Issues of interest on the central and northern coast of British Columbia. Wildlife. Conservation. The comings and goings of the Ocean Light II. And more...
24 November 2011 - Our Complete 2012 Adventure Tour Offerings...
Our complete 2012 trip schedule, including trip dates, prices and brochures, are now available for viewing.
Looking for a unique gift idea for someone special - or possibly a gift to yourself? Our trips offer a fantastic getaway. Immerse yourself in nature, breathe fresh air, watch incredible wildlife, have fun with fellow travelers, relax - all while eating delicious food! So why not join us for an adventure of a lifetime? Our Haida Gwaii trips are perfectly suited for families or groups of friends because there is so much to see and do and you have great opportunities to spend quality time together while creating some wonderful joint memories! Our bear viewing trips to both the Khutzeymateen and the Great Bear Rainforest are world class and are filling up very quickly. Or, you can always join us for one of our newer trips, the Orca Explorer or our Mothership Kayaking Adventures - both are fantastic adventures and offer the best of the beautiful BC coast.
We're very excited about sharing our beautiful coast with you in 2012 and beyond!
12 November 2011 - Great Bear Rainforest Postscript...
We have just wrapped up our 2011 season and it was a great success. The Ocean Light II cruised through the waterways of the Great Bear Rainforest searching for spirit bears, grizzly bears, wolves and whales. All of our trips featured incredible wildlife viewing - yet each trip differed from all the others and produced unique memories for all aboard. On the water the humpback whales were amazing as they powerfully yet gracefully moved around and under our boat. We watched them bubble-net feeding, lunging and breaching and had ample opportunities to get tail photos. We also saw lots of orca whales this fall, as well as dolphins, porpoises, sea lions, seals and more. On the land the bear viewing was everything we expected. All of our trips had unforgettable Spirit Bear experiences. The grizzly bears, black bears and wolves also put on a show.
As always, the autumn weather gave us some challenges, with lots of rain and some big winds. But the Ocean Light II and her crew maximized the adventure experiences and kept everyone happy and safe.
The salmon runs were impressive. There were lots of pink salmon returning to their natal streams, as well as chum, coho and sockeye. The live salmon in the creeks attract many other animals for a chance of a meal of fresh fish. The dead and dying spawned out fish continue to give back to the land and sea.
The landscapes of the Great Bear Rainforest are incredibly beautiful and diverse. Morning mist over the grassy yellow estuaries, waterfalls cascading off rock walls, mountain peaks, sparkling streams, full moons and starry nights. We all left the Great Bear Rainforest with reluctance, but with classic wilderness scenes indelibly imprinted in our minds and in our photographs...
The Ocean Light II is now tied to the dock in Gibsons, where she will stay for the winter. We will spend some time over the winter and spring on general maintenance and upgrades and will have her ready to set sail again in May 2012.
Hope to see you again - or for the first time - on future trips aboard the Ocean Light II!
17 September 2011 - Into the Great Bear Rainforest
The Ocean Light II is currently navigating and touring the rich waters of the Great Bear Rainforest. We have 5 weeks of trips this fall. And, we're already receiving good news back from the Ocean Light II - the pink salmon are returning in great numbers to their natal streams and the chum salmon are also back in good numbers after 5 years of low returns. All of life in the Great Bear Rainforest is wholly or partly dependent on energy and nutrients supplied by the returning salmon. This year it appears that the bears and wolves will be well fed.
The grizzlies are already fishing in the rivers and the black bears and spirit bears are joining in the feast.
Check back soon to this page to get the latest news on what's happening in the Great Bear Rainforest.
5 September 2011 - Orca Explorer 2011 Postscript...
For 3 weeks in August the Ocean Light II and her crew cruised the waters of the Orca whale on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. Again the weather was fantastic and the marine mammal viewing spectacular. We saw orca whales, individually or in large groups of up to 30 whales doing a wide variety of activities: resting, hunting, spy hopping, travelling, and fishing. We were able to listen to their vocalizations on our hydrophone.
