A Remote Refuge

A Remote Refuge...

Photo: Neil Shearar

It is one of those remote places that is barely on the map. It’s name, Khutzeymateen – pronounced “Khootz-ee-mah-teen”, is a Tsimshian word meaning “confined space for salmon and bears”. The protected area consists of over 44,000 hectares and contains the largest concentration of bears in Canada . Although British Columbia passed a law forbidding trophy hunting of grizzlies, the Sanctuary is off limits to visitors, unless you have a permit. This manages the number of people that visit per year minimizing stress for the bears.

The Khutzeymateen is located in the Northern reaches of the Great Bear Rainforest. With Prince Rupert, BC as our port, guests board Island Roamer in quaint Cow Bay before heading north towards this very important and remote refuge.  Award winning writer, Phoebe Smith, captures her experience in the Khutzeymateen wonderfully in her article published this summer.

Photo: Erin Boyle

We sail through changing landscapes on this expedition. Past wildfower-dotted islands with white sand beaches and others that are mountainous with incredible, hanging bogs. While keeping watch for transient (Bigg's) orca and humpback whales, we may silently travel under sail - one of the benefits of traveling on a sailing vessel. Our compass then turns to the Khutzeymateen Inlet. It is the catchment for salmon bearing streams, important to local First Nations like the Lax’Kwa’alaams and the Metlakatla, as well as the bears and the rest of the ecosystem..

Photo: Neil Shearar

Late May is breeding season for the bears of the Khutzeymateen. Typically, the large male bears prefer to forage in areas away from humans. But breeding season brings them to the estuaries in pursuit of females (and oblivious to us), resulting in some rarely witnessed behaviour.

Few have visited this special place because it is about as easy to find as it is to pronounce. If you are drawn to "off the beaten path" places, then this experience is for you. Escape the masses and immerse yourself in BC’s Northern Great Bear Rainforest. 2020 Dates available for booking now.

Questions? Shoot us a quick email - explore@bluewateradventures.ca

Or, give us a call - 1-800-877-1770 / 604-980-3800

Waking Gwaii Haanas

Waking Gwaii Haanas

Photo: Chris Wheeler

As we enter into Fall and all Bluewater Adventures' vessels are experiencing some of the best wildlife watching in the world, we begin looking toward next year. How we craft our expedition schedule is largely dictated by the rhythms of nature. We make sure that we are present in each area of the British Columbia Coast and Southeast Alaska when it is the very best time to be there.

Haida Gwaii black bear 

One great example is Haida Gwaii – it is glorious come spring. Ancient cedar groves yawning to the rising sun after a long winter of quiet stillness in between passing storms. Vitality returns, the forest floor bursts with life and the mosses and lichens take on an even more vibrant shade of green. It is easy to understand how the Gwaii Haanas ("Islands of Beauty”) earned its name. 

We spend most of the trip exploring Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. Thousands of sea birds migrate to the southern regions of the park to nest and raise their young each spring. One such bird is the endangered Ancient Murrelet, who returns from the sea only to lay her eggs. In late May, tiny grey fluff balls emerge from their forest dens, and travel down the beach to greet their calling parents at the water’s edge.

Ancient murrelets - parents and chicks reunited Photo - Terry Carr

Spring tides off Haida Gwaii are rich in small fish and krill – welcome nourishment for hungry foragers. Some years have seen Risso’s dolphins and salmon sharks, while other years brought orca and mola mola. One massive creature we are sure to see are humpback whales returning from their birthing grounds further south.

A main highlight that has been bringing us back for over 40 years is the Haida hospitality and their story telling. Their culture is rich with history kept alive through music, art and oral history. We are grateful for the opportunities over the years, to travel with Haida Elders like Captain Gold and Barb Wilson - Kii'iljuus, who lead our trips as resource people. In sharing their family stories, personal adventures and knowledge of the village sites we encounter, our guests and Crew are brought closer to a time when the Haida thrived and villages teemed with activity.

Photo: Lindsay Janes

This unique place is incredible to explore throughout summer, but to witness the “waking” of Gwaii Haanas in spring; to celebrate the passing of winter and welcome new life to this remote and extraordinary archipelago is a powerful testament to the change of seasons.

