Inside Passage Cruise - See Great Bear Rainforest, Hartley Bay, BC | Luxury Wilderness Adventure Tours & Cruises on BC's West Coast | Ocean Adventures Charter Co. Ltd, Vancouver, Canada

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			Islands of the Spirit Bear — The Inside Passage A 9 Day Adventure Cruise aboard the 54 foot motor yacht Great Bear II Ocean Adventures on BC's West Coast. Spirit Bear, Grizzly Bear and Whale Watching. Our nine-day cruises to Islands of the Spirit Bear/the Inside Passage, begin in Prince Rupert in northern British Columbia. Included in the price of this trip is the seaplane flight from Prince Rupert over the picturesque northern reaches of the Inside Passage to the First Nations village of Hartley Bay, where guests join our ship, Great Bear II. Our ship, Great Bear II is Transport Canada certified as a passenger vessel and is equipped with all the latest navigation and safety equipment. Our 16 foot hard bottomed zodiac is perfect for excursions and tours ashore, and our kayaks for exploring and enjoying the serenity of our coastal anchorages. Our small group sizes of 2 to 6 guests provide our guests with a more intimate experience and our photographers with the best opportunities, while ensuring the least impact possible on the lands we visit and the wildlife we see. Our guests are never just part of a crowd. See our Schedule for departure dates from Prince Rupert or contact us. FOCUS OF ISLANDS OF THE SPIRIT BEAR, THE INSIDE PASSAGE Whether it's watching tiny white cubs as they pick ripened berries... or watching the black bears as they come to fish in the creek below the viewing platforms... or witnessing the power of Humpback whales as they seem to fly out of the sea in a full breach... or see Grizzly Bears as they fish for salmon, this is a trip filled with unparalleled wildlife viewing and whale watching! September is a time of great abundance on the north coast as the wild Pacific Salmon return to the creeks and rivers to spawn, attracting many of the animals of the Great Bear Rainforest to feast on them in preparation for a long winter. Humpback Whales are gorging on herring as they prepare for their long migration to Hawaii. These lands of immeasurable beauty with its unique wildlife and First Nations cultures, are the focus of these cruise trips. SPIRIT BEARS, BLACK BEARS, GRIZZLY BEARS, WOLVES... Walk the great creeks with our fully certified, bear viewing guide, (one of the founding members of the B.C. Commercial Bear Viewing Association), and marvel at the struggle of five species of returning Pacific Salmon. Travel up rivers and into the estuaries, in our 16 foot zodiac to witness these amazing ecosystems. During the beginning of this trip, as you sit quietly at the water's edge, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the rain forest, watch closely for Spirit Bears, Black Bears, Wolves and many species of birds, as they come in search of a salmon dinner. As we travel south and into the mainland inlets off the Inside Passage you will have the opportunity to witness one of North America's most misunderstood carnivores, the Grizzly Bear, as they come to feast on the spawning salmon. Learn why the bears, wolves and birds are so important to this ecosystem and how they help feed the towering trees of the Great Bear Rainforest. HUMPBACK WHALES, ORCAS, PORPOISES... The larger channels traveled in the beginning of this 9-day trip, provide us with many hours of spectacular Humpback whale watching. These magnificent whales are feeding, readying themselves for the long migration to Hawaii. Displays of tail lobbing, fluke slapping, bubble net feeding and full breaches are virtually commonplace. Last fall we watched a group of 6 Humpbacks as they were forming perfect bubble nets — 29 times!! The giant dorsal fins of the Orcas are always a cause for excitement. Although usually on the move, and not quite the regular performers that Humpbacks are, our guests always enjoy witnessing the Orcas' apparent stealth and power. Often, as we travel, Dall's Porpoises will come to ride on the wake of our ship Great Bear II. As they speed along in the water beneath us or as they fly out of the water, all cameras are readied for a chance to get that perfect shot. OUR SMALL GROUP SIZES ARE BEST FOR WILDLIFE VIEWING With each of our trips having very small groups of 2 — 6 guests, we make the least impact possible on the lands we visit and the wildlife we view... something that is extremely important to us. With our small group sizes, our fully certified guide(s) are better able to provide our guests with unparalleled wildlife viewing, while still ensuring the safety of the group. Our guests enjoy the most intimate experiences and our photographers, the best opportunities — they are never part of a crowd. FIRST NATIONS CULTURE This journey through some of British Columbia's most extraordinary landscapes is also through the traditional lands of three First Nations peoples. Our guests arrive by seaplane to the First Nations village of Hartley Bay, home to the Gitga'at People. A visit to their Cultural Centre and the opportunity to meet a Gitga'at artist, is the perfect introduction to their culture. Included in this amazing trip is one full day at bear viewing stands, led by our Gitga'at guide Marven Robinson from Hartley Bay, to see Black Bears and Spirit Bears and learn the importance of these animals to his people. A little more than midway in the trip, we will visit the First Nations of Klemtu, home to the Kitasoo/Xai'xais people. A visit to the awe inspiring Big House in Klemtu with its powerful carved and painted poles and beams is always a highlight of this trip. Our trip ends in the First Nations village of Waglisla (or Bella Bella). Before going to the airport, we like to visit the Koeye café for lunch and to learn why the Koeye is so important to the Heltsiuk people. TAKE A KAYAK FOR A PADDLE OR SIMPLY SIT AND RELAX Take one of our kayaks for a paddle or share our double kayak and enjoy the spectacular beauty and serenity of each of our anchorages. Discover rich tidal pools, playful river otters and seals. If you are quiet, you may even hear the mournful howl of a wolf as it communicates with its pack. Simply sit and relax or set up your tripod for a photo of one of the coast's most magnificent inlets. As the sun dips behind the mountains and a breeze scented with cedar, spruce and hemlock wafts by, you may see a Grizzly bear as it comes to the estuary's edge looking for a meal... you'll hear the scolding cries of gulls as they steal a morsel from the bear... you'll see the golden grasses of the estuaries, framed by the ebony granite walls... and if you listen closely, the sound of water falling over thousands of feet of polished granite into the inky sea. SOAK IN PRISTINE NATURAL HOTSPRINGS Soaking in the pristine, natural hotsprings on the polished rocky shores of our anchorage, one can forget everything of the outside world. As the boughs of cedar trees hang from the forest canopy and the mist rising from the waters wraps around you like a blanket, the only sounds that you may hear may be the melody of songbirds, the distant howl of a wolf, or the blow of a Humpback whale as it surfaces in the bay in front of you. This nine day trip through the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest has been described by our guests as "Spiritually moving"... "A magical experience I will never forget"... "so many indelible memories!" For more departures that feature Spirit Bear Viewing click here or contact us. For more departures that feature Grizzly Bear Viewing click here or contact us. Experience the Wild in Wilderness !

	First class BC wilderness cruises, coastal tours and charters on the West Coast of British Columbia aboard the 54 ft. Great Bear II, out of Vancouver, BC. · Queen Charlotte Islands · Haida Gwaii · Great Bear Rainforest · Gulf Islands · Princess Louisa Inlet · · Desolation Sound · Howe Sound · Indian Arm · Whale Watching · Bear Viewing · Wilderness Adventures · Copyright © 1998-2010 Ocean Adventures Charter Co. Ltd