I’m just arriving back from the Great Bear Rainforest trip of 2017, and it was another one to remember.

Carryout Dinner

We were treated to the opportunity to spend time photographing three different Spirit Bears, which is always a highlight of the trip. These bears are quite rare, and exist in only a few places along the Coast of British Columbia, so the fact that we were able to spend time (more than just a glance) with three of them is really lucky.

We go to the Great Bear Rainforest for more than just Spirit Bears, we also hope to see Black Bears, Grizzly Bears, Humpbacks, and whatever else we come across along the way.  This is why the trip is named “Into the Great Bear Rainforest” instead of Spirit Bear Trip.

We had the opportunity to see a Grizzly Bear with two cubs, and quite a few Black Bears, all of which seemed to be taking advantage of the salmon (alive or dead) that were in the rivers, or that have washed up on the shore during high tide in some of the inlets.  We even saw a very unique looking Black Bear that seemed like it’s fur had a bit of white and black in it, it was a very interesting looking bear.

Some of the “whatever else” that we had the opportunity to photograph this year was some time spent photographing Humpback Whales (even seeing a few distant breaches), Transient Killer Whales, seeing an Elephant Seal in the distance, and a short time with Harbour Seals.   We also saw a few Bald Eagles perched in the trees,  a few Great Blue Herons, and several Pine Martens that were feeding on leftover salmon along the river.

This trip was like none other that I experienced in the past, and that’s why I keep going back. For the first time in the last four years I was tortured by sun, pretty much 7 full days of sunshine, with very little cloud. Which made photographing whales or bears along the water at certain times of the day very challenging. I guess all those years that I wished for a little sun while sitting in a downpour came all at once.

As always I was joined by an excellent group of people and welcomed by the terrific crew of the ship, these trips would never be the same without them.

To stay up-to-date with my latest images, including ones from this trip, visit my Recent Photos gallery.  If you would like to join us on a Great Bear Rainforest trip in the future contact me [email protected].