Although Maple Leaf Adventures’ trips in the Great Bear Rainforest this autumn are full, we have found a way to offer those interested another great trip here in September – and you’ll be directly helping to protect bears at the same time.
You can book passage, through us, on a trip in the Great Bear Rainforest operated by Raincoast Outfitters, which is part of Raincoast Conservation Foundation. Don’t be fooled by the name – these are called bear hunt trips, but they are the opposite!
This Is Conservation Work That’s Fun
Because Raincoast is protecting bears from trophy hunting by buying the rights to hunt, they are legally obligated – as licence holders – to operate hunt trips. In fact, Raincoast’s guests shoot pictures of bears, and the spectacular Great Bear Rainforest, with their cameras. Just like Maple Leaf guests.
(Read more about Raincoast’s work to stop the trophy hunt by buying up the licences.)
General Info
The trips are about the same length as ours, and in the same region. They are operated on a 68-foot sailing ship Achiever, that is a Transport Canada certified passenger carrying vessel. Some of Raincoast’s crew and staff have also worked for Maple Leaf Adventures, so there is crossover between the two trips and organizations.
Trip Summary
Explore the fjords, rainforest, wildlife and cultural history of the Great Bear Rainforest with Raincoast Conservation Foundation, the science-based organization that has discovered much about the Great Bear Rainforest. (Read more about Raincoast.)
Go ashore to fully experience the rainforest, meadows and beaches. View wildlife including bears and whales from small boats, from Achiever, or on land. Includes time at viewing stands in spirit bear country.
Crew and Staff
Raincoast’s vessel includes 3 crew, including Transport Canada certified officer, a chef and a deckhand-guide/naturalist. On many trips there will also be one or more of Raincoast’s scientists.
The Ship
Sample Itinerary
Note: This sample itinerary is intended to give you a general sense of the trip and its highlights. Please understand that you may not be visiting these areas in the order depicted here or doing quite the same things. As with all boutique expeditions, your expert and well-connected crew determine the best time and place to visit based on activities of wildlife, weather, special opportunities that arise and interest of the guests. The trip’s goal is to allow you to explore the beauty and majesty of the Great Bear Rainforest, its wildlife and its people. This philosophy of travel is entirely consistent with ours at Maple Leaf Adventures.
Day 1 Board SV Achiever in Bella Bella, BC, and embark on your Great Bear Rainforest tour, orientation, cruising. Island anchorage, river exploration, and learning about the ‘salmon forest’.
Day 2 Beach walk. Cruising into Fjordland for an in depth tour of the Great Bear Rainforest. Massive waterfalls, spectacular inlets, pictographs, estuary exploration and search for bears.
Day 3 Cruising to one of the leading grizzly bear havens, bear tour into the estuary. Extended watching for grizzly bears. Optional fishing, quiet time.
Day 4 Morning shore walk, tour First Nations village. Big House tour by village guide. Intertidal life. Fjord anchorage.
Day 5 Exploring coastal river by zodiac. Forest walk. Sea lion and black or grizzly bear viewing. Nature hike. Hot springs.
Day 6 Spirit bear island anchorage. Shore excursion to spirit bear viewing site with bear stands. Whale Channel, humpback whale watching.
Day 7 Sailing down coastal channel, Island anchorage, cultural site visit.
Day 8 Outer coast Great Bear Rainforest tour and beach exploration, sailing and cruising the western waters, whale viewing, shore trips.
Day 9 Exploring one last spectacular inlet with waterfalls and several creeks with salmon. Possible bear viewing.
Day 10 Watch for wildlife during morning cruise to Bella Bella for disembarking.
Depart & Return:
Bella Bella, BC (See our general Plan your trip page)
Dates
Sept 9-17, 2016
Sept 19-28, 2016
Sept 30-Oct 8, 2016
9 days / 8 nights (except Sep 19 departure which is 10 days / 9 nights)
Price
Cdn $5000 per person, all inclusive from trip start point to trip end point (Bella Bella, BC, return).
How to Book
Contact Maple Leaf Adventures at +1-250-386-7245 / 1-888-599-5323
or info@MapleLeafAdventures.com
or use our inquiry form
How Does This Help Bears?
The ecotourism companies, like us, in the Great Bear Rainforest, as well as the Coastal First Nations in whose territories we’re travelling, as well as 90% of British Columbians, support the abolition of the trophy hunt of bears. Despite this, the government of BC will not abolish it. So Raincoast has bought the exclusive rights to operate commercial trophy hunts in some territories in the Great Bear. As holders of this right, they must operate hunt trips. By going on this trip, you’ll not only have an experience of one of Earth’s great places, you’ll be helping Raincoast achieve this goal and helping all of us, by keeping bears in these territories protected.
Why Is Maple Leaf Adventures Offering These Trips?
We are a conservation-based travel company and we fully support Raincoast’s work.
Not only that, but Raincoast’s work directly benefits our trips by investigating and protecting the spectacular places our guests and crew love. We have been advocating for the end of the grizzly bear trophy hunt for decades and support Raincoast and Coastal First Nations’ joint effort to end the hunt by purchasing guide outfitter licences.
Our objective in offering these trips is to help Raincoast fulfill its conservation mandate, and maintain protection for bears in this region.
Inquire or Book This Trip | Telephone: +1-250-386-7245
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