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GR E E N
L AN
D
arct ic c ircle
arc t i c c i rc l e a rc t i c c i rc l e
yellowknife
igloolik
cape dorset
elu inlet lodge
resolute bay
pond inlet
vancouver
minneapolis
chicago
winnipeg
riding mountain
churchill
C A N A D A
U N I T E D S T A T E S
GRIZZLY BEARS OF THE GREAT BEAR RAINFORESTYou will travel by boat along the Great Bear Rainforest on the north-most shore of Vancouver Island in search of the magnificent grizzly bear. Led by a seasoned nature photographer, this tour offers wonderful photography opportunities.
Frontiers North’s lodge-based Great Bear Rainforest tours run from early spring to late fall, allowing you to experience British Columbia’s grizzly bears during the season of your choice; spring, summer, and autumn.
You will enjoy full-day interpretive rainforest hikes and boat excursions to make the most of the wildlife-viewing opportunities. In the evenings, we return to our wilderness retreat – a floating lodge powered by solar energy and wind. Situated in a well-protected glacier-carved fjord, the lodge contains five private bedrooms with washrooms, sitting rooms with a cozy fireplace, a dining room where gourmet meals are served and a large outdoor deck.
Itinerary Highlights
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Learn more about the grizzly bears during interpretive bear viewing sessions led by a wildlife biologist.
Interpretive guided hiking, boat cruises and/or sea kayaking excursions.
Private rooms and wilderness-gourmet meals at the cozy floating lodge.
©Tom Rivest
GR E E N
L AN
D
arct ic c ircle
arc t i c c i rc l e a rc t i c c i rc l e
yellowknife
igloolik
elu inlet lodge
resolute bay
pond inlet
vancouver
minneapolis
chicago
winnipeg
riding mountain
churchill
C A N A D A
U N I T E D S T A T E S
©Bob Debets
RAINFOREST PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS
Cameras: Point and Shoot cameras are fine. A camera with telephoto or long zoom lens (10x) allows the most flexibility. Digital cameras allow for a higher contrast and work better in low light levels you may experience in the cloudy rainforest. A SLR with interchangeable lenses is ideal. Image stabilized lenses are also a good investment. Video cameras capture movement and behavior as well.
Lenses: If the camera can accommodate interchangeable lenses, longer telephoto lenses will give more opportunities to capture images of the bears. Longer lenses also give the effect of being closer to eye level with your subjects. Auto focus lenses work well most of the time, but may not be able to function accurately if aimed at lighter objects.
Memory Cards: Make sure that you have enough memory card storage wih you, bring extra memory cards and/or have some way of downloading the images to another storage device. It has not been unheard of over 32GB of images and/or video being shot in one day with modern day multi-frames per second cameras.
Camera Support: Most Point and Shoot cameras can be hand held but cameras with longer lenses will need support in order to obtain sharper images. A monopod is the best form of support for your camera when photographing from a boat. A tripod is a good alternative, especially for video cameras. Shoulder stocks also work great when holding both cameras and video cameras in the boat. In the fall season, tripods or bean bags are highly recommended.
Batteries: Batteries do not perform as well in cold climates. NiCad and Li Ion have better performance characteristics than Alkaline batteries but are still affected. Keeping a set of spare batteries in a warm place to switch out works well. Bring your chargers to the lodge with the appropriate converter plug to recharge batteries.
General Advice: If you buy a new camera, use it extensively prior to your arrival. Also, bring some large plastic bags to put your cameras in, as the rainforest is quite damp. Flash photography is not advisable as it disturbs the bears. Please ensure you know how to turn off the flash on your camera.
ABOUT THE LODGEThe Lodge contains five private bedrooms, each containing a washroom. Hot showers are located downstairs. The common area is a comfortable place for relaxing and listening to natural history presentations from wildlife biologists. The wind and solar powered lodge is in keeping with our commitment to low-impact eco-tourism. Natural wood decks surround the Lodge, a perfect place to enjoy a glass of wine while viewing the beautiful scenery.
The Lodge is located 50 air miles from Port Hardy, BC. The fully self-contained floating lodge is situated at an outstanding wildlife viewing location. Gourmet meals, made from the freshest possible local ingredients, await you at the Lodge upon your return from the wilderness. A typical dinner might feature freshly caught salmon roasted on a cedar plank with a marinade of maple syrup, mustard seeds and balsamic vinegar. The meals are served family-style, so please let us know in advance if you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies.
In between bear viewing sessions you will be able to join a guided activity such as sea kayaking or an interpretive hike, or you may choose to relax with a book from the extensive library. The Lodge has limited room available for the luggage on the float plane, so please plan to leave any excess luggage in Port Hardy. The weight limit is generally 30 pounds (14 kg), although exceptions may be made for photography equipment.
Average temperatures in the Great Bear Rainforest are approximately 7 ºC (45 ºF) in the spring, 17 ºC (63 ºF) in the summer, and 5 ºC (41 ºF) in the autumn. Multiple layers will ensure comfort. Wildlife viewing involves sitting still in a cool location, so warm clothing is essential (even in summer).
• Rain gear
• Thermal underwear
• Warm, hooded sweater
• Nylon windpants
• Thin gloves
• Warm hat
• Rubber boots
• Binoculars
• Extra socks
• Scarf
• Sunglasses
• Insect repellent
• Moisturizer & lip balm
• Camera
• Camcorder & tripod
Packing Suggestions
Because you are scheduled to depart Port Hardy for the Lodge in the late afternoon and return from your tour in the early evening, we strongly recommend a pre- and post-adventure hotel night stay in Port Hardy. Please contact a Frontiers North Adventure Planner for hotel suggestions.
Click this link or type it into your browser:http://58n.ca/bbc-grizzly
Watch Grizzly Bears of the Great Bear Rainforest Hunt Salmon
Weather ConditionsSoft-sided luggage is better than hard suitcase as it is easier to fit on the float plane.
Travel Considerations
©Tom Rivest