Quest for the Spirit Bear

NOTE: Because of the recent fluctuations in the US Dollar, we are able to offer this trip for at least 14% off the listed price, giving you a net price of $3,440 USD - a savings of at least $500 - if you pay in full for the trip at the time of booking! This offer is subject to change. Contact our office for the current rate and additional savings.

One of the Tsimshians’ myths says that “Raven made one in every ten bears white to remind the people of the time when glaciers covered this land”. The Tsimashian speaking people attribute the white Kermode bears with supernatural powers, hence they are also known as the “Spirit Bear”, a name that suits their apparition-like presence. The rare white Kermode, a subspecies of the black bear, is wild, elusive and little known to North Americans other than the Tsimshian-speaking people of the north coast of British Columbia. These people have shared its territory for thousands of years with the Kermode bear. Princess Royal Island, off the north coast of British Columbia, is home to a healthy population of Spirit Bears.

The island is a perfect bear habitat, with its old-growth hemlock and cedar forest; tidewater estuaries rich with grasses, roots and berries; and sparkling streams of spawning salmon which bring the bears down from the hills to gather along the streams. The surrounding mountains and rainforest are home to grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, black bears, deer and beavers. The photographic opportunities of this adventure are amazing, giving access to some of the best bear viewing in the world. We will explore the inlets, bays and old-growth forest of the area aboard a 68’ ketch that is thought by many to be the perfect B.C. coast charter yacht.  This is a truly unique adventure for photographers and naturalists alike!