Questions? Shoot us a quick email

explore@bluewateradventures.ca

Or Call: 1-888-877-1770/ 604-980-3800

Journey of Moments

Each season, our guestbooks on board the boats fill with accounts guests have left behind of beautiful words conjured by wild places. This is one of them.

 'Journey of Moments'

Island Roamer at one of the many waterfalls on BC's central coast Photo: Sherry Kirkvold

A"trip" is not just something you "take"
It gives you something in return.
It is a journey of moments.
Those moments:
Create memories
Create awareness
Create understanding and learning of the world we live in.

A slumbering Great Bear Rainforest grizzly Photo: Andrew Wright

That in turn can change your perception:
Of learning who you are,
And who you are not.
It pushes you to new limits of what you believe you are capable of.
Of how you perceive the world.
Of seeing things or people you encounter in a new way.

Exploring an estuary in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest Photo: Marni Grossman

It makes you aware of what is important.
What is REALLY important.
Life...
How do you live it?
What do you see in your future? And the future of the environment around you?
What can you do to change the world to make a positive impact with the time 
That is given to you.

A humpback whale comes for a visit Photo: Lindsay Janes

So travel.
Open your eyes,
Open your mind,
Open your heart,
Open your soul,
And make your journey of moments count!

JM (guest) - Riverton WY 
Aboard SV Island Roamer exploring the Great Bear Rainforest 2018

www.bluewateradventures.ca

An Expedition: Conservation of BC's Salish Sea

An Expedition: Conservation of BC's Salish Sea

Ross Dixon Nov 13, 2018

The Gulf Islands are located in the Salish Sea, a labyrinth of remarkable coastal waterways. From shallow embayments to deep fjords, rocky reefs and soft river deltas, these waters provide countless places for marine plants and animals to live. When these geographic features are combined with varying amounts of sunlight, salt and oxygen, have created a food web so rich that it supported the world’s smallest and largest creatures for millennia. Even more compelling is the extent to which endemic (locally unique and native) species occur on the coast: Two-thirds of the mammal species and subspecies that are found only in BC occur nowhere else in the province but the coast.

Marine Mammals

Twenty-seven species of marine mammals have been observed in the Salish Sea. Thirteen of them can be found regularly. For these animals, the Salish Sea serves a multitude of purposes—feeding, breeding, resting, overwintering, or simply as a migratory corridor. Some species, such as killer whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins, range widely, but others, such as sea otters, are more closely associated with specific areas.

Wings over the Salish Sea

The Salish Sea lies along the path of the Pacific Flyway, a critical migratory route for millions of marine and terrestrial birds that stretches from South America to the high Arctic. The Salish Sea region provides habitat to more than 170 species of marine birds, offering food, shelter, a place to find mates, socialize, moult, and overwinter. Some of these birds are year-round residents and others are visitors as they move around the margins of the Pacific Ocean and beyond. In addition to marine birds, the Salish Sea watersheds are home to land-based bird species. Although no exact numbers are available, roughly 130 species of land-based birds inhabit the terrestrial areas bounded within the Salish Sea watersheds

The People

Dr. Paul Pauquet is recognized as a world authority in conservation science, Paul brings to us over 30 years applied research experience. He has published not only seminal works in Conservation Biology but also broadly using ecological, geographical, and ethical approaches.

Dr Paquet has also worked extensively on real-world management and conservation, which according to him depends largely upon human attitudes. He serves on many international government and NGO advisory committees dedicated to conservation of carnivores, including the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of IUCN-World Conservation Union, the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe, WWF International, and the European Union. He is a long-time fellow of World Wildlife Fund Canada. Paul was a founder and director of the Conservation Biology Institute, Corvallis, Oregon. Most important to Dr Paquet, however, is the contributions he makes as Senior Scientist for the Raincoast Conservation Foundation.

About Raincoast Conservation Foundation

Raincoast’s mission is to protect the land, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. 

