Note that, as with all expedition cruises, itineraries vary depending on the interests of the guests, and the actions of weather and wildlife. This sample itinerary is meant to give you an idea of the typical trip.
Great Bear Rainforest Spring Trip 1
Day 1 Board Maple Leaf, orientation, cruising Samsun Narrows, shore explorations, Gulf Islands anchorage.
Day 2 Cruising Georgia Strait, northern Gulf Islands. Shore excursions and island anchorage.
Day 3 Cruising Discovery Islands, Seymour Narrows, site of Ripple Rock and ecosystem change from south to north. Shore excursions and wildlife viewing.
Day 4 Johnstone Strait the southern Great Bear. Look for birds, porpoises and dolphins, intertidal life exploration.
Day 5 Mainland inlet, rainforest walking, bear viewing.
Day 6 Cruising to port, wildilfe viewing.
Great Bear Rainforest Spring Trip 2
Day 1&2Board Maple Leaf, orientation, cruising & exploring the islands of the Broughton Archipelago. Sailing Queen Charlotte Strait, and the Great Bear Rainforest’s western islands.
Day 3&4 Fjordland and estuary exploration (sea ducks, birds, seals, and possible bears). Exploration by zodiac and foot.
Day 5&6 Visit communities of Bella Bella and Klemtu including intro to First Nations culture, visit with scientists at research station, cruising & anchorage in Inside Passage.
Day 7-9 Mainland inlet, rainforest walk and exploration, hot springs soak, optional kayaking, travelling down the coast’s lon- gest fjord, exploring the Kitlope, the largest intact temperate rainforest on the planet.
Day 10 Cruising to port, wildlife and scenic viewing.
Great Bear Rainforest Summer
Day 1 Board Maple Leaf, orientation, cruising the channels and islands of the west coast.
Day 2 Sailing, beachcombing, whale viewing on the west coast.
Day 3 Hot springs, mainland inlet, bear viewing from river estuary.
Day 4 Visit community of Klemtu or Hartly Bay, including guided tour and conversations at big house, example of First Nations artistry and architecture.
Day 5 Cruising fjords, bear viewing, waterfalls. Optional evening kayak.
Day 6 Fjords, visit with scientific research station and talk with scientists.
Day 7 Rainforest walk, cruising inland channels.
Day 8 Cruising to port, wildlife viewing.
View a wildlife list from a spring trip in 2009 (this list is from trip 1 and 2 combined (the Supervoyage).
See also our
Great Bear Rainforest in Autumn Tour in September and our tour and our
Whales & Totems tour in October.
To learn more about the Great Bear Rainforest, we suggest a visit to
Raincoast Conservation Society's website.
Note: Some place names have been omitted from the sample itinerary to protect wildlife from unscrupulous operators without the proper permits to visit.
