Travel Notes ¦ Southern Great Bear Rainforest, the call of the wild! An ecological journey that will be remembered for a lifetime!

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LEAD

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Due to work relationship,

Vincent van gogh travels moon sister

I was lucky enough to be with a reporter from LOHAS.com

Visited the Southern Big Bear Rainforest.

This is the BC province most recommended by the BBC

Experience the call of the wild and the super natural ecological kingdom.

Amazing, warm and touching,

Accompany us throughout the journey.

When I got home last night, I couldn't calm down for a long time.

I can’t wait to share it with you today

What I saw, heard and felt during this trip,

There is also a short video at the end of the article,

It condenses the wonderful moments of this trip.

From the hustle and bustle of the city to paradise

car, ferry, boat

Source: Google Map

The most convenient way to get to the Southern Great Bear Rainforest from Vancouver is to take a flight from Vancouver Airport South Terminal (South Terminal) to Port Hardy (Port Hardy), the northernmost point on Vancouver Island, and be transported to the nearby port by a special car from the Port of Goodbye Chalet Holiday Inn. Alder Bay (Alder Bay ) , then take the hotel's water bus to arrive.

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We drove by ourselves, took the ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, and then drove along Highway 19 to Port Alder. Alder Port is an outdoor leisure destination that integrates camping, RV sites, and piers. Once our car arrived we handed the keys to the campground manager and the staff parked the car and carried all our luggage onto the boat.

Picture source: Yuan Yucheng

As soon as we got off the bus, and we encountered a surprise: Tim, who came to pick us up, said that a black bear mother and her baby were in the woods near the camp. Led by our guides James and Marlie, we went to watch. James patiently talked to the mother bear, appeasing her caution, and the baby bear timidly poked its head. For the first time, we saw the little bear cub who was only 5 months old. He was so cute and cute. Afterwards, we carried our belongings and boarded the hotel’s water bus here.

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Before going to the hotel, we first visited the waters of Broughton Marine Park, which is indeed the largest marine park in BC . We were fortunate enough to witness many shocking scenes. Just like the above animation, it is a group of porpoises played at double the speed. They are the fastest of the marine mammals and enjoyed "surfing" with our boat, skimming across the water at amazing speeds.

Picture source: Yuan Yucheng

The West Coast is, of course, indispensable for its iconic bald eagle. We saw several bald eagle nests, the largest of which was said to be able to easily hold an adult.

Source: Yuan Yucheng

Another unexpectedly cute creature is the mink. We looked up to see the bald eagle, which was swimming leisurely around the edge of the island. Although mink can be found across Canada, this was the first time I saw a wild one in 21 years!

Source: Yuan Yucheng

Humpback whales may not be unusual, but seeing a jumping humpback requires luck. We had a blast and saw an extremely active mother humpback whale, spinning and jumping again and again.

Picture source: Yuan Yucheng

We watched it for 40 minutes and couldn't count how many times it jumped. Such a behavior that consumes huge amounts of energy cannot be explained even by marine biologists. The person in charge of the lodge, Tim McGrady, was amazed and said that this was the first time he had seen it in his more than 20 years of guiding career. We guessed that it might be teaching the baby whale it brought with it, and it must have been well fed to have such physical strength and jump again and again.

Picture source: Yuan Yucheng

We then came to the kingdom of Steller sea lions, an island reef. There are hundreds of sea lions of all sizes gathered here, lazily basking in the warm spring sun.

Picture source: Yuan Yucheng

Because male sea lions are extremely large, we estimate that there are three large families here, with three adult male sea lions leading their respective "harems".

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After touring the Ocean Park for a while, we arrived at the destination of our trip: Farewell Harbor Log Cabin Resort . The lodge is located on Berry Island in the Broughton Islands within the Southern Great Bear Rainforest, with an excellent geographical location. We are the only inhabitants of the island (except for the wildlife)!

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As the first "guests" since October 2019, we received a warm welcome from the entire staff (a small team before the official opening). The picture above from left to right is: Chef Robyn, Operations Manager/Wildlife Guide James, Summer Worker Sebastien (Tim’s nephew), Hostel Partner/General Manager Tim, Administration/Kayak Instructor Kelli (Tim’s wife ), front desk service Rebecca, and wildlife and outdoor activity guide Marlie.