Within the Salish Sea, Raincoast’s conservation efforts include research and advocacy to support the recovery of the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population.  For more than a decade, Raincoast has been using science, public education and the courts to try and protect Canada’s endangered population of salmon-eating killer whales. With their Chinook salmon stocks in serious decline and targeted by fisheries, and a noisy and polluted ocean, they face extinction under existing conditions. The good news is they can recover if these conditions are reversed. Paul has co-authored  two Population Viability Analyses (PVAs) on the SRKWs. A PVA can be a powerful analysis that evaluates and ranks threats to wildlife populations and assesses the likely effectiveness of recovery options. This research shows that SRKW could be functionally extinct (less than 30 individuals) with a century existing under conditions.  Conversely, reducing vessel traffic (small and large boat noise and disturbance) and increasing Chinook abundance increases their likelihood of long-term survival.

Salish Sea Conservation Expedition with 

Bluewater Adventures & Raincoast Conservation Foundation 

Join us this April for a unique trip to explore the Gulf Island’s and Salish with the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, a charity dedicated to science-based conservation on the British Columbia coast. Partial proceeds of this trip go directly towards the protection of BC's Salish Sea.

April 23 - 27, 2019 (5 days) $3435 per person 

(+$300 sustainability fee & 5% GST )

Visit www.bluewateradventures.ca for more information or to book.

“Walk softly, Tread carefully, and listen”…

“Walk softly, Tread carefully, and listen”…

 

SGang Gwaay - photo: Tom Stoeri

 

SGang Gwaay – previously named Ninstints (after one of the village chiefs) is an ancient Haida village, located on Anthony Island, at the southern end of Haida Gwaii. Accessible only by boat or plane, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and contained within the National Park Reserve and Heritage Site, Gwaii Haanas. But even if it didn’t boast all the formerly mentioned credentials, it would still remain one of the most magical places on our coast.

One aspect of SGang Gwaay’s magic is the stories that contribute to the village’s history. For several thousand years it was the home of the Kunghit Haida, historically some of the most feared warriors on the west coast. When the small pox epidemic hit in the late 1800’s, SGang Gwaay’s population was decimated from around 300 to 30 and those who survived moved north to Skidegate. The village was abandoned in 1884.

In 1959 a CBC, a crew from the B.C. Provincial Museum and University of British Columbia visited the village to remove several of the Haida poles in order to protect them from the weather and from poaching. Two of the crew members were Bill Reid, world renowned Haida carver and Wilson Duff, Provincial Museum curator. The removed poles were so large that they had to cut them into sections in order to transport. Today you can visit these ancient poles at UBC’s Museum of Anthropology.

Captain Gold - photo: Tom Thayer

Another person whose has been a key player in the recent story of SGang Gwaay is Captain Gold. In the 1970’s he paddled a canoe down from Skidegate to SGang Gwaay, nearly 250 kms of hazardous seas. People thought he was mad – they knew the village was full of the spirits of the ancestors, and couldn’t understand why he’d want to be there alone. But Captain Gold saw the importance being there to welcome visitors and make sure that the village remains were not removed. He single-handedly changed the image of the village and became the proto-type Haida Watchman. By the late 1980’s the Haida Nation decided to send other elders to other uninhabited villages with the same purpose of watching over the area. In 1987 when Gwaii Haanas was officially created, the Haida Watchmen became the figurehead program that employs local Haida, gives youth a chance to learn more about their heritage, and allows visitors a chance to hear the stories from the Haida people, themselves.

SGang Gwaay is indeed a magical place, full of stories, so if you get the chance to visit this incedible village site, heed the advice of Captain Gold’s sister, Haida watchman Irene - “Walk softly, Tread carefully, and listen”…

Join Bluewater Adventures on one of our early Haida Gwaii trips to experience the solitude of SGang Gwaay during the slow season.

 

by Randy Burke

Khutzeymateen, "A Magical Place"

Khutzeymateen, a place I had never heard of, became my first foray into the wilderness.  My apprehension over the word ‘bear’ was soon dispelled as we entered the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Conservatory under the learned ‘Bear Whisperer’ Barrie Gilbert’s tutelage and guidance. We walked their paths, following footprints embedded in the earth, finding their resting places, their rub trees and learned of the biology of these great carnivores.


Grizzly grazing on protein-rich sedge grass

We soon learned that the this place is not just about bears, and that other animals benefitted from this sanctuary as well.  Animals like wolves, wolverines, deer, and others live as they should in surroundings natural to them. Because visits to the Khutzeymateen is limited to few tourists every year, it remains pristine and we soon appreciated that our presence was a privilege. 


