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About Us
Why GUESTS CHOOSE "Ocean Adventures" and
our ship, "Great Bear II" for all of their coastal adventures.
SMALLER GROUP SIZES
While our scheduled trips and private charters have a maximum of 5 guests, we have had private charters with as few as 1 guest for special photo assignments or couples celebrating their special anniversaries.
We believe that our smaller group sizes allow our guests to really discover the heart beat of the unique and soul-stirring wildernesses in which we travel.
Thoughtful, quiet, patient wildlife viewing is practiced so that our guests can witness the natural behaviours of the wildlife and so that we can make the least possible impact on the wildlife and their wild homes, all of which are extremely important to us.
In Haida Gwaii, (where a maximum of 12 people including guides are allowed on shore at one time), our small group sizes not only allow our guests a more intimate experience, but also honours the agreement set out for all tour operators in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site.
OUR SHIP GREAT BEAR II
 Our 54-foot ship, Great Bear II offers unparalleled comfort and privacy as our guests experience British Columbia's most remote and spectacular locations. The ship's spacious layout and warmth of her wood interior can only be outdone by the magnificent views from her salon, dining table, and pilothouse. No huddling down below on rainy days... our guests can enjoy the awe-inspiring views from anywhere on the ship, no matter what the weather is doing. Great Bear II's spacious foredeck with cushioned seating, has room to relax and enjoy the scenery with still plenty of deck space for photographers to set up their tripods.
Our guests enjoy accommodation in private staterooms, (based on double occupancy) and single guests not wishing to share a room, may book single accommodation in the pilothouse, (which closes off from the rest of the ship at night). Each of the staterooms on board is well appointed with beautifully made beds, complete with duvets, pillows and linens. Large bath towels, facecloths, special reading materials and chocolates also await our guests.
Fresh hand towels are put out each day and complimentary natural personal care products by AVEDA, and hair dryers, are provided in each of the on board bathrooms. A newly installed water maker means guests can shower whenever they like.
The private staterooms and many amenities are often said by our guests to "have exceeded their expectations." With our small group sizes of 2 - 5 guests, the spacious layout of our ship, and our many amenities and services, our guest are sure to feel pampered... never just part of a crowd.
For more detailed information on our ship, Great Bear II,
click here or contact us at info@oceanadventures.bc.ca.
SAFETY ENSURED ON BOARD AND OFF
Our 54 foot ship, Great Bear II is fully certified as a passenger vessel by Transport Canada. Each year the ship undergoes rigorous safety inspections by inspectors from Transport Canada, by specialists in on board systems, and by our owner and Captain, Eric Boyum.
 Ocean Adventures owner and Captain Eric Boyum is certified by Transport Canada and has over 35 years experience working and exploring the waters of B.C.'s coast. As a professional firefighter for 28 years, Eric was also trained in commanding emergency scenes, advanced first aid and CPR, and many kinds of technical rescues. This training along with his certification in Wilderness First Aid and his expertise in bear guiding, give our guests confidence when traveling with us.
To further ensure your safety, at least one other member of our crew is certified in Marine Emergency Duties. All chefs are certified in Food Safety and are diligent in the cleanliness of the galley and the safe handling and storage of foods on board.
At the very beginning of each trip, our Captain and Crew give our guests a thorough briefing on ship safety and emergency procedures.
Qualified, professional bear guides(s) lead all excursions off the ship on bear viewing departures, and, on trips where bears may be encountered. Our guide(s) brief guests before their first on-shore excursion, on bear behaviour and our best practices when viewing all wildlife. To further ensure your safety on shore, we limit our group sizes to 2 - 5 guests. This enables our guides to provide the highest level of safety to our guests while ensuring the least impact on the wildlife we view, something that is extremely important to us.
A MORE INTIMATE EXPERIENCE
We welcome you aboard, to share with you, what we believe are global treasures. We want to spend less time traveling long distances each day, and have more time for you to really get to know the places, the wildlife and the people along the way. When our paths cross with nature's best: Grizzly bears feeding on sedges or salmon... Spirit Bears feasting on berries or fish... Humpback Whales breaching or bubble netting... the towering trees of the Great Bear Rainforest... a Peregrine falcon in flight... a meadow carpeted in wildflowers... OR we are invited to a First Nations feast, we have time to stop, and savour these life changing moments.
