When you book, you will receive a comprehensive trip planning guide and you can contact us any time.
Please feel free to use this general information in planning your trip. However, before making flight or other arrangements, please contact us to ensure availability on the trip you want, and to ensure that specific details, such as boarding time and location, for your trip are confirmed. Changes may occur from year to year.
Spring and Summer Trips | Autumn Trips
Spring and Summer Great Bear Rainforest Trips |
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2013 & 2014 Great Bear Rainforest, Spring Trips: |
Depart: Municipal wharf, Bella Bella, B.C.
Return: MK Bay Marina, Kitimat, B.C.
Note: If you are planning the Spring Supervoyage, by taking the Vancouver Island Inside Passage trip first, you will start in Sidney (Victoria), B.C.
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2013: Great Bear Rainforest & Kitlope Photography Trip: |
Depart: MK Bay Marina, Kitimat, B.C.
Return: MK Bay Marina, Kitimat, B.C. |
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2013 & 2014: Great Bear Rainforest Whales & Wild Isles: |
Depart: Cow Bay district of Prince Rupert, B.C.
Return: Municipal Wharf, Port McNeill, B.C. |
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How to Get to and from the Ship:
(click on map for larger view) |
How to Get to and from the Ship
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2013 & 2014 Great Bear Rainforest in Spring:
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Getting To Bella Bella
Pacific Coastal Airlines
1-800-663-2872 www.pacificcoastal.com
Note: Pacific Coastal flies from/to the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. There is a regular shuttle bus from the main terminal and from the seaplane port. Allow about 30 minutes from door to door to be sure to meet the required boarding and check in times.
Returning from Kitimat
There are two airlines with scheduled daily flights to the airport that services Kitimat. This airport is called the Terrace or Terrace/Kitimat airport. Using a shuttle bus, and a short taxi ride, it will take about an hour from airport to ship.
Air Canada
www.aircanada.com 1-888-247-2262
Hawkair
http://hawkair.net 1-800-487-1216
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2013: Great Bear Rainforest & Kitlope Photography Trip:
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Getting To And From Kitimat
There are two airlines with scheduled daily flights to the airport that services Kitimat. This airport is called the Terrace or Terrace/Kitimat airport. Using a shuttle bus, and a short taxi ride, it will take about an hour from airport to ship.
Air Canada
www.aircanada.com 1-888-247-2262
Hawkair
http://hawkair.net 1-800-487-1216
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2013 & 2014: Great Bear Rainforest Whales & Wild Isles:
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Getting To Prince Rupert
Air Canada
www.aircanada.com 1-888-247-2262
Daily flights to Vancouver International Airport.
Hawkair
http://hawkair.net 1-800-487-1216
Hawkair offers flights from Prince Rupert to Vancouver International Airport's (peaceful) South Terminal.
Information Note About Prince Rupert Airport: Prince Rupert Airport is located on Digby Island. Included in the price of your flight is a trip on the shuttle bus and ferry between downtown Prince Rupert and the airport.
- The airport shuttle bus will take you to the Highliner Inn in Prince Rupert. From there, you can take a taxi to your hotel or to the ship. Taxis in Prince Rupert are plentiful and if one is not available when you arrive, just go inside the hotel and telephone for one. It should arrive within minutes. Taxis take cash, and most everything is within a 5 minute ride of everything else in the core of Prince Rupert.
Getting Home from Port McNeill
By air to Vancouver: Pacific Coastal Airlines
1-800-663-2872 www.pacificcoastal.com
Note: Pacific Coastal flies from/to the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. There is a regular shuttle bus from the main terminal and from the seaplane port. Allow about 30 minutes from door to door to be sure to meet the required boarding and check in times.
By car down Vancouver Island: Rental cars are available at the Port Hardy airport. It is about a 6.5 hour drive to Victoria (without significant stops), and about 4.5 to Nanaimo. There are, however, many wonderful communities, parks and locations to explore on Vancouver Island if you have more time. Feel free to ask us about this.
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Where to Stay
Our trips are timed so that you can take a flight to the ship on the start date of the trip. However, if you would like to arrive early or stay on afterward, here are some places you may wish to stay. |
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When you book, you will receive a comprehensive trip planning guide and you can contact us any time.
Please feel free to use this general information in planning your trip. However, before making flight or other arrangements, please contact us to ensure availability on the trip you want, and to ensure that specific details, such as boarding time and location, for your trip are confirmed. Changes may occur from year to year.
Autumn Great Bear Rainforest Trips |
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2013 & 2014 Autumn Great Bear Rainforest Trip 1: |
Depart: Municipal wharf, Port McNeill, B.C.
Return: Municipal Wharf, Bella Bella, B.C.
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2013 & 2014 Autumn Great Bear Rainforest Trips, 2, 3 & 4: |
Depart: Municipal Wharf, Bella Bella, B.C.
Return: Municipal Wharf, Bella Bella, B.C. |
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2014: Autumn Great Bear Rainforest Trip 5: |
Depart: Municipal Wharf, Bella Bella, B.C.
Return: Municipal Wharf, Port McNeill, B.C. |
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How to Get to and from the Ship:
(click on map for larger view) |
How to Get to and from the Ship
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For Trip 1:
(departing Port McNeill) |
Getting To Port McNeill
By air via Vancouver:
The airport that services Port McNeill is called the Port Hardy airport. It's a 25-minute taxi ride from Port McNeill.