Stillness - Khutzeymateen Inlet

We sailed past the outer islands shared by numerous species of birds and bellowing sea lion bulls that were surrounded by their harems. Dall's porpoise flashed past the vessel like a flurry of bullets with orcas in fast pursuit. Great humpback whales surfaced and silently floated past and disappeared, only to later, interrupt our dinner with a spectacular breach. 


Steller sea lion haul out Photo: Terry Carr

During our trips ashore, we examined tidal pools, rich with colourful creatures; we hiked into hidden beaches - some covered in centuries of sparkling, broken sea shells and wildflowers.

We walked sandy beaches - the only footprints being ours and something wild. We climbed craggy hanging bogs covered with succulents, sun dews and mosses and picked berries and edible greens- seen again at dinnertime.

SV Island Odyssey - our home for 7 days

And that unforgettable afternoon, while the sails bellowed, we encountered a Steller sea lion being hunted by transient orcas - an experience that cannot be put into words.

First Nations petroglyph, "The Man Who Fell From Heaven"

Our visit to a coastal First Nations village was an inspiration as we listened to the proud spokesperson sharing century-old tales of his village and its people, the tribal conflicts, the hieroglyphics and the prized petroglyph of ‘The Man Who Fell From Heaven’.

 

The Khutzeymateen, forever imprinted in my memory as a magical place!

 

 

By Lorraine Alden, Guest – Khutzeymateen/ North Coast with Bluewater Adventures 

 

Meaningful Memories by Mat Janeway ~ Bluewater Mate

The cloudless blue sky reflected off the calm pacific around us, and the gentle breeze was matched by an easy, almost lazy swell.   The Island Roamer was steaming west, out to the continental shelf, and we couldn’t have asked for fairer weather. Suddenly, a yell from the wheelhouse:

"Albatross!"

And there it was, a Black Footed Albatross, Phoebastria nigripes, sedately bobbing on the surface of the water. With a spread of its wings, and three long beats, it was airborne.  The jaw dropping, 6 foot wingspan carried it just above the surface, gliding easily over the waves. The massive bird gently turned to cross our bow, and presented us a view of its entire body; the perfect photo opportunity.

Hardly 5 minutes had passed, when a second yell from the wheel house was heard, louder this time.

"Sperm whale!"

The Long black body, hanging almost motionless in the water, had just surfaced 200 yards from us and was drifting slowly forward, across our path. The blow hole, the dorsal fin, the long deep back furrows, we could see it all.  And it was big. For a full minute, we watched in awe, as this mysterious, graceful creature hyperventilated before diving below the surface once again. We were all left with that funny feeling, a mix of disbelief, wonder, and serendipity.

It is moments like these that make each day, week and season with Bluewater Adventures memorable.  This year was no exception.

My season as mate for Bluewater Adventures began in late May, in the remote and wild archipelago of islands called Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Island). These islands are widely known for their rich cultural history and abundant wildlife, but that’s a bit of an understatement.  They offer an experience unlike any other, presenting your senses with unique sights, sounds, smells, and textures. Some of these experiences can happen again and again, and yet others are over before you know it.

One thing you can almost always count on in the spring are humpback whales. Returning from their winter breeding grounds in Hawaii and Mexico, they arrive with only one thing in mind; food. Sometimes it may be just be a few whales within sight, but this season saw scores of hungry humpbacks, all frothing the water in a feeding frenzy. Lunging, lobbing, breaching, and breathing, all day and all night. 

And then there were the Velella velella, the strange and beautiful Hydrozoan that sails the pacific, who washed ashore in their millions, littering the beaches with a deep indigo blanket. But

these curious little creatures didn’t arrive alone, they brought all sorts of exotic flotsam and jetsam with them, all carried in the same ocean currents to be washed onto the pristine shorelines.

And what shorelines! Home to a squishy, oozy, and slippery assortment of unusual forms from the intertidal zone, they are absolutely abound with life. Scarlet sea stars, carmine cucumbers, aqua algae and crimson crustaceans. Enough to fill your wildest dreams—and memory cards.

