Eagle-Eye Tours West Coast Voyage

Itinerary

This section of the British Columbia coast holds the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world. Throughout the voyage we travel the coast and stop in secluded anchorages to go ashore and walk through the towering forests, along coastlines, or up river estuaries. These are productive areas and we will be looking for birds and other wildlife on land and at sea. Temperate rainforests encompass dynamic and complex interactions between terrestrial, freshwater, estuarine and marine systems and this will be an opportunity to both intimately experience these areas and learn more about them. Passing beneath giant sitka spruce, red cedar and Douglas fir, we’ll journey through some of the richest grizzly bear habitat on the coast.

The following are a number of areas we hope to visit, but are offered as a guide only. We cover three general areas; open ocean, outer coastal islands and the towering fjords further inland. In the spirit of expeditionary travel, our exact itinerary will be dependent on the weather and opportunities that arise. Flexibility will be the key to success and enjoyment on this voyage.

Port Hardy
After our flight from Vancouver, we embark our vessel and head northward for our adventure in the Great Bear Rainforest.

Queen Charlotte Strait
After departing Port Hardy, we spend an afternoon cruising through Queen Charlotte Strait, especially through the Deserters Group and the Walker Group. Bird species we are likely to encounter include Common Murre, Rhinoceros Auklet, Western Grebe, Pacific Loon, Bald Eagle, Bonaparte’s Gull, Black Oystercatcer, Pigeon Guillemot, Pelagic Cormorant, and Red-throated Loon. We also have a good chance of encountering Humpback Whales, Killer Whales, Dall’s Porpoise, and Pacific White-sided Dolphin. It should be an exciting start to our journey!

Crossing to the Great Bear Rainforest
This day will be weather dependant but very rewarding if the weather is good. We have a good chance for pelagic birds on our crossing of Queen Charlotte Strait to the middle coast of BC and the area that has become known as the Great Bear Rainforest. We hope to encounter species such as Tufted Puffin, Cassin’s Auklet, Common Murre, Black-footed Albatross, jaegers, Sooty Shearwater, Leach’s and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel. As we approach shore, we may hear and see groups of Steller’s Sea Lions on outer rocky islets.

Goose Group/Kildidt Sound/West Coast Calvert Island
This is a great area for tiny islets and white sand beaches. Sea Otters occur here and we look for Black Oystercatcher and other shorebirds. There are a number of good trails for productive birding in this forest. Species we may encounter here and elsewhere include Red-breasted Sapsucker, Steller’s Jay, Northwestern Crow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, and Townsend’s Warbler. Near the shoreline, we may find Sandhill Crane, Mew Gull, and Red-necked Grebe.

Milbank Sound
This is another chance to enjoy some pelagic birding on our way towards some of the great river estuaries.

James Bay (Poole Island)
This is beautiful river estuary and a great spot for a hike up the river. We enjoy a morning walk for songbirds. We are likely to encounter Hammond’s and Pacific-slope Flycatchers, Rufous Hummingbirds, Winter Wrens and Western Tanagers.

Fjordland Provincial Park
This is Canada’s west coast fjordland! The scenery is stunning with waterfalls cascading directly into the ocean and mountain goats on the cliffs. These inlets offer lovely hikes along river estuaries. All of our river excursions have a good chance of encountering other wildlife including bears or possibly wolves. Surf and White-winged Scoters stage on these fjords before flying inland. Mew and Bonaparte’s Gulls feed in these rivers and they are also home to American Dippers.

Bella Bella
After a short walk onshore and a visit to a local research station, we disembark in this coastal village in time to catch our flight south to Vancouver.

What to Expect

Our voyage is an exploration of this very wild area. The itinerary is likely to change and our daily activities will be very weather dependent, but we will aim to spend as much time ashore as we can. While birding is the focus of our voyage, we will be keenly watching for mammals and other wildlife and we will not hesitate to enjoy the diverse plant life in these areas. Our vessel is the 68-foot Island Odyssey. Built in 1984 and refurbished in 2003, she is a beautiful vessel designed for comfortable travel in this coastal environment. Accommodations are in double cabins, with three shared bathrooms onboard, including two showers.

Our walks onshore are likely to be over relatively easy terrain, but usually there will be little or no trail. The footing is likely to be a little rough and slippery. We will almost certainly encounter some rain (there is a reason the trees are so big) so good rain gear is essential. There may be some swell when we cross open areas, but motion sickness medication usually takes care of this if you are sensitive and most of our time will be spent on relatively sheltered waters. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Safety is also a top priority - our team has extensive experience in the field, and our voyage is run in conjunction with operators with the highest safety standards.

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