About the Great Bear Rainforest, the amazing wildlife and the agreement.
A wild and remote ecosystem like none other. A land alive with Grizzly and Spirit Bears, Humpback and Killer Whales. A place where Bald eagles soar overhead while a massive migration of five species of Pacific Salmon thunders southbound for natal streams. welcome to the wild pacific west coast…the great bear rainforest!
A remote coastline encompassing a staggering 6.4 million hectares on British Columbia’s North and Central Coast and traditional territory of Coastal First Nations. Towering trees. Rocky outcroppings, Hidden waterways and wide open Pacific Ocean make British Columbia’s great bear rainforest a Canadian coastal gem!
More than 10,000 years of Indigenous history and First Nations stewardship, sustainability and preservation. A sense of place and bond with territory beyond what most understand. A place where DNA, geography and even linguistics are shared among all living things comprising a world-class marine ecosystem.
Quite simply, the Great Bear Rainforest is the largest remaining temperate rainforest left on Earth and one of the world’s finest untouched ecosystems. Stretching from Stewart, British Columbia South to Vancouver Island, Great Bear encompasses British Columbia’s north and central coasts…and famed Inside Passage waterway to Alaska.
It’s remote locale defines the Great Bear. Accessed via Prince Rupert in the North, Bella Coola on Central Coast or Port Hardy to the South, Great Bear Rainforest is a world apart…yet not that far away! BC Ferries and Pacific Coastal Airlines in Vancouver provide direct access into the heart of the region.
From bear and whale viewing, eco-tourism to authentic Indigenous experiences, Great Bear is as much wild life on the frontier as a wildlife viewing safari. For the adventurous, a smorgasbord of marine activities await, from boating to paddling, sport fishing to sailboat. And for the photographer, writer or artist in everyone, there’s a fresh experience at every turn.
Princess Royal and Gribbell Islands are home to the Spirit (Kermode) Bear, accessed through remote communities of Klemtu and Hartley Bay respectively. There is no shortage of iconic species and apex predators in Great Bear, but viewing a Spirit Bear represents a true touchstone experience and unique moment in rainforest time. Spirit Bear Lodge in Klemtu and Gitga’at Spirit in Hartley Bay specialize in these moments, and share them with an Indigenous perspective that tells a deeper story.
In 2016 the British Columbia government enacted Great Bear Rainforest Land Use Order in partnership with Coastal First Nations, environmental groups and forestry industry representatives, effectively protecting 85% of forests and 70% of old growth over time. With over one quarter of the world’s remaining temperate coastal rainforests, this made for a historic agreement.
The Great Bear agreement also ushered in an era of ecosystem-based management (EBM), combining both modern science and traditional First Nations knowledge and stewardship. The evolution of sustainability and stewardship is seen as key in continued high integrity of land management and preservation of Great Bear Rainforest…as a Truly historic, remote and inherently beautiful coastal icon!
