Bald Eagle art
The Great Bear Rainforest by Sailboat

Trip Information

Date: May 15 - 25, 2008 (11 days)

Leaders: Cam Gillies, Heidi Krajewsky and Stephen Anstee

Prices: $3950 USD, $3950 CDN (prices include 5% GST), limit of 8 passengers

Our Vessel: Achiever (66 ft sailboat)

Tour starts in Port Hardy and ends in Bella Bella, British Columbia

Highlights:
• Magnificent fjords, extensive forests of towering trees, spectacular islands
• Sailing along marvelous and inaccessible coastlines
• Shore excursions to coastal forest
• Seeing some of the wildest areas of remaining coastal temperate rainforest

Featured Birds and Mammals:
• Bald Eagle
• Cassin’s Auklet
• Marbled Murrelet
• Tufted Puffin
• Rhinoceros Auklet
• Black Oystercatchers
• Ancient Murrelet
• Humpback Whale
• Killer Whale
• Gray Whale

Trip Summary
• Comfortable accommodation on sailboat with a mix of private and shared cabins with shared bathrooms
• Moderate walking on some muddy terrain
• Includes all meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 11
• Warm to cool and likely wet weather

Come along with us as we explore the magnificent fjords and spectacular islands of the Great Bear Rainforest on the British Columbian Coast. We travel aboard the 66 ft sailboat “Achiever” enjoying birds as well as both grizzly and black bears, whales, and possibly wolves among pristine watersheds of towering forests. From Port Hardy, we cruise through the Queen Charlotte Strait to a backdrop of mountains and seascapes, where Common Murre, Rhinoceros Auklet, Western Grebe, Pacific Loon, Bald Eagle, Bonaparte’s Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Black Oystercatcher, Pigeon Guillemot, Pelagic Cormorant, and Red-throated Loon occur, and there is a good chance of Humpback and Killer Whales, Dahl’s Porpoise and Pacific White-sided Dolphin. At the Scott Islands, birding can be very rewarding; possibilities include nesting species such as Tufted Puffin and Cassin’s Auklet, and pelagics such as Black-footed Albatross, jaegers, Sooty Shearwater, Leach’s and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels and Ancient Murrelet. Marbled Murrelets occur in Allison Harbour. We then head across to Hakai Conservation Area, renowned for its tiny islets and white sand beaches. Sea Otters occur here, Brandt’s Cormorants nest on rocky shores, Harlequin Ducks bob in the sheltered coves, and Northern Sea Lions lounge on rocks. We have opportunities to walk through rainforest among giant trees, for songbirds and woodpeckers. We traverse Milbanke Sound, looking for pelagics and marine mammals, and reach James Bay and Poole Island, a beautiful river estuary with pleasant walks along the river. Finally, we marvel at the west coast fjordland, for stunning scenery and lovely rivers and estuaries. Wildlife should be prolific, including bears and eagles. Our voyage along the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest ends in the coastal town of Bella Bella.

Click here to download our registration form.

This tour can be combined with our Okanagan Specialties tour.

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 learning more about them. Passing beneath giant Sitka Spruce, Red Cedar and Douglas Fir, we’ll journey through some of the richest Grizzly habitat on the coast.

The following are a number of areas we hope to visit, but are offered as a guide only. 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 Achiever and head northward for our adventure in the Great Bear Rainforest.

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

Scott Islands
This day will be weather dependant but very rewarding if the weather is good. We have a good chance for pelagic birds on the way to and from the islands. Nesting species include Tufted Puffin, Cassin’s Auklet, Bald Eagle, Common Murre, and Peregrine Falcon. Pelagic species include Black-footed Albatross, jaegers, Sooty Shearwater, Leach’s and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel, and possibly Ancient Murrelet.

Allison Harbour
This is a great anchorage where we can spot loons, grebes, and Marbled Murrelet.

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. Bird Species: Black Oystercatcher, shorebirds. There are a number of good trails for some productive birding in this forest. Species we may encounter here and elsewhere include Red-breasted Sapsucker, Cassin’s Vireo, Steller’s Jay, Northwestern Crow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Brown Creeper, and Townsend’s Warbler.

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)
A beautiful river estuary with a nice hike up the river. We take an early morning walk for songbirds as the sun rises.

Rivers in Fjordland Provincial Park
This is Canada’s west coast fjordland! Stunning scenery, gulls nesting on cliffs. Both inlets offer lovely hikes along the river estuary. All of our river walks have a good chance of other wildlife including bears and wolves.

Bella Bella
We disembark in this charming 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. Our vessel is the 66-foot Achiever. Completely refurbished in 2005, she operates as a research vessel for the Raincoast Conservation Society. Accommodations are typical of a sailboat of this size, with shared bathrooms, one cabin with 4 berths and two cabins with a double bed each. Dining onboard offers windows all-around for a 360-degree view.

Our walks onshore are likely to be over relatively easy terrain, but 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. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

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