And yet, season after season, it’s always the people that surprise most. The new, young, and passionate generation of Haida, practicing age old traditions; the kind and generous passengers, with unwavering enthusiasm; and of course, the crew, with their lively company and quiet competence.

 

Bluewater Adventures is Excited to Announce a Unique Travel Opportunity in the Great Bear Rainforest!

  “The Great Bear Rainforest Allies Expedition”

– Bluewater Adventures Partners with Raincoast Conservation Foundation 

Photo: Sherry Kirkvold

Bluewater Adventures is excited to announce a unique opportunity to explore the Great Bear Rainforest like never before. Along with one of nature’s greatest allies, the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Bluewater presents an expedition focusing on the work that goes into understanding and conserving this very special area and why its preservation is of the utmost importance. 

Photo: Rachel Elliott

   
Led by Raincoast’s Captain Brian Falconer and Dr. Caroline Fox, this voyage will introduce guests to the Great Bear Rainforest and Sea on a very intimate level. We will observe research techniques and learn about the biology behind a thriving ecosystem. We will learn how scientific practices are enriched by First Nations’ traditional ecological knowledge and discover the importance of current conservation campaigns on the British Columbia coast...All while being immersed in one of the largest unspoiled tracts of coastal temperate rainforests in the World.

Photo: Sherry Kirkvold

 

This is a “first time experience” offered to travelers in the Great Bear Rainforest. A small group of people will have the unique opportunity to share a passion for nature with those who make understanding and protecting it their life’s work.

This announcement coincides with CREST's recently released report comparing two outdoor recreational activities within the Great Bear Rainforest – bear hunting and bear viewing. The outcomes largely support bear “viewing” as being the most economically valuable. Bluewater welcomes guests to join this research and conservation-based expedition to get an “on the front lines” perspective.

Part of the proceeds of this expedition goes to supporting the Raincoast Conservation Foundation.

August 28 – September 4, 2014
Aboard SV Island Odyssey
$5407.50 per person*

*Includes 5% GST and a $300 contribution supporting the Raincoast Conservation Foundation
 
Contact us for more information
www.bluewateradventures.ca 
explore@bluewateradventures.ca 
TEL: 604-980-3800/ 888-877-1770

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Erin Boyle
Erin@bluewateradventures.ca
Tel: 604-980-3800

Bluewater Adventures wins Sustainable Tourism Award

A CANADIAN COMPANY THAT CARES

Introducing the World to Some of the Last Truly Wild Places on the Planet

Photo: Sherry Kirkvold

Photo: Hubert Kang/ CTC

Photo: Rachel Elliott

 

North Vancouver, BC, Canada. December 3, 2013 – Bluewater Adventures made a commitment from the beginning to adhere to the principals of ecotourism by supporting local communities, promoting conservation, ensuring their practices are low impact, and by providing their guests with world-class knowledge about the BC coast, the wildlife and First Nations culture.

When Bluewater Adventures’ Managing Director and Owner, Randy Burke, purchased the company almost 28 years ago he knew that he wanted to introduce people from all over the world to the remote and wild corners of the BC coast; he believed that by sharing his knowledge and passion for this part of the world with his guests he could foster deep and lasting connections that would inspire others to care as much as he did.

“One of the most important aspects of conservation is giving people the opportunity to discover and care about vulnerable places. It’s impossible to experience these places in such an intimate way and not feel invested in their future.”- Randy Burke

The issues around conservation, both locally and globally, have changed dramatically over the last 28 years. Canada, a country once known for its pristine wilderness, is now the focus of extreme criticism, globally, as a result of questionable environmental policies that have left many wondering if Canadians do in fact care about the health of the planet. 
Canadians do care and Bluewater Adventures is just one example of this; having demonstrated a commitment to conservation through numerous ongoing conservation initiatives and partnerships which include:

·         Signing protocol agreements with local First Nations

·         Becoming Carbon Neutral

·         Joining1% for the Planet

·         Completing the Green Tourism Canada Assessment– Gold Award

·         Achieving Ocean Wise Certification

·         Purchasing Bullfrog Power

Most recently, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada has acknowledged these commitments and presented Bluewater Adventures with the – Transat AT Sustainable Tourism Award (Dec 3, 2013).

