Length of trip: 5 days
Cost: $2995 per person (plus 5% GST)
Capacity: singles and couples
Dates: Open departures from June 15 to September 15, 2023
We take pride in accessing remote areas and this trip is no exception. This trip includes return air from Vancouver to Port Hardy and taxi fare to Port McNeill. Here, you take a 30 minute BC Ferry to Alert Bay – “Home of the Orca”. This remote village on Cormorant Island will be your launch point for a nine hour boat trip to view grizzly bears. Across Johnstone Strait lies the historic Telegraph Cove, from where your whale watching boat departs. A day is also set aside to explore the Village of Alert Bay, one of the friendliest villages on the North Island. Click here for more information about Alert Bay Lodge.
We are honored to live and work on the traditional, ancestral and unceded Kwakwaka’wakw territory of the Kwakkiutl, Mamalilikala and ‘Namgis nations.
Overview
5 Days, 4 Nights. Explore pristine waters and wilderness areas to see Orcas (“killer whales”) and grizzly bears off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, Canada. This self-guided wildlife tour is designed to provide you with authentic wildlife and cultural experiences while staying on a remote island in the Northern Gulf Islands. This area sports sheltered waters and plentiful land and marine life, including the largest population of orcas in western North America. At the end of the Strait lies Knight Inlet, home to a thriving population of grizzly bears.
During the course of your three full days on Cormorant Island, one day will be occupied by whale watching and another day will focus on a grizzly bear viewing tour. We’ve set aside a third day to explore the Village of Alert Bay (pop. 1,200), one of the few remaining authentic coastal communities on the west coast of British Columbia. Day 1 and 5 are occupied by return transportation to Alert Bay from Vancouver or Victoria (included).
You’ll be treated with a high level of service at the waterfront inn and will also be afforded time to explore the colourful village that is Alert Bay. Overlooking Johnstone Strait, the log lodge offers panoramic views of sunsets, mountains, local marine traffic and sometimes pods of orcas. A large common room and sundeck are favourite places for guests to gather, converse and dine. From the lodge, Alert Bay Village is two kilometers along the ocean-front road. On the way, you’ll pass the ‘Namgis Burial Grounds. From the Village the U’mista Cultural Centre, Big Tree Trail and Ecological Gardens are short walks away.
Restrictions on our wildlife excursions include those 8 years of age or younger and women in their final tri-semester. Days 2,3,4 and interchangeable and activities such as the bear watching can be changed right up to the night before the tour due to weather, tour operator logistics and other unseen circumstances.
