Great Bear Rainforest

I’ve always been drawn to adventurous vacation destinations that allow me to explore new landscapes and cultures, but this was different. The allure of exploring the Great Bear Rainforest aboard a luxury floating hotel was impossible to overstate.

I thought long and hard about how to begin writing this travel feature. Do I start speaking about the Great Bear Rainforest’s rich biodiversity, the wildlife or about my home for eight days aboard Maple Leaf Adventures’ Cascadia? Then, it came to me. Start with the late Cecil Paul, a respected Xenaksiala Elder, whose given name Wa’xaid, meaning good river, is very appropriate. Why here you might ask? 

Because this humble man was a legend on the B.C. coast – at one time dubbed a hero of the planet by the Rainforest Action Network, and the Dalai Lama of the coast. Paul’s tireless work in the early 1990s to safeguard the Kitlope Valley from industrial logging eventually led to the Great Bear Rainforest’s protection years later. 

As a result, myself and my 23 fellow travellers aboard the 138-foot catamaran were witness to all of the wonder and beauty that is the Great Bear Rainforest – at 6.4 million hectares, it is one of the largest remaining swaths of intact temperate rainforest left in the world. 

As the Cascadia pushed farther and farther away from Kitimat’s MK Bay Marina, where I had arrived an hour earlier after traveling by bus from Terrace’s Northwest Regional Airport, the sights and sounds of the Douglas Channel activity receded until darkness fell.  All I could see ahead of me was the vastness of the ocean.

woman in covered jacket, beanie, and raincoat, resting on a wooden surface and enjoying the views from Cascadia
Photo Credits: Jeff Reynolds

I’ve always been drawn to adventurous vacation destinations that allow me to explore new landscapes and cultures, but this was different. The allure of exploring the Great Bear Rainforest aboard a luxury floating hotel was impossible to overstate. Therein lies part of its appeal. 

That first night after checking out my spacious cabin, with full bathroom and super comfortable bed, it was time for dinner. I headed up to the salon’s dining area, where I met the other  adventurers. It was also when our highly experienced naturalists – Jeff Reynolds, biologist and expedition guide, and Marlo Shaw, expedition guide and artist – discussed the itinerary for the week.

woman and man guides on a rocky terrain with tall trees behind them in the Great Bear Rainforest
Guides extraordinaire Jeff Reynolds and Marlo Shaw

Throughout the voyage, Reynolds and Shaw were always eager to point out the wide array of wildlife, including flocks of red-throated loons, gray-blue herons, colourful kingfishers and spotted sandpipers flying overhead (Shaw counted more than 35 species of bird sightings during our travels). Their combined breadth of knowledge led me to better understand why this land of breathtaking fjord lands carved by glaciers, remote uncharted islands, awe-inspiring landscapes, and abundant wildlife was so important to defend for the Coastal First Nations People.

a blue heron on a stump on water
blue heron

Every day brought a new quest and new discoveries. I was constantly on the lookout for humpback and orca whales, stellar sea seals and otters as we navigated past forested mountains boasting cascading waterfalls flanking either side of the expedition vessel.

a bunch of seals playing in the ocean shore water at the Great Bear Rainforest
Stellar seals off Stikine

orca whale swimming with part of its tail out

Over the course of my eight-day journey, many adventures were unveiled and memories etched in my mind. 

The stories of the Haisla & X̄a’islak̓ala people were weaved into many of our days exploring this vast land. We voyaged to Kemano, where Paul’s ancestors are buried. On the site, I located the Na’Na’Kila totem pole, which was created by the Haisla People to thank Paul for his commitment to the region.

wooden Kemano pole in the Great Bear Rainforest
Kemano pole at Kemano, Photo Credit: Michelle Hopkins

Totem poles are more than just art; they are symbols of status and history. Often depicting animals, mythical creatures or ancestral figures, each has its own meaning. Atop the Na’Na’Kila totem pole was an eagle with mirror eyes (one eye has since been lost). In every depiction from top to bottom was an oolichan, in each figure’s mouth, a  prized oily fish symbolizing the importance of this “Saviour Fish” to the inhabitants of this region.