Pacific Coastal Airlines 1-800-663-2872 www.pacificcoastal.com
By car:
You can drive to Port McNeill from Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo or other communities on Vancouver Island.
- To drive from Vancouver, take a ferry to Nanaimo and then drive north from Nanaimo about 4.5 hours.
- To drive from Victoria, you'll drive north for about 6.5 hours.
- To drive from Nanaimo, you'll drive north for about 4.5 hours.
There is parking at the municipal wharf. At the time of this writing, it is $3 per day and you can park for long periods of time. The Port McNeill wharfinger's office can provide other information.
You may also wish to enjoy an hour or two in "downtown Port McNeill" which has several shops and cafes, including a great art gallery/shop called Just Art.
Returning from Bella Bella
Pacific Coastal Airlines
1-800-663-2872 www.pacificcoastal.com
Note: Pacific Coastal flies from/to the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. There is a regular shuttle bus from the main terminal and from the seaplane port. Allow about 30 minutes from door to door to be sure to meet the required boarding and check in times.
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For Trips 2, 3 & 4:
(departing Bella Bella) |
Getting To And From Bella Bella
Pacific Coastal Airlines
1-800-663-2872 www.pacificcoastal.com
Note: Pacific Coastal flies from the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. There is a regular shuttle bus from the main terminal and from the seaplane port. Allow about 30 minutes from door to door to be sure to meet the required boarding and check in times.
Taxi
Since there is just one flight a day to Bella Bella, Maple Leaf Adventures will arrange for a taxi to meet you at the airport and bring you to the ship and vice-versa on return. Your taxi fare will be about $10 cash.
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For Trip 5:(departing Bella Bella, arriving Port McNeill)
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Getting to Bella Bella
Pacific Coastal Airlines
1-800-663-2872 www.pacificcoastal.com
Note: Pacific Coastal flies from/to the South Terminal at Vancouver International Airport. There is a regular shuttle bus from the main terminal and from the seaplane port. Allow about 30 minutes from door to door to be sure to meet the required boarding and check in times.
If you will be on Vancouver Island before the trip, you have an option of driving to Port Hardy and parking there, and boarding the Pacific Coastal flight in Port Hardy to Bella Bella. The ship will return you to Port McNeill, which is about a 25-minute taxi ride from Port Hardy. You can then reunite with your car and drive back down Vancouver Island.
Returning from Port McNeill
By air via Vancouver:
The airport that services Port McNeill is called the Port Hardy airport. It's a 25-minute taxi ride from Port McNeill.
Pacific Coastal Airlines 1-800-663-2872 www.pacificcoastal.com
By car:
You can drive from Port McNeill to Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo or other communities on Vancouver Island.
- To drive to Vancouver, drive about 4.5 hours south to Nanaimo and board a BC Ferries ferry.
- To drive to Victoria, you'll drive south for about 6.5 hours.
- To drive to Nanaimo, you'll drive south for about 4.5 hours.
There is parking at the municipal wharf. At the time of this writing, it is $3 per day and you can park for long periods of time. The Port McNeill wharfinger's office can provide other information.
You may also wish to enjoy an hour or two in "downtown Port McNeill" which has several shops and cafes, including a great art gallery/shop called Just Art.
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Where to Stay
Our trips are timed so that you can take a flight to the ship on the start date of the trip. However, if you would like to arrive early, here are some places you may wish to stay. |
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Travel Agent
We are happy to recommend the services of our travel agent.
- Contact us at 1.888.599.5323 or +1.250.386.7245 for information
Trip / Medical Insurance
- Due to the remoteness of the areas we travel in we highly recommend travel/medical trip insurance that covers possible emergency medical evacuation.
- We highly recommend trip cancellation insurance. This protects you in case you have to cancel for a variety of reasons (including illness). This must be purchased at the time your booking is confirmed.
Travel Documentation
- If you are entering Canada from another country, you must have a valid passport.
- If the US or Canada require that citizens from your country have other documentation such as a visa in order to enter either country, you are responsible for having it with you. To find out what you need, ask your nearest consulate.
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| Suggested Reading - Great Bear Rainforest Tours |
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| Title |
Author, ISBN |
Subject Area |
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| The Great Bear Rainforest: Canada's Forgotten Coast |
by Ian McAllister and Karen McAllister with Cameron Young. ISBN 1-55017-166-6 |
Overview, natural history |
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| Raven Steals the Light |
By Bill Reid and Robert Bringhurst. ISBN 0295975245 |
First Nations stories |
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| Northwest Coast Indian Art: An Analysis of Form |
By Bill Holm. ISBN 0295951028 |
First Nations art |
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| The Curve of Time: Classic Memoir of A Woman & Her Children Who Explored the Coastal Waters of the Pacific Northwest |
M. Wylie Blanchet. ISBN 1552853519 |
Memoir |
| These and many other books on the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Coast are on board in our library. Some are available for purchase through our office. |
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| The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature |
By David Suzuki. ISBN 1-55054-548-5 |
General nature |
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| The Last Great Sea: A Voyage Through the Human and Natural History of the North Pacific Ocean |
By Terry Glavin ISBN: 1-55054-954-5 |
Natural history, cultural history of the North Pacific Ocean region |
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These and many other books on the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Coast are on board in our library. Some are available for purchase through our office.
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