Our Great Bear Rainforest expeditions take us deep into the heart of this remote region where we’ll encounter and learn about its ecosystems and most iconic species – salmon, bears, wolves, and whales. Living and traveling aboard the schooner Passing Cloud, we’ll visit glacier-scoured fiords, spectacular estuaries, ancient forests, vast islands, and outer coast beaches. We’ll use our inflatable skiff extensively to explore these habitats, and we’ll meander our way up small river systems on foot to witness salmon returning to spawn and view the bears and other wildlife that congregate to feast on this annual ecological bonanza. And throughout our expedition, we look forward to encounters with the abundant populations of whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, and other coastal wildlife that thrive in the surrounding coastal seas.

Bears, of course, are of particular interest in the Great Bear Rainforest. Our expert guides will teach us about the fascinating and often dramatic lives of bears, the critical roles they play in maintaining the surrounding “salmon forests”, and ongoing conservation initiatives to protect them. We look forward to encountering the coastal grizzly bears that thrive here, as well as black bears, and if we’re very lucky, a glimpse of the rare white spirit bear that’s found nowhere else on Earth.

In keeping with the Great Bear Rainforest Agreement and its central tenets of co-management and ecosystem-based management, we work closely here with the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo-Xai’xais, and Gitga’at First Nations, and BC Parks, to protect and enjoy this amazing place. Through Tourism Protocol Agreements with these Nations and BC Park Use Permits, Outer Shores is fortunate to enjoy access to numerous limited-entry Parks, Conservancies, Special Management Areas in this region, including Special Management bear-viewing sites.

Below you will find sample itineraries for our Spring and Autumn expeditions in the Great Bear Rainforest. We look forward to having you join us!