B.C. West Coast Cruises, Great Bear Rainforest & Haida Gwaii, Wildlife Viewing Tours

Aboard the 54 foot Great Bear II, sailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Cruise to British Columbia's most remote and spectacular West Coast locations while enjoying the luxury accommodations and gourmet cuisine aboard our 54-foot motor yacht, Great Bear II. 

Ocean Adventures offers wildlife tours, B.C. west coasts boat cruises, and custom private charters by boat along Canada's spectacular Pacific Coast.

Enjoy unparalleled wildlife viewing and whale watching, experience BC's First Nations culture, walk beneath canopies of cedar, spruce and hemlock, and travel rivers and tidal channels into the heart of the river estuaries of the Great Bear Rainforest. Relaxing on the deck of our Great Bear II in our anchorage, you may hear the blow of a Humpback whale as it surfaces, the distant howl of a wolf, or the serenade of songbirds in the nearby rainforest.

Join us in Haida Gwaii (formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands) in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site to learn about the powerful and unique Haida culture and the biodiversity of this archipelago that has earned the name the "Canadian Galapagos". You will soon discover why this remote wilderness is called "Gwaii Haanas", meaning "Islands of Beauty".

If a little less wilderness and a bit slower pace is what you're looking forward to, our Captains and crew know just the spots to take you to. Beachcomb white sandy beaches edged in turquoise water, enjoy a picnic lunch, and later on watch the sun set while you enjoy a glass of wine and appetizers.

Whether you join us on one of our scheduled boat tours or wish to design your own Custom (Private) Charters Trip, we are ready to take you on the journey of a lifetime!

Although we have had private charters with as few as 1 guest for a special photo assignment or 2 people celebrating their special anniversary, our scheduled trips are limited to a maximum of 5 guests. We believe that our smaller group sizes allow our guests to really discover the heart beat of this unique and soul stirring wilderness. 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 home, all of the utmost importance to us.

Whether you join us for one of our scheduled departures... or design your own Custom (Private) Charters Trip... we look forward to welcoming you aboard for the trip of a lifetime.

Scheduled departures for 2024 for you to join, or to book private (custom) charters on, include departures on British Columbia's central and north coasts, and during the off season on the south coast.

We design all our British Columbia west coast boat tours to coincide with nature's great events and the most reliable weather during which to enjoy them. We have no set itineraries. Instead, we prefer to enjoy each day based on tides, weather, and what we have seen the day before-just as the wildlife does along this coast.

Join us in May or June for one of our 6, 8 or 9-day trips into the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest in Spring.

Bears just out of hibernation, some with cubs in tow, come to the lush river estuaries at the heads of these inlets to feast primarily on the protein rich sedge grasses, the roots of plants such as skunk cabbage, and the earlier Salmon berries. The powerful landscapes of immeasurable beauty are in part, the focus of these trips, and also provide the backdrops for some of the best wildlife viewing, bird watching and photography in Canada!

The long, narrow inlets off the Inside Passage are defined by the polished granite walls that rise thousands of feet out of the sea and at this time of year are laced with waterfalls that seem to fall from the sky. The velvety green river estuaries at the head of these inlets are carpeted in wildflowers and teeming with new life, including the bears, wolves, and birds that have come here to raise their young.

Along the passageways that we will travel are critical feeding habitats for Humpback whales, making this part of the coast, one of the best for seeing Humpback Whales. At this time of year we may also see Resident and Transient Orca, dolphins, porpoises, Stellar Sea Lions, Seals, and even Elephant seals.

Join us in Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) to explore Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. Our trips there in July will focus on the powerful Haida culture and the awe-inspiring biodiversity of this archipelago. Whether standing beneath the mortuary poles in Sgang Gwaay or watching the many seabirds including Tufted Puffins, or witnessing the power and grace of the many whales, these trips are definitely the trip of a lifetime!

While you can experience B.C.'s best whale watching on all of our trips, plans are afoot to offer a 7-day whale watching trip along the east coast of Vancouver Island in early October. Stay tuned for more info, or contact us. While not widely advertised as a hot spot for whale watching, this part of the world is home to Humpback whales, both Resident and Transient Orca, Dalls Porpoises, and Pacific White Sided Dolphins. It's a best kept secret for whale watching!

In late August and September, wild Pacific salmon begin to return to the creeks and rivers of their birth to spawn and complete their life cycle. The returning salmon are like a dinner bell to bears, wolves, wolverines and many species of birds.

Join us in August and September amidst some of the most soul stirring landscapes on earth in the Great Bear Rainforest in Fall. This is home to the rarest bear on earth, the Spirit Bear, but waiting at the water's edge to see these exquisite little bears, also affords us time to enjoy the tranquility of the rainforest, the biodiversity of these bears' homeland, and to witness the struggle of the wild Pacific salmon as they make their way to their spawning grounds. As we move on to mainland inlets, deep in the fiords of the Great Bear Rainforest, we get to enjoy watching some of the best fishers on the coast: Grizzly Bears. Whether it's a well fed male lumbering down the river or a mama Grizzly teaching her cubs to fish or old friends play wrestling in the river, you will never forget these amazing, sentient beings. You will come to understand the true nature of Grizzly Bears.

As we travel, we keep an eye out on shorelines, especially at low tides for Deer, Black Bears and Wolves. On all of these trips in August and September, we hope to enjoy the many behaviors of Humpback whales as they breach, bubble net feed, lunge feed or even wave their pectoral fins in the air while they are rolled on their backs. This is also a good time of year to see Orca, Porpoises, Dolphins, Seals, Sea Lions, and Sea Otters.

Based on ideas given to us by our returning guests, and areas that we believe will offer new and exciting experiences, we are always designing new trips. We call these new trips "Voyages of Exploration" which are available to any guests that have traveled with us before.

Please contact us for more information on our Voyages of Exploration.

Whether you'd prefer to explore a part of British Columbia's West Coast at a leisurely pace or fill your holiday with adventure; whether you'd like to design your own custom charters trip or join a scheduled departure, whether you'd like to join us for a few hours, a few days or a week, we'd love to welcome you aboard the Great Bear II! With our Transport Canada certified ship, Captain and crew, we ensure that your time with us is both comfortable and safe.

...where you're never just part of a crowd.

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