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Tim, the hostel's partner, is a legendary figure. It is a very influential Pioneer in ecotourism. He has served as a leader and guide for many sea kayaking expeditions for the National Outdoor Leadership School. He is one of the founders of the Commercial Bear Viewing Association (CBVA) and a guide for bear and whale watching trips in Knight Inlet, British Columbia. He has worked and lived in the Great Bear Rainforest for nearly 20 years, turning his hobby into a career and having a profound impact on bear protection and bear watching in British Columbia.

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There are only 12 rooms in the entire hotel. On the left side of the pier are four "floating houses". Although they are floating on the water, you can't actually feel them at all.

Picture source: Laoheng

Coming up from the pier is the main house of the hotel on Berry Island. We were immediately attracted by the newly expanded terrace . Facing the sea, spring flowers are blooming, this is what it looks like!

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Connected to the terrace are the hall, kitchen, and 8 other rooms.

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The luggage has already been delivered to the door of the room. The rooms are all twin-bed sea view rooms. Although the bathroom is small, it is clean and the shower room is sufficient. Each guest will also receive a very practical small gift: a cold water bottle, a hot water cup, and a zip-up backpack.

Picture source: Moon-Van Gogh Travel

I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the hand soap, shampoo and hair care set, and body wash provided in the room are all organic and biodegradable! I would like to specially recommend that if possible, you should use this kind of personal care products to reduce environmental harm.

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After a short rest, dinner started at 6:30 in the evening. Since the weather was perfect, sunny, warm and windless, we dined on the terrace.

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The dinner was delicious and delicious. There are 4 kinds of appetizers (I didn’t take a good photo of the lemon marinated scallops), including spot prawns that are in season! The main dish was West Coast style halibut with Canadian wild rice. The dessert was meringue cake with fresh fruit and dark chocolate sauce. The sweetness was very suitable for Asian tastes. It was so delicious that I almost licked the plate.

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After drinking and eating, we sat on the terrace. When we were not chatting, we only heard the chirping of birds and the ocean tide. As the sun sets, the gentle orange calms my heart, which has been in a state of excitement all day long. Good night, Great Bear Rainforest!

call of the wild

boat, assault boat

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I was woken up by the squirrel's morning call. The little guy was busy biting the pine cones off the tree, and crackling them on the roof of my room and the corridor at the door. I opened the curtains to check, but it was a fairyland-like scenery. There is a layer of mist floating on the sea surface, as level as a mirror and as dreamlike as a dream.

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After washing up, I went to the lobby at 7 o'clock. Breakfast was already ready. Hot and cold drinks, breakfast cereals, sausages and hams, a variety of meals, fresh fruit plates, hash browns and more. After eating and drinking well, we felt full of energy. We used the water bottles provided by the hotel to fill up the spring water on the island (the water from the faucet can be used directly), brought lunch prepared by the chef, and prepared to start today's trip.

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Before setting out, put on your equipment: raincoat, rain pants, rain boots and life jacket. Today we mainly go to Nate Bay to watch bears. After arriving at the destination, you need to transfer to an inflatable kayak. You may get "wet". It is also cloudy, so rain gear is still necessary. Life jackets are required every time you board the boat. It is worth mentioning that the hostel’s rain gear is very comfortable to wear, and even the boots are very light.

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After boarding the boat and going around to the back of Berry Island, we saw this petroglyph that looked like a human face. It is said that this has been a sacred place for the aborigines for 200 years, and the sacred cave is the burial place of former tribal leaders.

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Knight Knight Inlet is one of the longest fjords in North America. , flowing out of the Coast Mountains to the Queen Charlotte Strait, with a total length of 125 kilometers. Although it was cloudy, the fjord was calm and picturesque, with snow still on the tops of mountains near and far.

Picture source: Yuan Yucheng

We, who are quite fond of animals, encountered humpback whales, which are rare here, in the fjord today.

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Before we reached our final bear viewing spot, an adult brown bear appeared on the shore to our right. Our boat slowly approached, but it turned a blind eye and ate grass peacefully.