Since 1974, Bluewater Adventures’ reputation has brought respected groups and people from around the world to enjoy multi-day, live-aboard trips exploring the remote wilderness of coastal British Columbia and Southeast Alaska. Aboard the 21-metre expedition yachts, guests and crew keep watch for whales and other marine mammals, coastal birds, bears, old-growth forests, and ancient native villages. Experienced Biologists, renowned resource people, and professional crew engage guests on these unique learning journeys. Trips specialize in wildlife, coastal ecology and conservation, and history of the west coast.

For more information and reservations, contact Bluewater Adventures at (888) 877-1770, or visit their website: www.bluewateradventures.ca

 

 

 

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Naturalist, Lindsay Janes, on Bear Viewing with Bluewater Adventures

In a few short days, I’ll be heading up to the Khutzeymateen Inlet for some prime bear viewing. Am I excited? You could say that... Why am I excited? Bear with me…

The Khutzeymateen Valley is a large conservation area that is infamous for the large number of grizzly bears - not to mention black bears - that make this sanctuary their home. My hope is that we’ll get to see a few of these residents as they go about their spring routine… that is, eating delicious sedges.

Actually, when they’re not sleeping, eating is pretty much a bear’s main focus. Along with the sedges, a coastal bear’s annual menu includes fresh greens – and root vegetables for grizzly bears, who are known for their digging abilities – berries, and finally salmon in the fall, with some intertidal invertebrates as appetizers. (I would order this 5 course meal any day, hold the sedges).

Because bears are focused on food, we are able to visit estuaries during the summer and fall with this intention of viewing grizzly and black bears. Food is so important that these bears are willing to tolerate humans watching, as long as they are able to continue eating. Researchers like Dr. Barrie Gilbert – a naturalist with Bluewater Adventures – theorize that in some places bear viewing has actually helped increase the population of bears, since the older males are less likely to frequent areas that humans visit, therefore making it safer for mothers with cubs to feed.

Bear viewing isn’t just about getting great photographs – for guides it’s about finding that balance between being close enough to enjoy these magnificent animals, while still giving bears the space they need to feel comfortable in their activities. How much space? Well, as Grant MacHutchon – a commercial bear viewing facilitator and also a naturalist with Bluewater – says, “It depends…”

Is the bear giving signs that it he or she is stressed? Are there other bears in the area? Is the food source limited? Are you watching a mother bear with new cubs? These variables to consider while bear viewing was just one of many discussion topics that arose at the 2013 bear viewing guide training. This year it took place in Knight Inlet and when we weren’t discussing bears, we were out in the estuary watching them. Pretty rough, I know.

Growing up in BC, I’ve had many interactions with bears, and no two of them were the same. My experiences echoed the main theme of this course: each interaction that we have with bears is unique. Just like a person’s mood which changes daily (if not hourly), with many factors contributing to their overall state of mind, a bear’s tolerance of people watching them also changes. You might have been able to get fairly close to a mother bear and her cubs one day, but find the next morning that she is giving signs of stress at a much greater distance. And we may never know the backstory of why this is the case. Perhaps a new male moved into the area and threatened her cubs. Perhaps a wolf pack drove her from her feeding area. Regardless of the reason, a big part of bear viewing is understanding bear behaviour and reacting accordingly to their tolerance level at that specific moment. As well, although bears are highly adaptable creatures, we often watch from consistent areas - such as bear stands - to allow bears to predict where we will be, and give them the choice to feed in proximity if they feel comfortable.

Ultimately we want to ensure bears can go about their normal activity while still offering the best bear viewing experience for our guests. Keeping these guidelines - and other guidelines suggested by the Commercial Bear Viewing Association - in mind greatly increases our chances of incredible encounters with bears.

I’m excited that my – and Bluewater’s – season of bear viewing will begin in the Khutzeymateen, and I’m also excited that it will continue through to Alaska, Knight Inlet, and then into Great Bear Rainforest. The areas we visit are known for high bear concentrations and I look forward to comparing these experiences to each other and to previous years with a new lens of understanding bear tolerance.

Now… speaking of berries… I should probably go taste-test that salmonberry patch again…