Humpback whales are now a common sight in the nutrient rich waters of the region and we saw spectacular displays of breaching and lunge feeding. We visited a large sea lion haul-out and got to see, hear (and smell!) these amazing large beasts. We had great sightings of sea otters and had lots of chances to see classic sea otter behaviour: cruising along on their backs, using a rock on their belly to crack open their food and their constant rolling to get air into their fur to maintain body heat. Overall the best thing was how many different otters we actually saw, especially all the mothers with babies - the recovery of this previously endangered species is well underway and with good reason for hope for their future.
We started each trip in the relatively calm waters of Johnstone Strait and Blackfish Sound and then moved west to the wilder, more exposed north western tip of the island. We explored on white sandy beaches and investigated colourful tide pools, kayaked in tranquil bays and anchored under starry skies.
The Orca Explorer trip is so much more than Orcas - it is truly an experience not to be missed.
Want more information about our 2012 Orca Explorer trips? Just check out our Orca Explorer page on this website for lots more information. Several spots still remain for 2012 trips.
15 August 2011 - Gwaii Haanas Tours 2011 Postscript...
The Ocean Light II and her crew spent 5 glorious weeks in Gwaii Haanas in July and early August. While the rest of the province was waiting for summer to begin, Gwaii Haanas was basking under sunny skies and little wind.
This year - like in past years - we had 5 really great groups. The island archipelago offered up a huge diversity of activities that remains unparalleled anywhere on the coast. We had thrilling sailing experiences, watched gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, mellowed out on the carpets of moss beneath giant old growth trees, relaxed in the hot springs, kayaked at low tide with the colourful intertidal life and had beach barbecues of salmon and crab. We hiked in the alpine and swam in waterfalls, and our groups had an introduction to the Haida culture at the village sites of SgangWaay and Tanu. We made our way to the most southern tip, Cape St. James on a number of trips and caught some nice fish.
And, of course, the wildlife viewing did NOT disappoint! Aquatic mammal sightings included humpback whales, fin whales, orcas, sea lions, seals and sea otters. Piscine highlights including sightings of blue sharks, sunfish and schools of jellyfish. On the bird front key sightings included horned and tufted puffins, peregrine falcons and sandhill cranes.
In Gwaii Haanas every day is a feast for the senses! We ended our time in Gwaii Haanas much richer for the experience and energized.
Check out our Gwaii Haanas Aboard the Ocean Light II page on this website for more information about this unique destination and adventure experience - spots are still available on several trips for 2012.
18 July 2011 - Sarah Ellison's Second Khutzeymateen Video on YouTube
The Grizzlies of the Khutzeymateen Valley of northern British Columbia, as seen through the eyes and lenses of 14-year-old Sarah Ellison. This second video in her ongoing series creatively uses both still imagery and video footage to capture the essence of the amazing Grizzly Bear. Here is Sarah's video:
Sarah is the daughter of the owners of Ocean Light II Adventures (Tom & Jenn) and has spent almost every spring of her young life in the Khutzeymateen Valley!
Feel free to email Sarah to let her know what you think of her video!
27 June 2011 - Northern Great Bear Rainforest Mothership Kayaking Postscript...
Our first Northern Great Bear Rainforest Mothership Kayak trip was a huge success. Our group got to spend a lot of quality time in the kayaks, travel to many different areas and eat delicious meals and sleep in comfort aboard the Ocean Light II. We started our trip out of Prince Rupert and made our way north back to the Khutzeymateen Inlet where we had a day and a half of incredible bear viewing. Each day our kayak guides - Gord and Barrett - took the group for a paddle. The diversity of these paddles was amazing, from the forested coastal fiords to the wind swept rocky outer coast, the group saw grizzlies, whales, seals, sea lions, and coastal wolves. Each day offered something new and exciting.
For more information about mothership kayaking with Ocean Light II Adventures, visit our spanking new Mothership Kayaking trip page! Our 2012 Mothership Kayaking trip is in the spectacular Haida Gwaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands).
19 June 2011 - Khutzeymateen 2011 Postscript...
Our month in the Khutzeymateen was incredible. From the very first day we were rewarded with exciting and intimate bear viewing experiences. The Khutzeymateen never fails to show all of us the beautiful and gentle side of the magnificent grizzly bear.
