Wilderness Adventure Boat Tours

Join our ship, the Great Bear II, and her Crew as we embark on a true wilderness cruise and explore some of the most remote, picturesque, and unspoiled locations on the coast of British Columbia (and planet Earth)! Choose from our scheduled departures or have us help design a Custom Trip that's just right for you.

In May 2023 we will begin our season on the central coast of British Columbia, in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest. This year we are offering a 6-day, an 8-day, and a 9-day trip into the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest in Spring, in addition to an 11-day private charter.

On our wilderness boat tours along the British Columbia coast, you will have opportunities to witness one of North America's most misunderstood carnivores, the Grizzly Bear, as they come to feast on the protein rich sedge grass, early salmon berries and roots from plants such as the skunk cabbage. If you would like to witness the tenderness of these great bears with their cubs, this is the trip for you!

The many species of birds that also come to these river estuaries at this time of year, to nest and raise their young are sure to impress you and warm your heart.

There is nothing like the sight of baby Mergansers or Golden Eyes riding on the back of their mother or the amazing colours of Harlequin Ducks or trying to capture the elusive Marbled Murrelet with your camera! Along the passageways that we will travel it will also be possible to enjoy the mesmerizing behaviors of Humpback whales as they seem to fly out of the sea in a full breach or as they lunge or bubblenet feed. Both transient and resident Orca are often seen as they travel or hunt. As we travel it is common to have porpoises and dolphins ride on the ship's wake!

While the wildlife viewing and whale watching are what attracts most people to our wilderness cruises, the landscapes through which we will travel are amongst the most spectacular in the world! Polished granite walls, laced with waterfalls, rise out of the passages along which we will travel and out of the estuaries in front of us while we will be at anchor.

The ethereal beauty of these soul stirring landscapes is something you will never forget.

In 2024, we will be offering one 9-day trip in Haida Gwaii in early July. Please contact us for the itinerary and availability.

Long summer days are spent in Haida Gwaii, (formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands), enjoying the awesome biodiversity of the islands and speaking with the Haida Watchmen about their amazing culture. Walk through ancient Haida villages, some with poles still standing and others with longhouse remains. See the carpets of intertidal life as we float through Burnaby Narrows at low tide and perhaps a large Black Bear as they come to enjoy some seafood on the beach.

These nutrient rich waters around the islands of Haida Gwaii attract Humpback Whales, Orca, and the 2nd largest cetaceans in the world, Fin Whales, in addition to Pacific White Sided Dolphins and Dalls Porpoises.

This is Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, aptly named. (Gwaii Haanas meaning "Place of Wonder").

Late summer and fall in the Great Bear Rainforest brings the wild Pacific salmon back to the streams and rivers of their birth to spawn and complete their life cycle.

The returning salmon are like a dinner bell for bears, wolves, wolverines, and many species of birds. Even the giant trees in this temperate rainforest, benefit from the salmon.

Humpback whales are busy fattening on krill and herring for their long migration back to Hawaii , providing us with spectacular displays of feeding behaviors such as lunge and bubblenet feeding.

Resident Orca are also seen in these waters as they follow the migrating salmon and Transient Orca in search of marine mammals. As we travel we often see porpoises and dolphins as they come to ride on our ship's bow wave.

Experience the Wild in Wilderness!

Our Private (Custom) Charters, have been enjoyed by Film Crews, Photographers, Environmental Organizations, Families and Groups of Friends, and as a Romantic Getaway. We can help you design a charter anywhere on our coast — filled with excitement and adventure, or to be enjoyed at a more leisurely pace.

Group sizes to a maximum of 5 guests per trip.

Although we have had private charters with as few as 1 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 homes, all of which are of the utmost importance to us.

Contact us with any questions you have on any of our trips.

Whether you join us for one of our Scheduled Departures or design your own Custom (Private) Charter, we look forward to welcoming you aboard for the trip of a lifetime.

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." ~Rachel Carson

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