Join fellow women photographers on this spectacular journey into the protected waters of the north central coast of British Columbia – an area known as the ‘Great Bear Rainforest’. This stretch of coastline is a rich and unique ecosystem of impressive biodiversity – from the large marine mammals in the sea to carnivores, birds, and massive cedar and hemlock trees on land. It is home to grizzly bears, wolves, humpback whales, eagles, and the elusive, all-white Spirit Bear!

The ‘Island Roamer’ will be our home for eight days and seven nights as we explore the famed Inside Passage, stretching along the reaches of the Great Bear Rainforest, with the anticipation of seeing some amazing wildlife while enjoying the peace and tranquility of the central BC Coast. Each day, we leave the vessel for small boat excursions or to explore ashore, visiting various estuaries, and bear viewing sites.  You will be flying into Vancouver International Airport then taking a shuttle flight to Terrace where our tour begins. As there can sometimes be unforeseen weather delays when traveling in coastal regions – to ensure that the group can set sail on time – we advise you to arrive in Terrace the day prior to the trip (Sept. 21st) and spend the night at an accommodation of your choice. Suggestions will be given to you upon booking. Please note, our guide will be picking us up at select hotels the next day.

$7,250 based on double occupancy

10 participants

About your leader…..

Sarah E. Devlin is a wildlife and nature photographer and the founder of Women In Wildlife Photography LLC.  Her love for nature photography began many years ago as a single mother to three children, when nature became her sanctuary.  Since then Sarah has developed a deep connection with nature through her photography that has transformed and improved the quality of her life.  It is her passion to encourage others, especially women, to find the therapeutic quality of nature through a lens.  Today she travels internationally leading and organizing wildlife photography tours for women and helping to promote other professional women wildlife photographers.  Sarah has a unique style to her photography which has garnered  several awards including Audubon and NANPA (North American Nature Photography Association) top 100.  Her work has been featured in publications such as Natures Best Photography and Wild Planet.  Sarah is based in the US on the beautiful shores of Cape Cod.

Day 1 (Sept. 22nd) Terrace

Plan to make a hotel reservation for the previous night (Sept. 21st) at either the Best Western Terrace Inn or Holiday Inn Express & Suits, both in Terrace.

We’ll meet for breakfast (not included) and then we will be picked up by a shuttle driver at around 9:30 am to take us to the marina where we will board our vessel. Cabins will be assigned followed by a brief safety orientation. We will then set sail for the Great Bear Rainforest!

Day 2-3 (Sept. 23rd – 24th) Onboard Vessel

Heading south down Douglas Channel we’ll keep a lookout for foraging bears along the shoreline and possibly wolves. As long as weather permits we’ll go ashore to observe and photograph these species. While at sea we’ll likely see Humpback and possibly Fin whales. Other marine mammals to look for are Orcas, Porpoise, and Stellar Sea Lions.

Day 4-5 (Sept. 25th – 26th) Onboard Vessel

As we travel along Princess Royal Island, we keep a close watch on the shoreline, since this is the best-known area for seeing the rare Spirit (also known as Kermode) Bear. We are fortunate to spend each day with local Gitga’at First Nation guides, who will take us to their favorite bear viewing areas. With a little patience we hope to be lucky enough to see black bears and the elusive, all-white Spirit Bear fishing for salmon at a quiet spawning stream hidden in the forest. There may be an opportunity to visit Bishop Bay hot springs for a soothing soak. With a good low tide, we may explore the shoreline for different species of colorful sea stars, anemone, and algae.

Day 6-7 (Sept. 27th – 28th) Onboard Vessel

We keep watch for bears and coastal wolves along the shoreline to Khutze Inlet. Its beautiful river valley provides a rich estuary and we hope for some good grizzly viewing at the water’s edge. We will voyage deep into the coastal mountains to explore a large marine park called the Fiordland Conservancy. Beneath towering granite cliff faces and impressive waterfalls, we will search remote estuaries for Grizzly Bears attracted by spawning Salmon.

Day 8 (Sept. 29th) Bella Bella

Our trip finishes in the small First Nations coastal town of Bella Bella. We will arrive at the Bella Bella Municipal Dock just before noon in time to catch the afternoon Pacific Coastal flight to Vancouver, BC