It was a late spring on the coast this year and there was a lot of snow on the mountains. However, the bears emerged as always from their dens ready to eat the succulent protein-rich sedge grasses. At the beginning of our season we saw lots of different bears, including some very big males searching for females. There were not many breeding females around so the big males moved off and females with cubs appeared. In total we saw 7 mothers with cubs. A highlight was one mother who brought her cubs-of-the-year into the inlet and was very comfortable being watched. We also had a mother bear with three 1-year-old cubs in the estuary and a mother bear with two 1-year-olds in the inlet who provided hours of entertaining bear viewing.
Stay tuned to this news page for the premiere of Sarah's 2011 video that she worked on while in the valley.
Check out our Grizzlies of the Khutzeymateen page on this website for more information about this amazing destination - available spots for our 2012 trips are disappearing fast!
06 June 2011 - Good Times in the Garden of the Grizzlies...
We're now a little over halfway through our spring Grizzlies of the Khutzeymateen bear-viewing season and a good time is being had by all! Like almost everywhere in BC the growing season is about 2 weeks behind normal, and the bears were a little slow in arriving back in the Khutzeymateen sanctuary.
But things are hopping in here now and we've seen an amazing variety of grizzlies and grizzly behavior - everything from males courting females, mothers with cubs, some sparring, and one instance of a female mum defending her cubs against an aggressive male. We've even seen coastal wolves twice - on one occasion the wolf was carrying what appeared to be a rather luckless river otter! And the lupines and other wildflowers are now in full bloom, providing spectacular settings and backdrops for the bears. The "Garden of the Grizzlies" is certainly living up to its name this year!
11 May 2011 - Our 2011 Season Begins Next Week!!!!
Over this past winter we worked hard on maintaining and improving the Ocean Light II and to get her in tip top shape for the long field season. And that season begins next week!
The Ocean Light II headed north last week from Gibsons Harbour en route to the Khutzeymateen Valley. Our 2011 Khutzeymateen trips start May 16 and continue through until June 18. We anxiously await getting back to the Valley of the Grizzlies and are excited about showing new people how incredible these large carnivores can be. We also welcome many repeat guests who can't get enough of the magic of the Khutz.
Our first Mothership Kayaking trip in the Northern Great Bear Rainforest follows our Khutzeymateen trips and then it's off to Gwaii Haanas National Park in July.
We have lots of adventures to look forward to, and we still have a few odd spots open. So if you want to join us, check out trip availability on our main Schedule page or email us at adventure@oceanlight2.bc.ca. Hopefully we'll see you soon!
4 May 2011 - Orca Explorer - Image Gallery Updated
Curious about the scenery and wildlife of the Johnstone region of northern Vancouver Island? We've just completed updating the image gallery of our Orca Explorer trip page with images captured during the 2010 trip. Check 'em out and enjoy! Just click on the image thumbnails to view larger versions of the images.
21 March 2011 - Something New! Mothership Kayaking with Ocean Light II Adventures
Are you looking for the adventure and challenge of kayaking but love the comfort and decadence of sailboat travel? You can now have both! Ocean Light II Adventures is offering Mothership Kayaking trips on the northern BC Coast and in Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands). Using the beautiful Ocean Light II allows us to move more quickly between the highlights of the area so that we can then get into the kayaks to explore more deeply. The Ocean Light II also provides you with a warm, dry bed and gourmet meals. Our kayak guides are from Butterfly Tours, who have been offering kayak trips in Haida Gwaii for over 20 years.
In 2011 we will be exploring the Northern Great Bear Rainforest in late June. We will travel deep into coastal fiords of old-growth trees and grizzly bears. We will also explore the salty outer coast with its rocky islands, sandy beaches and marine wildlife.
2012 will see us travel the entire length of Gwaii Haanas National Park in Haida Gwaii to kayak and sail through this amazing archipelago. Haida Gwaii is often called the “Galapagos of the North” and Gwaii Haanas National Park offers amazing biological and native cultural riches to its visitors.
Our 2011 trip is fully booked, but join us in 2012 in Haida Gwaii or again in the Great Bear Rainforest in 2013 and experience an adventure of a lifetime.
For more information about mothership kayaking with Ocean Light II Adventures, visit our spanking new Mothership Kayaking trip page!
