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Islands of the Spirit Bear — The Inside Passage
Join us for our 8 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 8 day cruise to Islands of the Spirit Bear / the Inside Passage begins in Prince Rupert in northern B.C. and ends in Bella Bella on B.C.'s central coast.
On the first day of this trip we will transport guests from Prince Rupert to meet the ship in Hartley Bay. Transportation from Prince Rupert to Hartley Bay is included in the price of this trip. (Weather permitting, transportation will be in a seaplane).
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.
Please see our SCHEDULE PAGE for the most up-to-date
departure points, dates, and durations, or email us at info@oceanadventures.bc.ca.
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
Both our 9 day and 6 day expeditions take us through some of British Columbia's most extraordinary landscapes that are the traditional lands of several First Nations Peoples.
On the 9 day / 8 night cruise guests arrive in the First Nations village of Bella Bella, home of the Heltsiuk People. A little less than midway through the trip we will stop in the First Nations village of Klemtu where guests will have an opportunity to witness the spectacular Bighouse of the Kitasoo Xai'xais People. Near the end of this expedition our guests will spend one full day at bear viewing platforms with our Gitga'at guide from the First Nations village of Hartley Bay. These platforms overlook a creek where Black Bears and Spirit Bears come to fish. On the last day of the trip guests will have an opportunity to visit with an artist from Hartley Bay who helped design the bear tracks in the logo for our company. As guests meet people from these villages, they are meeting our friends, our hosts, and our teachers.
On the 6 day / 5 night cruise, guests will join the ship in the First Nations village of Hartley Bay where they will meet local artist Justin Clifton and time permitting have a tour of the Cultural Centre of the Gitga'at First Nations People. As we travel further south to the mainland inlets off the Inside Passage we will enter the traditional lands of the Kitasoo Xai'xais People of Klemtu, where we will learn how these people have peacefully co-existed with bears for hundreds of years. This 6 day / 5 night trip will end in the village of Klemtu with a visit to the awe inspiring Bighouse, the cultural focal point of the Kitasoo/Xai'xais People. With its powerful painted and carved poles and cross beams, their Bighouse is spectacular to see.
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 !
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