humour, would make him a great Chef on board Great Bear II.
Darren loves to look after our guests and keep us all laughing!
We are delighted that Darren will be back with us in 2013!
Eloise Rowland, our on board Naturalist & Crew Person
Eloise has been living on the B.C. coast for the past 21 years. She is a research biologist and ecologist with a Masters of Science degree in bio acoustic communication. Eloise has conducted research all over the world!
Eloise is currently a primary responder with the B.C. Marine Mammal Response Network and a member of the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition. As a volunteer with the Vancouver Public Aquarium, Eloise is able to share with guests, her enthusiasm about the unique and diverse marine mammal and invertebrate life inhabiting the coast of B.C.!
Watch for Eloise's NEW blog coming to our website in January where you can read her interesting articles and ask her questions.
We are delighted that Eloise is returning as Naturalist and Crew Person for our 2013 season!
Experience the Wild in Wilderness !
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