7 February 2011 - The Spirit Bears of the Great Bear Rainforest
So...just what IS a Spirit Bear? The almost mythical Spirit Bear is a very rare, white-phased form of the American Black Bear. The subspecies of Black Bear found within the Great Bear Rainforest is Ursus americana kermodei – the Kermode Bear. All the black bears in the Great Bear Rainforest (of any coat colour) are Kermode Bears. But not all Kermodes are white – only the rare Spirit Bear possesses the white coat.
Are Spirit Bears just albino Black Bears? No, the white coat colour is actually the result of a recessive gene and only those bears with two copies of the gene (one inherited from the mother and one inherited from the father) have white coats. Bears that possess one copy of the recessive white coat gene and one copy of the gene for a “normal” coat have typical black coats and are carriers of the trait. The white coat colour of Spirit Bears can theoretically be found in Black Bears anywhere, but they are exceptionally rare in all parts of the Black Bears’ range. The one exception is on a small portion of the BritishColumbia coast, where, for reasons that are only poorly understood, between 10 and 20 per cent of the bears are white.
Where are Spirit Bears found? The elusive Spirit Bears are found most predominantly on islands within the Great Bear Rainforest on the coast of British Columbia. The region is isolated, rugged and wild and accessible only by boat. In island populations the double recessive “white” gene shows up more regularly. The best time to look for Spirit Bears is in the late summer and fall when the rivers and streams are full of spawning salmon.
Why the white coat colour? At present scientists aren't sure why Spirit Bears are found in such a high proportion within portions of the Great Bear Rainforest. But, a legend of the Tshimshian First Nations provides one explanation: Raven came down from the heavens and turned every tenth black bear white to remind him of when the land was covered with snow and ice. Raven also decreed that the Spirit Bears would live forever in peace.
What's the best way to see or photograph Spirit Bears? Good question! Ocean Light II Adventures has been taking people to see Spirit Bears and their habitat for close to 20 years. For more information on Spirit Bears and how you can view them, check out our Great Bear Rainforest Explorer Trip!
31 January 2011: 2012 Trip Information Now Available
We've just added information (including full schedules) for our 2012 trips.
To view the entire 2011/2012 slate of trips, visit our Main Schedule Page.
If you want more detailed information about each of our 2011 and 2012 trips, visit the individual trip pages:
Many of our trips fill up very early. So if you're considering taking in one of our fantastic adventures in 2011 or 2012 contact us soon!
17 January 2011: Petition to Keep Oil Tankers Out of the Great Bear Rainforest
One of our favourite places on Planet Earth is a region known as the Great Bear Rainforest and we are so lucky to be able to consider it our backyard. It is located on the northern coast of British Columbia and is the largest temperate rainforest left on earth. Not only is this pristine wilderness home to grizzlies, wolves, rare Spirit Bears, massive old growth trees, orcas, humpback whales, Pacific salmon and countless other species of plants and animals, but it stores the same amount of carbon dioxide annually produced by 28 million vehicles. To call the Great Bear Rainforest absolutely invaluable may be the biggest understatement ever made.
Here’s the scoop...Enbridge – the world’s largest pipeline company – is pushing to build a pipeline from the Alberta Tar Sands across northern BC to Kitimat, BC, where the crude oil will be loaded onto super-tankers which will travel through the narrow channels of the Great Bear Rainforest. With 250 oil tankers navigating these challenging waters each year, there is no doubt there will be oil spills – the only real questions about the inevitable spills are "when?", "where?", and "how bad?".
You would think that after the recent Gulf of Mexico disaster that we’d have learned something?
On the positive side, neither the oil pipeline nor the tanker traffic are a “done deal” yet. And, you can influence the decision on whether or not the inevitable disaster will be permitted to occur. So...
Please sign the petiition "Stop Oil Tankers in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest":
It will take just 2 minutes of your time - stand up and have your voice counted.
26 October 2010 - Another Successful Season of Adventure Ends
The Ocean Light II is now safely tied to the dock at the Gibsons Harbour after completing a very successful 6 weeks of trips in the Great Bear Rainforest.
We had 6 fantastic groups of photographers and nature enthusiasts and each trip had something unique to offer.
