Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bears Sailing

Meet your vessel late morning at Cow Bay in Prince Rupert. Departing the harbour quickly leads us off the beaten path into the awe-inspiring geography of the north coast of British Columbia with its dense rainforests, winding fjords, and high rugged mountains.

The myriad of islands in Chatham Sound offer remote beaches to explore and beautiful anchorages in which to kayak, while the waters here offer the chance to search for marine mammals such as sea lions and whales.

The waters surrounding these outer islands are more exposed and we hope for a good wind to allow for the opportunity to raise the sails and enjoy the silence and serenity of nature.

Sailing inland we’ll spend one day bear viewing in Ksi X’anmaas (Kwinimass River) Conservancy and two days bear viewing in Khutzeymateen Inlet (Khutzeymateen/K’tzim-a-deen Grizzly Sanctuary). The Khutzeymateen Valley holds Canada’s first grizzly bear sanctuary and these adjacent inlets are an important home to a dense bear population. In Khutzeymateen Inlet, our trip focuses on bear viewing along the shores of the inlet and into the estuary where only a few operators are permitted. Thanks to this exclusivity, this stunning bear viewing location with its backdrop of snow-capped peaks is a well kept secret.

After anchoring, we’ll proceed by zodiac as we take care to spot foraging bears from the water. May and June are peak season for viewing as bears are attracted to the estuary for its abundance of protein rich sedge grasses – an integral spring food source. Spring is also mating season which means there is the potential to see larger male grizzlies in search of females.

We return through narrow Venn Passage to Prince Rupert. Venn Passage has an incredible collection of petroglyphs (indigenous rock carvings); tides depending, we may have a chance to see some of these ancient carvings and learn of their history from a local Tsimshian Guide.

We return to Prince Rupert around noon. Guests will have time for lunch and a wander through town before catching a mid-afternoon flight back to Vancouver.