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Official Blog of the Great Bear II

First class wilderness adventures and holiday cruises on the coast of British Columbia.

Current | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |2019 | 2018-2016 | 2015 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006-2004

Spring 2006

March, 2006 : Click here to enjoy the latest edition of our newsletter, REFLECTIONS, including our new boat announcement ! (in Adobe PDF format)

Ocean Adventures with our new ship the Great Bear II will be offering exiting NEW TRIPS in winter 2006 and during the 2007 season: *Winter weekend getaways out of Vancouver and other local points. *Exploration of new parts of British Columbia's awe inspiring coast. Keep checking this section of our website for further details on these NEW TRIPS.

Experience the Wild  ...in Wilderness !

EXCITING NEW BEGINNINGS IN B.C. COASTAL CONSERVATION! COMMERCIAL TROPHY HUNTING ENDED IN LARGE AREA OF B.C. COAST

In a News Release from Raincoast Conservation Foundation, they announce: "B.C. Based Raincoast Conservation Foundation, with the support of five Coastal First Nations, has bought one of the largest commercial trophy hunting licences in North America in an unprecedented move to make conservation the primary objective in managing wildlife--not sport or profit. Individual donors from nine countries contributed to the licence purchase, the vast majority came from Canadian sources."

For further details, visit www.raincoast.org and see complete December 13 news release. While on Raincoast's website, see why the University of Victoria honoured Raincoast's lead wolf researcher, Chris Darimont and how Alexandra Morton wins CSA award for her work on the connection between fish farms, sealice abundance and wild salmon stocks.

Experience the Wild  ...in Wilderness !

B.C GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES SPIRIT BEAR CONSERVANCY:

Visit Valhalla Wilderness Society's website at www.vws.org for details and read of the long struggle these dedicated biologists and conservationists have had in helping reach this agreement. While on their website, read of the many awards and accomplishments Valhalla Wilderness Society have earned. Visit Raincoast Conservation Foundation and read "Notes from the Field" by Ian McAllister and Chris Genovali on why this agreement is only the beginning. (See "outstanding questions" and "government maps" in this article.)

We, at Ocean Adventures, are of course extremely happy for all this good news. However, much is left to do!

** While Raincoast has bought out a large commercial trophy hunting tenure, the B.C Government still allows resident trophy/sport hunting in much of this same area!

** While it is wonderful that some areas have been set aside on our coast for "conservation", as announced by the B.C. government, many questions are still left unanswered, including why is trophy hunting permitted in most of the newly announced "protected" areas?!

**Except for a relatively small area of the Spirit Bears homeland (the newly announced "Spirit Bear Conservancy"), the black bears that produce the white spirit bears are still allowed to be hunted for trophies or sport on B.C.'s coast.

**Fish farms continue to flourish, despite research telling of the terrible effects it has on our wild pacific salmon.

**Logging companies still have a firm hold on British Columbia's coast.

To read our 2005 edition of "Reflections", including the feature article on the Spirit Bear, click here.

To read our 2004 edition of "Reflections", including the feature article on Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands), click here.


Spring 2004

March 18, 2004: the launch of our new web site ! Please email us your comments.

The Ocean Light, her crew and guests were immeasurably blessed in the fall of 2003 with their first sighing of a small, white Spirit Bear cub, and, a little white female Spirit Bear that we have enjoyed for the past 5 years, showed us her first cub-the cutest little black cub --- ALL very exciting!!

Spirit Bear

The Humpback whale sightings in Gwaii Haanas and on the north coast seemed to be more prolific than ever. In Gwaii Haanas on one particular occasion, it seemed that we were surrounded with Humpbacks-as many as 20-25 whales!

Experience the Wild  ...in Wilderness !

In Whale Channel off the west side of Princess Royal Island, we witnessed some of the most awesome displays of 'whale power': whales breaching over and over and over again-some whales jumping completely clear of the water ! One lazy, sunny, very calm afternoon, while drifting in the inflatable, we were surprised when a trio of Humpbacks bubble net fed right in front of us!

The Ocean Light and her crew returned to Gwaii Haanas this past summer to again enjoy the awesome beauty of the islands and the incredible hospitality of the Haida people! Watchmen that we had never met, opened their longhouses to us and our guests, telling stories, singing songs and showing us through the villages. We were incredibly fortunate to spend time with some of our 'old' friends in the old villages and back in Skidegate. A big Howa of the Haida Watchmen for making us feel so at home !!

Another highlight for us this past season was our sun filled days in Hartley Bay with the 'kayak club'. The smiling faces of the kids as they paddled in the kayaks will be forever etched in our memories !

In our season ahead, we will be welcoming some new crew --- crew that are new to us, but certainly not new to the incredible experience that they will provide. For those of you who have travelled with us before, we welcome back Katie-who has crewed with us every year for the past 6 years-and who will take over Trish's side of things in the Queen Charlottes. Joseph, Katie's partner, and a Debulle chef, now studying Tourism Management at Capilano College, will be with us in the Queen Charlottes. Katie and Joseph's talents, attention to detail and friendly ways make us very excited to have them as part of the team.

Experience the Wild  ...in Wilderness !

In Islands of the Spirit Bear/Waters of the Humpbacks, the age old team of Eric, Trish and Flynn will welcome you on board. Flynn's sense of humour, endless hard work, and magnetic smile, make us very excited to have him back with us!

Click here to read the January 2003 issue of our newsletter "Reflections" for new Queen Charlotte Islands trips, stories from our past season, and environmental news ! (in Adobe PDF format)


Current | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |2019 | 2018-2016 | 2015 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006-2004

  
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.
· Haida Gwaii · Queen Charlotte Islands · Great Bear Rainforest · Gulf Islands · Princess Louisa Inlet ·
· Desolation Sound · Howe Sound · Indian Arm · Whale Watching · Bear Viewing · Wilderness Adventures ·

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