Travel with the Sierra Club of BC in 2010

Join Biologist Caitlyn Vernon from the Sierra Club of BC - and Kitasoo Bear Guide Doug Neasloss June 1-8, 2010 in the Great Bear Rainforest. This trip will be starting and ending in Bella Bella, BC and will showcase local wildlife and culture of the area. With Doug onboard, you will see the area through the eyes of a local and gain valuable insight about various topics. For full bios on Caitlyn and Doug - check out our Special Trips Page.



Photo Credit: Kitasoo First Nation; Patrick McCloskey

Annual Fall Newsletter is Here!

Download our Fall 2009 Newsletter - 35th Anniversary Edition!
Available on our homepage! www.bluewateradventures.ca

For more on our special 2010 trips, and some trip 'experts' that will be leading these great adventures click here

Humboldt Squid in BC?

Bluewater Naturalists including Lindsay Janes, Krista Bogen and Tim Irvin have been surprised to see Giant Flying Squid or Humboldt Squid in the waters of the Great Bear Rainforest this summer. They can weigh up to 20 kilograms and reach 1.5 meters in length. Scientists think they may have made their way north in the warmer waters, or they are just moving north comfortably now.

With another sighting in Alaska this month, scientists are not sure whether the presence is short term, or long term and what the effects on eco-systems might be.

For a recent online article on cbc click here

Illegal Grizzly Bear Poaching Discovered in Great Bear Rainforest Park

Picture by Randy Burke, Bluewater Adventures

Bella Bella (June 12, 2009) -- A grizzly bear trophy hunter was found illegally baiting bears Thursday night in the Giltoyees River Conservancy Area on the B.C. north coast. Captain Eric Boyum, owner of the bear viewing company BC-based Ocean Adventures, discovered the incident while guiding a group of international clients in the remote watershed twenty-five kilometers east of the First Nations village of Hartley Bay. "We were getting settled in for the evening to photograph and watch for bears as they feed on sedges at the waters edge," stated Mr. Boyum reached by satellite phone on the Douglas Channel "when we discovered the individual, along with a large sack of bait being used to lure the bears into shooting range." "We have reported the full details of this sickening discovery to the local RCMP in Kitimat." Under section 33.1 of the BC Wildlife Act, it is illegal to use bait when hunting bears. "We have been receiving reports all season from frustrated bear viewing businesses, First Nations and members of the public that are fed up with finding trophy hunters in areas where they believed wildlife were protected." stated Ian McAllister of the conservation group Pacific Wild. "However, this blatant illegal poaching - in a park - is one of the more disturbing." The B.C. spring bear trophy hunt season closes on June 15th and it is estimated that between 100 and 150 BC grizzly bears have already been killed for sport in 2009. The BC liberals recently declared 30% of the central and north coast protected but continues to allow trophy hunting of bears in protected areas.

Over 80% of the protected areas and parks in British Columbia allow trophy hunting to occur within park boundaries. A coalition of Coastal First Nations, conservation and animal welfare groups have been working to ban the sport hunt of bears on the BC coast and Haida Gwaii. A 2009 Ipsos-Reid poll shows more than 79 percent of British Columbians want to see protection for bears in the Great Bear Rainforest.

For more information contact: Ian McAllister, Pacific Wild

outbind://85-0000000045F121361680344AADFC01B3B64AAA8D44352600/ian@pacificwild.org For b-roll video and interviews contact PacificWild. http://www.pacificwild.org/

Looking for your "Video Diaries"

Photo: Rudy Stein

For those of you on Bluewater trips this year, we are looking for short 30 second video clips of you telling us why you love the destination you are traveling in! Whether you are watching a Spirit Bear play in the river, a pod of whales traveling past the boat, or enjoying the beautiful scenery that surrounds you. We want to hear your comments, and we will post your videos on our website to help show guests what makes these trips great. If you have any questions, please email Leanne at explore@bluewateradventures.ca

Hungry Bears...