Despite the news reports of fantastic sockeye salmon returns in the Fraser River, the salmon runs on the north and central coast were not nearly so productive. According to the Fisheries creek walkers, the returns of pink and chum salmon to the rivers and creeks of the Great Bear Rainforest were very low. Both black and grizzly bears are more dependent on these salmon species than on the sockeyes for their survival and reproduction, so these poor runs can (and likely will) have a signficant biological effect on the bears and other inhabitants of the Great Bear Rainforest. During our 6 weeks of exploration, we found that the bears were fishing in the creeks as always, sometimes catching a rare live fish but always content to eat the spawned out dead ones. And, our guests had some wonderful grizzly and spirit bear experiences.
To learn more about the future of the wild salmon on the coast and why it is so critical to conserve them, please visit the Wild Salmon Project page on the website of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation.
The humpback whale viewing was phenomenal. On many occasions we had humpback whales approach the boat and lie on the surface so we could see from the hair follicles on the nose to the barnacles on the tail. We also ran into porpoises, orcas, sea lions and the occasional elephant seal.
As expected the weather was very challenging at times. The central coast was buffeted by wind and rain on a couple of the trips and our guests got a real feel for the what the inhabitants of the rainforest face in their daily lives!
There are some very real threats to the Great Bear Rainforest area at this time. The fight to stop the transport of Tar Sands oil on tankers through the narrow inlets and channels of the Great Bear Rainforest is gaining momentum. To stop Enbridge from building a pipeline we all need to pitch in and join the battle! You can help by signing the online petition sponsored by the Dogwood Initiative - it takes only a few minutes. We've already done so. Thanks for your help!
30 September 2010 - Orca Explorer 2010 Postscript
In 2010 we introduced our first-ever Orca Explorer Tours. From August 18 through 29 we ran both a 4-day and a 7-day exploration of the beautiful Johnstone Strait region of northern Vancouver Island. Both were great successes and the whale and other aquatic mammal viewing (and photography!) was just fantastic! Between the two tours we saw large numbers of Orcas, as well as Humpback Whales, Grey Whales, a Minke Whale, both Harbor and Dall's porpoises, Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Harbor Seals, Steller's Sea-Lions, and too-many-to-describe seabirds! On our 7-day tour we even had several sightings of the endangered Sea Otter!
Based on the success of the trips (and, of course, the satisfaction of our guests!), we'll be offering the Orca Explorer trip as both a standard wildlife viewing tour and a specialized photo tour in 2011. If you're interested in joining us in 2011, just visit our Orca Explorer page for additional information!
10 September 2010 - Gwaii Haanas Aboard the Ocean Light II 2010 Postscript
From June 19 through August 8 we sailed the waters of Haida Gwaii. Each and every day offered fantastic experiences! Our first trip was a charter for Parks Canada with a High Definition film crew, and we worked hard and moved around thousands of pounds of gear and equipment to help them capture the magic of the islands.
We had many firsts this season. We did our first Mothership Kayaking trip (in conjunction with Butterfly Tours) in late June and it was a complete success. All 8 paddlers and 3 guides enjoyed the wonders of Gwaii Haanas National Park from both the cockpit of a kayak and the comfort of the Ocean Light II. We hope this is the only the start of many more Mothership tours in the future! We saw our first ever sea otter on the islands, which was a real treat. And, on a glorious sunny day we sailed down the entire length of the national park on a beautiful westerly wind and watched whales as we flew past. The weather was incredible - sunny days one after another and we ended up swimming regularly in cascading waterfalls and alpine lakes.
With our fantastic groups of guests we explored the richness of the tidal zone and the serenity of the old growth forests, watched wildlife both on land and in the water, and delighted in the diversity of birdlife. With the help of the Haida Gwaii Watchmen we toured several ancient Haida villages and experienced the rich cultural heritage of both the past and present life of the Haida people.
And on our final night in Gwaii Haanas we were treated to a glorious sunset and a pod of Orcas swimming past - a very fitting end to our successful 2010 Charlottes season!
