We ventured into the rivers of the Great Bear Rainforest on a sailboat for an eleven-day journey into wild country. The Great Bear Rainforest is a temperate Rainforest on the Pacific Coast of British Columbia, Canada. We were with a team from the Raincoast Conservation Fund. Raincoast is a group of scientists and conservationists using research to safeguard the land, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. It was an honor to explore with them.

We saw an abundance of wild animals and beautiful landscapes. A group of five humpback whales treated us to a bubble-net feeding show. Bubble-net feeding is a cooperative method used by the humpback whales in this part of the world. A graceful humpback whale leaped from the inky colored waters and breached in front of our boat several times. We also saw orcas and fin whales. We witnessed grizzly bears, black bears and the sacred Spirit Bear along coastal areas lined with seaweed, barnacles and mussels, beside dense lush forest. The Kermode bear, called the spirit bear, is a subspecies of the black bear. The population of Kermode bear is about 400 individuals.

The Great Bear Rainforest is a natural corridor where ocean and land are inextricably connected. It was so special to see the cycle of the salmon play out right before our eyes.  It was a dream to photograph here, and I was in awe and inspired by the mist-shrouded mountains and moss-covered trees.  This land is abundant because it is protected.  Without the work of organizations like the Raincoast, hunting and logging would have taken a toll on this beautiful wild place.