By Neil Shearar - Bluewater Skipper

Last year while running a wilderness expedition on the remote British Columbia north coast I had an incredible shock. We visit coastal estuaries in the hopes of encountering bears, Grizzly bears and Black bears feeding on salmon that migrate up the rivers to spawn in the late summer and fall. I have run these bear focused trips for many years. On a typical year I expect to see many thousands of salmon in any one of the estuaries we visit. Last year I was stunned to find that there appeared to have been an absolute collapse of fish stocks within the estuaries we visit.

One river, typically a Grizzly hot spot, seemed very quiet on our initial approach, the tell tale bald eagles which dot the green tree tops with their white heads and the seals which hang around in the river mouth were suspiciously absent. As we entered the river we expected to see large schools of fish hiding from predators as they migrate upstream, carcasses of spawned out fish washing downstream and covering the bottom where they nourish the estuary and river mouth, also partially consumed salmon carcasses strewn along the banks where bears and wolves had left remains that the eagles and other animals would clean up. We saw nothing, not one fish. Normally this place would be ripe with the scent of decaying salmon, there were none.

We made our way up river and climbed out onto the river bank, pushed our way through some brush and yelled "Hey Bear" to make our presence known as we hiked up a narrow bear trail. We broke out into a sedge meadow with open sight lines and then quietly scouted around. There was a lot of "bear sign" more than usual, bears had been excavating, feeding on the bulbs and root systems of estuary plants. Bears typically do this earlier in the summer while they wait for the return of salmon to the estuary. There was also the occasional berry filled scat, further indication that bears were around. We sat tight and scanned the meadow for signs of movement, as bears often bed down in the sedge grass to rest during the mid day. Finally after a time there was some movement, a juvenile male Grizzly came out of the tree line and ventured out into the open. This was the skinniest bear I had ever seen, his ribs were showing through his coat. Typically bears we view at this time of year are rotund having gorged on fish in preparation for winter. We saw no other bears that day in a place we normally would count on seeing many. It appeared as though the bears had waited in anticipation of their yearly bounty that never came.

I saw this scene played over in many of the amazing places I take people to experience in the B.C. coastal wilderness, it is a great concern. The loss of wild salmon stocks on the North American west coast is catastrophic and tragic. The north Pacific salmon run may be the largest movement of biomass on the planet and is the primary natural source of protein for the entire region. There are a few likely reasons for the stock declines, some we can do little about, some we can.

It is clear that the effects of salmon farms on wild salmon migration routes are a major factor. Alex Morton is a biologist from the Broughton Archipelago, her research has clearly shown these effects, she has been fighting an uphill battle, campaigning against strong financial interests to put an end to the current system of salmon farming. There is a petition running collecting names to show that the public are aware of this issue and wish to see more effective management of wilderness recourses.

Please view the web site www.adopt-a-fry.org/?page_id=42 and sign the petition. Some people may perceive these causes as liberal, socialist and even bleeding heart. Please suspend this perception for one moment, this is as conservative as it gets, the growing and sustainable tourism industry in which I am employed is at stake. B.C has incredible untapped tourism potential which will provide employment and economic growth on the coast for years to come. Our wilderness as a resource needs to be better managed.

Please forward this message to as many people as you can and sign the petition if you care. Current number signed is 14 000, we need thousands more if this issue is to receive any real attention.

Cheers,

Neil Shearar

Join Bluewater at the Vancouver Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show!

Bluewater Adventures will be attending the Vancouver Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show Feb 14-15, 2009 at BC Place. Come check us out at Booth # 423. We will be handing out brochures and talking about all of our adventures, including the Queen Charlotte Islands, the Great Bear Rainforest, Northern Vancouver Island, Southeast Alaska, the Inside Passage and the Gulf Islands.

Randy Burke will also be presenting at the Adventure Theatre on Feb 14th at 5:15pm. This will be a presentation on the Queen Charlotte Islands Tour - Selected by National Geographic Traveler Magazine as one of the World's Best Guided Tours.

Admission to the show is $ 10 at the door. Make sure if you plan on attending that you contact the Bluewater office to receive an electronic '2 for 1' coupon to the show, compliments of the Bluewater team.