5 August 2010 - Sarah Ellison's "Grizzlies of the Khutzeymateen" Video on YouTube
Sarah Ellison - the 13 year old daughter of the owners of Ocean Light II Adventures - was given a school project when she took May and June off from school to assist her parents on the boat: Produce a video of the "Grizzlies of the Khutzeymateen". Here is Sarah's video:
Feel free to email Sarah to let her know what you think of her video!
5 July 2010 - Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve extended to include seabed
It was announced in early June that the Government of Canada is extending Gwaii Haanas park protection from the mountaintops of Haida Gwaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) to far out on the ocean floor on the West Coast of BC. The existing Gwaii Haanas National Park will become Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve. It’s the culmination of an environmental protection fight that began 25 years ago over the logging of old growth forests on South Moresby.
The new seabed conservation area extends 10 km offshore from the existing Gwaii Haanas Reserve to protect a 3500 square km piece of the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Shelf marine region. About 3500 species of marine life populate the waters.
It is the first place on the planet where protection of the ecosystem will stretch from 2000 feet below the sea to mountains tops 4000 feet high. This landmark decision officially recognizes the incredible biological diversity and cultural significance of both the land and sea in Gwaii Haanas.
The Haida Nation will co-manage the area with Parks Canada as they have been doing successfully since the creation off Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site.
It is the first marine conservation area to become part of the Parks Canada system and is the first step in what we need to do as a nation to protect the marine resource. We congratulate the efforts of all involved, including the Government of Canada, for taking this important first step. We hope the march towards full ecosystem on the entire BC coast continues.
If you're interested in visiting the newly established Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, check out our Gwaii Haanas Aboard the Ocean Light II page for the details (and photos) of our adventure tour to this globally unique destination.
23 June 2010 - Grizzlies of the Khutzeymateen 2010 Postscript
We have just completed a spectacular month of grizzly bear viewing in the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary. The Ocean Light II was based in the Khutzeymateen Inlet from May 14 to June 14 and what an incredible time we had! Spring came early to the north coast this year, the sedge grasses were green and lush when we first sailed into the valley and the wildflowers bloomed much earlier than usual. And the bears were out in all their glory. All of our guests were rewarded with wonderful bear viewing opportunities and experienced thrilling and fascinating bear encounters. The Khutzeymateen seems to create its own weather systems so while much of the coast was getting cold rainy weather we were experiencing beautiful days and very little rain.
We watched bears swim, eat, travel, wrestle, sleep, mate, dig, relax and just be. Each day offered a unique look into the lives of the bears and our guests went home with a new understanding of the majestic grizzly bear.
The bears of the Khutzeymateen are truly blessed but other bears on our coast are not so lucky. The trophy hunt of grizzly bears is still taking place in BC and we need to help make it a thing of the past. We urge you to write letters to government, sign petitions and join the 78% of British Columbians who want the trophy hunt to end. Letters from foreigners are very powerful too, so let your voice be heard. Visit this page on the Pacific Wild website learn more about the bear trophy hunt and to find out how to make your voice heard in opposing the hunt.
The pristine and ecologically sensitive Great Bear Rainforest faces many threats, including unsustainable logging practices and decimation of the critical wild salmon stocks. Most of these threats to the Great Bear Rainforest have developed over time and, while very serious, many are fighting to solve these problems.
But a new and potentially devastating threat has "popped up" on the northern coast. Enbridge, a large oil company, has proposed the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline which would carry oil from the tar sands of Alberta to a port at Kitimat, BC. Supertankers fed by the pipeline would then travel the very same waters that claimed the Queen of the North ferry back in 2006 (and if human error can sink a ferry filled with humans, we know the same can easily happen with an oil tanker!). A large oil spill in the Inside Passage would have nothing less than an ecologically disasterous and immediately tragic effect.
The Coastal First Nations, as well as the leading environmental organizations in the region (Pacific Wild and Raincoast), are absolutely against the plan to allow oil tankers in BC waters. And so is Ocean Light II Adventures. Please help us prevent the northern coast from becoming the next Gulf of Mexico style tragedy through supporting the First Nations campaign to stop the project. You can support their campaign by sending a message to Enbridge's CEO. Thank you.
For additional current information on this pending disaster, please visit the websites of Pacific Wild or Raincoast.
