Spirit Bears and Sea Wolves: Is The Great Bear Rainforest Actually Magical?

Most of us associate the word "rainforest" with the Amazon and other remote, tropical places, but to immerse yourself in immense biodiversity, all you have to do is head north. The Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia—the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world—is a 21-million-acre, fjord-filled wilderness begging to be explored. Stretching from Vancouver Island to Southeast Alaska, it's home to multiple species of bears, as well as rare wolves, whales, and bald eagles. To see the elusive creatures for yourself, hop a flight on Pacific Coastal Airlines from Vancouver to the aboriginal First Nations community of Bella Bella. That’s the launching point for Maple Leaf Adventures, which sails past waterfalls and 4,000-foot granite cliffs by yacht with a resident naturalist in tow. Outer Shores Expeditions also departs from the island village for nine-day excursions aboard a schooner, stopping for sea kayaking through mist-shrouded streams. Shack up at Nimmo Bay Resort, a small collection of luxe hideaways in the trees.

By Juno DeMelo

October 22, 2015

A grizzly takes in the view. The Great Bear Rainforest is home to hundreds of species, making it one on the most bio-diverse places on the planet.
Getty
One of the rainforest's most fascinating species is the elusive sea wolf (they're quite people shy, so up-close spottings are rare). Sea wolves can swim for miles between the islands just off Canada’s western edge and get up to two-thirds of their food from the ocean, combing the beach for clams, crabs, and roe. Sometimes they'll snatch seals and sea lions off the rocks, but most sea wolves go their whole lives without ever eating mammals.

Mist and fog settle over the Great Bear Rainforest, which is roughly the size of Ireland.
A flock of seagulls circle the mountains.

A live starfish rests on the Pacific shore of Swindle Island, off the northern coast of British Columbia.
A waterfall cascades down a mountain before emptying into the Pacific Ocean.

A humpback whale breaches in fog. Humpbacks were frequently seen in Vancouver waters this summer, and scientists estimate that there are about 20,000 in the Northern Pacific ocean.
There are roughly 400 Kermode bears (known by aboriginals as "Spirit Bears") in the rainforest. They have a double recessive gene that yields cream-colored fur. The Kitasoo Xaixais people, who have lived among these creatures for thousands of years, believe they have supernatural powers.

An American beaver enjoys a swim through the temperate waters of the rainforest.
Mist covers the pine trees spanning the Great Bear Rainforest. A third of the land is legally protected from logging.

A humpback whale is spotted at dawn.
The verdant Great Bear Rainforest as seen from above on a clear day.

Steller sea lions rest on the rocks. Steller's are the biggest of all sea lions and have a lifespan of up to 30 years.
A breathtaking sunset near Dodwell Island.

A grizzly bear snacks on leaves beside Nootka Lupin wild flowers.
A fog-covered fjord in Khutzeymateen Provincial Park.

An orca whale travels along a channel in the Great Bear Rainforest.