ECO CHARTER AND CONSERVATION LEADERS
Working side by side with First Nations
Ocean Adventures were among the first to sign working Protocol Agreements with the First Nations People whose traditional lands we visit. As our guests meet these coastal First Nations People, they are meeting our friends and our teachers.
Supporting Local Villages, Communities & Businesses
To support local villages and communities along the coast, we hire people there to work with us, we are sometimes led by First Nations guides to limited access areas, we buy fresh food locally, buy fuel when we need it, introduce our guests to new cultures, donate recycled cans and bottles for local fund raising, introduce our guests to local artists, and introduce our guests to environmental organizations that are active in the areas we visit. On route to meet us, we encourage our guests to enjoy some extra time visiting local museums, cultural centres, take part in local events, stay in local accommodation, buy local art, and enjoy local foods and beverages.
LESSENING OUR FOOTPRINT
Reducing Water and Energy Consumption
On board our ship, Great Bear II, in the office, and at home, we are reducing, wherever possible, water, power, and fuel consumption. Our trips are designed to travel less distance each day and at slower speeds — allowing our guests more time on shore each day and allowing us to cut down on fuel consumption. At home, we travel fewer miles each week in our vehicles, and at slower speeds, which helps reduce stress and fuel consumption. On board the ship and off, we are reducing water consumption, even though we are a part of an often wet ecosystem. We are happy to say that our vessel the Great Bear II is now equipped with a desalinator which allows us to make pure fresh drinking water from the ocean. On board the ship our electric flush toilets use minimal water, with all waste from the toilets being stored in holding tanks until they can be pumped.
 As much as possible, we use local, home grown, in season, fruits and vegetables. During our trips in Haida Gwaii, for example, our chef buys local organic produce, grown on the islands. Only B.C. VQA wines are served on board and at home. Buying locally and buying British Columbia products not only supports our local economies, it also cuts down on energy for transportation. Our cleaning supplies come to us in concentrated form — requiring less space and energy for transportation.
Re-use and Re-cycle
On board our ship, at home, and in our office, we re-use and re-cycle, and as often as possible, buy products using less packaging. When traveling the coast on board the ship, we often donate some of our re-cycled cans and cartons to local fundraising. Ocean Adventures has stopped our printed version of our newsletter, (called "Reflections"), and have gone electronic with our Great Bear II BLOG on our website. Paper used in our office is 100% re-cycled as are the paper products used on board the ship. In 2008 we started using fabric napkins at dinner, lessening our use of paper napkins by over 500 pieces.
More Natural and Organic Foods and Products
As often as possible, on board the ship and at home, we shop for natural and organic foods and products. Our chefs use only organic fertilizer for our on board herb garden. When our chefs shop for beef and chicken, they buy naturally fed meats and poultry. All seafood served on board is wild and locally caught. Our Chefs use whole grains, natural sweeteners and organic/natural products as much as possible. On board the ship and at home, we use natural cleaning products from Shaklee and our guests are treated to the natural care products from Aveda. As well as being healthier for everyone using them, they are also completely environmentally friendly.
 Smaller Group Sizes (2 - 5 guests)
Although we have had private charters with as few as 1 guest for special photo assignments or couples celebrating their special anniversaries, our scheduled trips and private charters have a maximum of 5 guests.
With our smaller group sizes, our fully certified guide(s) are better able to provide our guests with unparalleled wildlife viewing, and better able to ensure the safety of our groups and the wildlife we are viewing.
Our guests enjoy the most intimate experiences and our photographers, the best opportunities, while we make the least possible impact on the wildlife and their wild homes, all of which are extremely important to us.
Lessening our Footprint is a work in progress...
as we look for more ways
to tread more softly on the earth.
As weather patterns change and wild salmon numbers diminish, we are seeing the already rare Spirit Bears, less frequently. Shrouded in mystery, legend, and the mists of their rainforest home, the ethereal beauty of the Spirit Bear, serves as a reminder that we all need to do our part to help combat climate change.
By lessening our focus on the Spirit Bear as a required photo op or a tick on our bucket list of animals to see, we are putting less pressure on this already very rare bear. It's not a guarantee that we will see a Spirit Bear but if we do, we all understand both what a privilege and a responsibility it is.
for contemplation...
"The wilderness and the idea of wilderness is one of the permanent homes of the human spirit."
~J. W. Krutch
and a comment from one of our guests...
"Your love of these lands and these people is palpable and moving."
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