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Great Bear Rainforest

The Great Bear Rainforest is a land of fjords, islands and great river estuaries. It's world's largest intact temperate rainforest. Bears and wolf packs thrive as they have for millennia. Explore the wildlife, the waterfall-filled wonder, and the human history of one of the planet's most spectacular coastlines - often called "the last stand of the great North American rainforest”.

Explore the Great Bear Rainforest

Highlights

  • View grizzly bears, spirit bears, and black bears with some of BC’s most experienced guides.
  • Sail the fjords, where 4,000-foot cliffs rise above you.
  • Walk in rainforest and wildflower meadows with naturalist.
  • Visit local villages and, welcomed by residents, learn about coastal culture, from First Nations’ earliest culture to the present.
  • Explore the region’s other wildlife, including whales, wolves, bald eagles, and other marine mammals and birds.
  • Beach-comb and land on remote islands.
  • Experience the entirety of this special region, by taking the time to get to know its rhythms and intricacies, through cruising by yacht and anchoring in special places each night.
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Activities

  • Moderate walking
  • Bear viewing (from shore boats, on land, and in some cases at a bear viewing stand)
  • Small boat rides
  • Marine mammal viewing (whales, sea lions) and bird viewing
  • Natural history through hands on experience and talks with your naturalist and any scientists encountered on your trip
  • Village visit, cultural history and experience
  • Sailing (on sailing ship)
  • Village visits
  • Hot-springs
  • Exploring beaches
  • Kayaking and fishing (optional)

 

Nature and Landscape

The Great Bear Rainforest is a land of fjords, rainforests, islands and great river estuaries. There are no roads. Instead, everyone travels by water.

The many protected, unlogged and ancient rainforests, and the quiet, nutrient-rich ocean, support wildlife and ecosystems as they would have been thousands of years ago across the continent – where grizzly bears and wolf packs roam free and live from what they naturally have always lived from, including abundant salmon runs.

Great Bear Rainforest

 

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Wildlife Highlights

  • Grizzly bear
  • Spirit bear (rare) and black furred black bear
  • Baleen whales (humpback, fin)
  • Killer whale / orca
  • Dall’s porpoise
  • Grey wolf (rare)
  • Bald eagle
  • Pacific salmon (in autumn)

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Cultural History

Explore the worlds of several northwest First Nations: the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Haisla, Gitga’at and Henaaksiala. Everywhere is evidence of their civilization. 

Fish traps, bark-stripped trees and longhouse remains give testimony to a way of life tuned to the rhythm of nature. 

You’ll visit modern villages, talk with local residents, and see the ancient art traditions still in place today. 

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Comfortable Ship, Expert Guides

Get ready for days of adventure and wildlife, supported by a very comfortable expedition ship, a gourmet chef and welcoming guides. Maple Leaf Adventures is a pioneer of tourism in the Great Bear Rainforest, having designed tours here starting in 1991 and advocated for its protection.

The views from Cascadia's bridge are truly unparalleled

 

 

3 Seasons in the Great Bear Rainforest

Three Seasons in the Great Bear Rainforest

Our experienced crew and naturalist will take you to areas where you’ll be able to witness peak wildlife events:

  • Spring highlights bird migrations, newly awakened grizzly and black bears grazing on green sedges, pink salmonberry blossoms, spectacular snowcapped mountains and deep fjords where mountain goats come down almost to sea level in spring, hot springs, calmer weather. (May 1-July 10)
  • Summer highlights Humpback whales, fin whales, killer whales, porpoises, other marine mammals, seabirds, mountain goats, porpoises, dense intertidal life. West coast, sandy beaches beckon, some of them home to elusive wolves. (July 10-Aug 15)
  • Autumn highlights witness the return of the salmon to spawn, which draws grizzly, spirit and black bears to the estuaries again, along with whales, sea lions, seals, eagles and elusive wolves. Read about the autumn season (Aug 15-Oct 31).

See each trip’s sample itineraries for specific wildlife that it is customary to see in each season. Not all species are visible in all seasons. Also wildlife have their own agendas and while we plan our trips in the peak season and areas for wildlife viewing, with very experienced guides, we do not guarantee sightings.

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What Makes It Unique?

  • A vast area of rainforest and islands that has not submitted to industrial human culture.
  • Healthy populations of bears, including the rare, white spirit bear.
  • Our links with groundbreaking science & conservation initiatives in the area.
  • Human cultures that have evolved in this landscape for millennia.

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Trip Itineraries

Great Bear Rainforest Grizzly Bear
Great Bear Rainforest Spring

Bright green fjords, estuaries filled with wildflowers, where grizzly bears forage in spring. Travel with humpbacks through channels and island groups, watching for black bears along shorelines. Migrating birds, local villages, and much more....

Great Bear Rainforest and Kitlope

Dramatic landscape surrounds as you cruise deep into the coastal mountain range. From the Kitlope witness steep snow capped peaks, grizzly bears relaxing among tall green sedges, and colourful wildflowers in shades of purple and blue....

Whales and Wild Isles

Wild west coast beaches with white sand and plenty to explore. Spend days travelling among humpback whales and marine birds. Watch for fin whales, orca, or possibly even a sea otter. Enjoy adventurous shore trips with knowledge guides....

Whales & Wild Isles - Catamaran

In summertime, explore the wilder parts of the Great Bear, and its amazing community of whales. Highlights: remote islands, white sand beaches, whale research station, humpback whales, orcas, seabirds and more....

Whales and Wild Isles (5 Day)

Explore the fjords and islands during the summer. A wonderful time for coastal exploration, beaches, and exploring remote estuaries. Also a great time to spot whales and seabirds. This is our award-winning journey into the nature, wildlife and culture...

Great Bear Rainforest Autumn - Catamaran

Explore the fjords and islands in peak season for bear viewing. This is our award-winning journey into the nature, wildlife and culture of the Great Bear Rainforest. We travel in the traditional territory of the Haisla, Henaaksiala, Gitga'at and sometimes...

Great Bear Rainforest Autumn - Tugboat

Remote reaches of coastal fjords are full with salmon throughout the fall. Wildlife gather to feast on the fish allowing you to watch grizzly bears, bald eagles and black bears. On some occasions witness the rare sprit bear as it emerges from the forest....