Black bear in the Great Bear Rainforest
Black bear, Photo Credit: Jeff Reynolds

After anchoring off Gribbell Island, I trekked into the forest for about 15 minutes to a creek, excited to perhaps be one of the lucky few to spot the elusive White Spirit Bear. Also known as Kermode Bear, it is a subspecies of the black bear and amongst the rarest bears on earth, with approximately 400 of them in B.C. They are born white when two dark parents carry an obscure genetic mutation. Although I braved the torrential rain for hours on a wooden sheltered platform, I never caught sight of the mysterious bear, but my wait was not in vain. 

An hour later, lumbering out of the forest down to the creek in search of lunch came a black bear. Looking at me nonchalantly, he ventured closer to the water’s edge and caught himself a healthy looking pink salmon.

Spirit Bear in the Great Bear Rainforest
Spirit Bear, Photo Credit: Norm Prince

That evening during yet another gourmet dinner, fellow traveler Norm Prince, a photographer from Courtenay, recounted how in September 2016 aboard the Maple Leaf Adventures’ smaller sailing vessel, he had photographed an alpha male Spirit Bear, referred to as The Boss. I was a tad envious! 

The next morning, our group was off in search of the coastal wolf along the shores of Home Bay. Shaw turned off the tender’s engine and as we waited quietly, a lone wolf emerged on the beach scouting for food. Fascinated and thrilled to have seen the mysterious coastal wolf, I returned to the Cascadia to read an article that mentioned how this wolf only eats salmon brains.  Shaw explained that it might be because these intelligent subspecies of the grey wolf do this in order to avoid salmon poisoning, a bacterial infection caused from eating fish infected with parasites.

two women in covered jackets, beanies and raincoats standing together in the Great Bear Rainforest

As to be expected when traveling in a rainforest, warmly dressed for another misty day, we hummed forward towards the remote, pear-shaped Kiltuish estuary. As we disembarked on the mossy ground, the exposed fields lush with tall yellowed grasses were littered with smelly carcasses of pink salmon, leftovers from bald eagles and bears repasts.

a group of men and women covered in jackets, sunglasses, booths and caps waving on a small elevated rock at a sandy white beach
Beach group, Photo at McMicking Inlet on Campania Island, Photo Credit: Jeff Reynolds

Later, as the sun came out and glistened against the glacier-fed waterfalls, we anchored at McMicking Inlet on Campania Island. It is a beautiful spot – a time to walk along the shore of this rare and beautiful sandy white beach. Then, my group hiked along a trail dotted with miniature, old and craggy hemlock, cedar and spruce, to a vantage point that opened up to 

Mount Pender towering overhead.

delectable cuisine on a white plate in the hands of a chef in white chef cloth in a kitchen
delectable cuisine daily onboard with chef Chris Picek
fish cake with sauce adn leaves on a white plates
Fish cakes, Photo Credit: Michelle Hopkins

Our evenings were filled with quiet conversations, much laughter, a few games of crib, and lots of B.C. wines paired with gourmet meals. Our exceptional Red Seal head chef, Calgary’s Chris Picek, who’s resume includes stints in luxury hotel kitchens, such as the Rimrock and the Relais & Châteaux designated Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, crafted elevated cuisine in the ship’s small  galley kitchen. Each day, I looked forward to reading the blackboard showcasing our floating dining room feasts. Highlights were the fishcake, sablefish, roasted butternut squash pasta, salmon and pork tenderloin. I can’t even begin to tell you how delicious the desserts and breads were, compliments of sous chef/baker Kaleb King. 

spectacular waterfall falling from in between two tall and huge rocks

As I said my goodbyes to the crew and my newfound friends, the significance of Paul’s contributions were not lost to me. Here, where trees up to 1,000 years old tower as high as skyscrapers along mist-shrouded valleys and where waterfalls flow off the sides of moss-covered mountains, I found myself immensely grateful to have had the opportunity to visit this place that was so special to Paul. 

This was truly a magical journey that everyone should experience at least once in their lives. It’s no wonder National Geographic Adventure has rated Maple Leaf Adventures as the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth.” To learn more, visit Maple Leaf Adventures.