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Spirit Bears & Humpback Whales of B.C.

Discover the Pacific Coast Rainforest at Its Wildest On This Exclusive Private Ship Journey

Sailing out of Bella Bella marina, we depart for the sheltered inlets and estuaries of the Great Bear Rainforest.

The focus of our adventure will be optimizing our chance to see a spirit bear. These rare creatures hold a prominent place in the Canadian First Nations / American Indian mythology of the area.

Kermode bears are actually a unique subspecies of North American black bear with a color variant - due to a unique recessive trait in their gene pool. They are neither albino nor related to polar bears.

The Great Bear Rainforest is home to a significant population of gray wolves. Scientific studies presently underway suggest they may be genetically distinct from their inland cousins.

The Island Roamer is a custom 68-foot ketch, launched in 1983. The boat's design, safety and comfort make her perfect for this adventure!

In the evening we may gather in the lounge to review our day's discoveries or set a course for the next day.

At night we'll anchor in protected coves.

All of our cabins have adequate storage space for your bags, personal items and jackets. Coat hangers and life jackets are stowed in every cabin for your convenience. There is electricity in each room, so you can charge your camera batteries and enjoy a reading light in the evening.

There is ample room on the deck for everyone to get great views of wildlife.

The oversized wheelhouse provides covered seating in case of rain. The captain is constantly scanning the horizon for wildlife.

If we are lucky, you may see some Humpbacks frolicking in the waters around the boat. If this happens we turn off the engines and float silently among them - quite spectacular.

Shore excursion will take place - Either to search for wildlife, look at intertidal zones, or go for a culture/nature hike. We will load into the zodiacs and take off to see what nature has in store for us.

Nat Hab's Expedition Leader and local naturalists will bring the area's rich natural history and deep First Nation culture to life.

Our daily itinerary remains quite flexible to allow the crew to take time to enjoy wildlife sightings, spend more time at an ancient village site, or simply cater to the interests of the group. Relaxing is actually required.

Princess Royal Island is one of the few areas on the coast where one can find the Kermode. Only 10% of black bears in the area are Kermode, so though we expect to see black bears, it will require good luck and perseverance to spot a Spirit Bear.

The concept of eco-tourism demands that visitors respect local cultures and share a portion of our revenues with local communities. We plan to spend a day with local Gitga’t guides sharing their culture and history, and leading us to their favourite bear viewing sites.

The campaign to save the Great Bear Rainforest has heightened efforts to conserve this dwindling habitat from further logging, the greatest threat to the future of the bears and the rich ecosystem that sustains them.

Many of our travelers and even employees at NHA have stated their love of this part of the world. It has a certain magic that we know you'll experience too!

Natural Habitat Adventures
Box 3065
Boulder, CO, USA 80307
(303) 449-3711
(800) 543-8917

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