Check out the show link here http://www.outdooradventureshow.ca/vancouver/

Providing First Class Educators

Naturalists provide unique insight into the Bluewater experience. With extensive knowledge in plants, marine life, history, wildlife, and the destination - These educators will keep you well informed about the areas you are traveling through. Check out our 2009 Learning Series for more information about upcoming trips. Photo by Naturalist Kitty Lloyd.

First Nations Culture in the Great Bear Rainforest

Our 8 and 9 day tours of the Great Bear Rainforest have many stops along the way. Not only do you get to see Grizzlies, black bears and hopefully the all-white 'Spirit' Bear, but Bluewater guests get to experience the rich First Nations Culture. With many communities along the coast, we will stop at a couple and talk to Elders and learn more about their past, present and future on the BC coast.

Check out the video below and see how some Bluewater guests had the rare opportunity to play the drums in the 'Big House' in the community of Klemtu. for more information about our Great Bear Rainforest tours click here

Bluewater Goes Carbon Neutral!

Bluewater Adventures is now officially

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CARBON NEUTRAL!

After calculating our carbon footprint this spring as part of EcoTrust and the Pembina Institutes Canada's Carbon Smart process, Bluewater Adventures has now become Carbon Neutral! In September, We purchased carbon off-sets for a year of operations from 'Offsetters'. Offsetters are a local, Canadian company chosen by the 2008 Eco-Tourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference as their top choice for the purchase of offsets. They invest their funds in local renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. As Bluewater specializes in nature tours in the Pacific Northwest we wanted to invest in local projects making a difference here. See: http://www.offsetters.ca/

We are the first small-ship operator along the BC Coast who is Carbon Neutral. Bluewater will continue to be a pioneer in sustainable tourism practices and encourages other ecotour operators to do the same. See our Eco-Actions for more details.

Tour Ninstints...

Watch our 360 panorma view of Ninstints - UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On a quiet May morning, some Bluewater guests enjoyed learning about the history of the site from Jordan, the Haida Watchmen. A highlight of this adventure - see old totems that still remain here on Anthony Island, but for how long we don't know... Click here for more info on our Queen Charlotte Islands Adventure.

Bluewater Launches New Website

Bluewater is happy to announce that we have officially launched our brand new website!






www.bluewateradventures.ca has a fresh new look. With updated pictures, content and more downloadable information we hope you find this a useful tool when booking your trip - Which... you can now do online.

Check out our 2009 schedule to see where we have availability. Book on an open booking trip before December 31st, 2008 and take advantage of early booking discounts.

To post your adventures, trip highlights and much more on our blog, simply email explore@bluewateradventures.ca and we will post your stories, adventures and comments.

Thanks for your continued support - We look forward to hosting you in 2009 on another special adventure.

Bluewater Eco-Friendly Initiatives

In the spring 2008, Bluewater Adventures Logistic Coordinator, Charlene Barringham attended an intensive 3-day Carbon Smart Workshop, put on by the Pembina Institute – In Partnership with EcoTrust. Measuring Bluewater’s eco-footprint was a step we needed to take in order to establish measurable objectives for the future. We are happy to report that Bluewater already takes a lot of positive steps in order reduces our emissions and waste. Bluewater wants to continue to improve and pioneer new ways to reduce the impact of our beautiful environments. On the new Bluewater website, set to launch late summer – We will discuss additional ways we are going to reduce our impact, and ways the Bluewater Traveler can as well. Stay tuned...

Gulf Islands May 2-6, 2009 Yoga & Wellness Retreat

For all of you interested in a short 5 day getaway – Come aboard in the beautiful Gulf Islands with Yoga Instructor and Gourmet Health Chef Annie Strucel. With healthy foods, beach yoga and a possible massage therapist onboard – This trip is sure to rejuvenate Mind, Body and Soul. Great Sailing, intertidal explorations and great marine life. Book now to reserve your space onboard!

$ 1,675 Cdn + 5% GST

For more information contact our office explore@bluewateradventures.ca