Summer in British Columbia s Great Bear Rainforest Edition. Interact. Observe. Learn

Transcription

1 2017 Edition Summer in British Columbia s Great Bear Rainforest 9-days exploring this unique coastal ocean ecosystem teeming with life from bears, whales, and wolves to sea otters, humpback, fin, and killer whales Learn About orcas, fin whales,and bubble-net feeding and singing humpback whales Interact With researchers studying whales and other coastal wildlife Observe The rich biodiversity of the Great Bear ecosystem

2 Summer in British Columbia s Great Bear Rainforest A Haven for Whales Imagine, moss-laden ancient coastal rainforests, glacier-scoured fjords, snow-capped mountains, island archipelagos, dramatic rocky shores, current-swept passages and white-sand beaches. Now imagine a unique coastal ocean ecosystem teeming with life undersea kelp forests, brilliantly-coloured tide pool creatures, salmon, herring, seals, sea lions, sea otters, dolphins, family groups of orcas, massive fast-moving fin whales, and bubble-net feeding humpback whales and you ll begin to envision the Great Bear Sea of British Columbia s Central and North Coast. 2

3 Our Summer Great Bear Rainforest expeditions feature witnessing and learning about the remarkable recovery of whales, particularly humpback, fin, and killer whales, in a region now becoming known as Whale Haven. This 9-day/8-night expedition takes us through the traditional territories of the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo/Xais xais, Gitga at, and Haisla First Nations, starting in Bella Bella and ending in Kitimat (or vice versa). Our itinerary features sailing and exploring the west side of Princess Royal Island, the Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy, Cammaño Sound, Cetacea Lab, and witnessing the incredible abundance of whales and other wildlife in this region. Although salmon season is just about to begin, we ll also have good chances of encountering the iconic bears of this region. 9-days / 8-nights 2017 departures: August 14, 23 Price per person: $5995 CAD Departs from / Returns to: Bella Bella/ Kitimat, B.C. What s Included? All meals, accommodation, transportation, First Nations Conservation and Stewardship fees, and use of onboard gear and resources including rubber boots. What s not included? 5% GST, travel and accommodation before and after the expedition, gratuities, any personal expenses incurred due to weather, logistical delays, delayed departures of chartered aircraft, taxis, ferries. 3

4 Sample Itinerary: Summer in British Columbia s Great Bear Rainforest We structure our Great Bear Rainforest expeditions as one-way voyages between the northern (Kitimat) and southern (Bella Bella) portions of the Great Bear Rainforest, rather than return trips. By doing so we are able to reduce our travel time and spend more time exploring and sailing during each expedition. A distinct feature of all our expeditions is that we have no fixed itineraries. Instead, our days are structured by the winds, tides, and wildlife we encounter, and the interests and expertise of our guests and crewmembers. Please note that the following sample itinerary describes a northbound expedition and will be reversed for a southbound expedition. What a trip! We are speechless and honestly don t know what to say or where to begin. Thank you all so much for such wonderful days with amazing experiences! Whale watching, seeing bears, sea otters, sea lions, seals, eagles, jumping salmon, subtidal wall, Cetacea Lab, Klemtu it will take a long time for us to process all the impressions and photos! Kinnby Family, SWEDEN Our Great Bear Rainforest - Whale Haven expedition begins in the Heiltsuk First Nation community of Bella Bella. Upon boarding the schooner Passing Cloud (10:00 AM), meeting the crew and settling into accommodations, we set sail and begin our journey north into the heart of Canada s Great Bear Rainforest and Sea. Heading west through Seaforth Channel we ll be on the lookout for our first wildlife sightings - such as humpback whales, sea otters, elephant seals, and killer whales. We ll spend our first night anchored in a small coastal estuary where salmon may already be starting to arrive. This morning we ll visit the Kitasoo/Xai xais First Nation community of Klemtu. We are welcomed to this remote coastal community with a guided tour of their traditional Big House. We ll learn about the deep history of this indigenous nation and their presentday initiatives to protect and revitalize their culture, community, and economy. This afternoon we head west though what feels like a secret passage to another world - Myers Narrows. Always on the lookout for bears and wolves on the shore, we ll spend tonight anchored in a small cove in pristine Laredo Inlet, inside the Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy. Princess Royal Island is home to the iconic Spirit bear (also known as Kermode bears), which are actually black bears with a rare gene combination that produces completely white fur. As we explore through this region we ll keep a close lookout for a glimpse of this rare bear and discuss on-going research and conservation initiatives. Today we ll explore small river ecosystems, ancient forests, examine ancient stone fish traps that indigenous people built thousands of years ago, and view wildlife as we encounter it. 4

5 This morning we ll get under way early and have breakfast as we travel north through Laredo Sound. We re still south of Whale Haven but we expect to start encountering more humpback whales today, and possibly fast-moving Dall s porpoises that enjoy surfing on our bow wave. This is also an area frequented by both fish-eating and mammaleating killer whales. We ll spend our afternoon, sailing, travelling, and whale watching. Sea otter populations are making a comeback in this region, and we hope to encounter some of these charismatic marine mammals in the vicinity of Ariztazabal Island. We ll cruise kelp forests in our inflatable boat and discuss how sea otters are transforming these undersea ecosystems. After lunch we ll sail across Cammaño Sound before going ashore to stretch our legs on the gorgeous white-sand beaches of Campania Island. Some of you may even decide to go swimming! We re now in Whale Haven, and on the lookout for the large groups of humpback whales engaged in bubblenet feeding that have been reported in the area. If we re lucky enough to witness this incredible behaviour, we ll use our underwater hydrophone to eavesdrop on the feedingfrenzy that s going on below the surface. After lunch we ll cruise past a Steller sea lion haul-out site before visiting Cetacea Lab, a small research facility on the south end of Gill Island. We ll spend the rest of our afternoon sailing and whale-watching in Taylor Bight and Whale Channel before anchoring in Cameron Cove for the night. Cameron Cove is a good place to get up very early in the morning in hope of catching a glimpse of the wolves that are occasionally seen here. Our chances are slim, but you don t know if you don t go. Sailing north today through Whale Channel we are on high-alert for encountering the fin whales are returning to this region. As the second largest mammal on the Planet, fin whales can be longer than our ship! We ll find a protected cove late this afternoon in which to anchor overnight and enjoy some sea kayaking and shore exploring. 8 9 We re on our way to the Gitga at First Nation community of Hartley Bay this morning. On route we ll cross Wright Sound which is also an area of high concentrations of humpback and fin whales. In Hartley Bay we ll enjoy a walking tour of this beautiful boardwalk community and learn about the Gitga at Nation. Afterward we ll set sail in Douglas Channel and enter Haisla First Nation territory as we travel east towards Kitimat, and our final overnight anchorage. Tonight we ll celebrate all that we ve experienced and learned over the past week exploring the Great Bear Rainforest. As we travel the short distance to Kitimat this morning we re on the lookout for any last minute wildlife sightings. Upon arrival at MK Bay Marina, we say farewells to our shipmates and new friends before disembarking and heading to the Terrance-Kitimat Regional Airport. 5

6 If you have any questions about our expeditions, or a specific detail about the expedition you have booked, please let us know by phone or visit our website for more information. Photo Credits: James Thompson, Ryan Flett, Owen Perry, Oriana Smy, and Russell Markel. 360 B Harbour Road Victoria, British Columbia V9A 3S1, Canada info@outershores.ca outershores.ca (Toll Free in North America) (Local and International)