The Great Bear Sea is a haven for recovering whale populations and an ideal destination to observe these amazing mammals.
British Columbia’s leading sailing operator, Outer Shores Expeditions, is headed to Canada’s Great Bear Sea with a brand new series of expedition sailings in 2016.
Nicknamed Canada’s Wild Ocean, the Great Bear Sea is one of the last positively natural ecosystems left on earth, and as such is a wonderful haven for recovering whale populations and an ideal destination to observe these amazing mammals. Here, the cool Pacific waters are densely populated with orcas, humpback, and fin whales, all feasting and frolicking in this richly populated and pristine environment.
“The Great Bear Sea is an otherworldly place and an ecological treasure,” says Russell Markel, Captain, Marine Biologist, and Founder, Outer Shores Expeditions. “I keep thinking back to evenings out on the ship’s deck, guests enjoying a glass of wine, using our underwater hydrophone to listen to humpback whales singing, and hearing that unmistakable sound of whales trumpeting across otherwise silent fjords, echoing back and forth in stereo all around you. And when the bubble-net feeding begins, there is absolutely nothing like it.”
Throughout the nine-day Great Bear Sea expedition guests sail aboard the classic wooden schooner Passing Cloud and delve into a world of moss-laden ancient coastal forests, glacier-scoured fjords, snow-capped mountains, current-swept passages, white-sand beaches, undersea kelp forests, and kaleidoscopic intertidal zones.
In addition to unparalleled whale watching experiences, guests will visit researchers studying whales and other coastal wildlife, explore the Great Bear Rainforest, and seek out opportunities to encounter the legendary spirit bears, as well as wolves, sea otters, dolphins, sea lions and more.
Guests will also learn about the threat facing the largely unprotected Great Bear Sea as the Northern Gateway Project proposes to build twin pipelines from the tar sands of Alberta, through the Great Bear Rainforest, and to the Great Bear Sea, bringing hundreds of supersized oil tankers into these sensitive coastal waters each year. Captain Markel and Passing Cloud’s devoted crew will showcase for guests what’s at stake and what can be done to help ensure the region remains pristine.
Outer Shores’ Great Bear Sea expeditions sail August 4-12, August 13-21, and August 22-30 in 2016.
For more information on Outer Shores Expeditions, please visit outershores.ca or call 1-855-714-7233.
SOURCE: Outer Shores Expeditions