Picture source: Yuan Yucheng

It is said that this sedge is extremely high in protein and is the favorite food of the brown bears in this area. In addition, at low tide, tidal animals such as crabs, barnacles, and small fish also provide them with ample food. Because of this, when a few deer broke out, the brown bear was indifferent. After all, instead of running to chase the deer, it was better to lie down and eat grass!

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In about an hour and a half, we arrived at Glendale Bay, a famous bear viewing area in the Southern Great Bear Rainforest. After changing to a Zodiac, Tim took us slowly along the coast, and soon discovered brown bears. Because there is enough food, brown bears often appear here even when there is no migratory salmon season.

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The inlet is not big, but we saw 5 brown bears. There was a mother bear with two second-year cubs, and just a few hundred meters away, another brown bear was also eating grass. Tim said that the mother bear who could live in peace with her was most likely an adult. child.

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After about 1 hour, we returned to the boat to enjoy the beautiful scenery and have lunch.

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The lunch sandwich is first wrapped in a layer of paper and plastic wrap, then cut open very thoughtfully, and then wrapped in another layer of plastic wrap for easy consumption. It can also be shared or re-wrapped to be eaten later. One of our guides, Marlie, even prepared hot drinks for everyone, including coffee, tea, and hot chocolate!

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After lunch, we set sail and returned to the hotel. After cloudy weather, boating, and a full meal, several of us slept all the way to the dock. After taking a break and looking at the cool and windless weather outside, we tried kayaking again, led by Kelli and Marlie. I am a landlubber and a heavyweight, but I also took advantage of an experienced teacher like Kelli to break through myself. Kelli once served as a sea kayaking expedition leader and guide at Outdoor Leadership School. She is a top professional who has taught countless long-distance kayaking instructors!

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Kayaking was easier than I thought. The boat itself was very stable, the water was calm, and there was no sun exposure. We paddled for more than an hour without feeling tired. On the way back, I saw deer that had swum from other big islands and grazed on the small island, and I realized that island animals can swim and are always migrating among the islands in search of food.

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Because I had just finished exercising, I ate a lot for dinner without feeling guilty at all. Today is mainly steak, still 4 appetizers and a dessert. The steak was cooked just right, satisfying everyone's preferences. Robyn is a quarter of Chinese descent, and his dishes are a mixture of various flavors. He has profound skills and is worthy of being a chef who is often hired by wealthy people on their private yachts in the Mediterranean!

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After the meal, Mr. and Mrs. Tim accepted our interview. From their personal experiences, meeting each other, starting a family, and going through difficulties together, the eyes looking at each other and the smiles hidden behind the masks are the love that helps each other through thick and thin. With this warm feeling, we spent our second night in the Great Bear Rainforest.

From Aboriginal village to modern city

boat, car, ferry

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The breakfast is still rich and not repetitive, and you can also order freshly made egg pancakes. In fact, in addition to three meals a day, there are snacks, fruits, hot and cold water, dried fruits, etc. available 24 hours a day in the corner of the hotel lobby.

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After breakfast, because of Tim’s friendly relationship with the aboriginal people, we were fortunate to go to the aboriginal village near the hostel to visit and experience the aboriginal life and culture. Our boat arrived at a small Aboriginal village very close to the hotel: Tsatsinukwomi, which is said to mean "New Vancouver". We were greeted by Stanley, the village elder and the grandson of the great chief who passed away 2 years ago, and 3 enthusiastic big dogs.

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Stanley told us about the origin of the village, why it was abandoned from the 1960s to the 1980s, and how the villagers returned under the leadership of his grandfather. The large totem pole at the entrance of the village commemorates the late chief.

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The great house is the most important building of every Aboriginal tribe, where all important ceremonies and celebrations are held. The decorations outside the big house are also stories, telling the tribe's prophecies. On the totem pole on the left, the thunderbird, killer whale, and brown bear are Stanley's family animal totems.

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After leaving Tsatsinukwomi village, we returned to the hotel. After taking a rest, our luggage was loaded on the boat and we were leaving this paradise. Robyn still prepared super delicious tuna rolls and homemade energy bars. She was not very talkative and kept bringing us fruit, fearing that we wouldn’t have anything to eat on the way.

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The Southern Big Bear Rainforest looks wild but is full of vitality. The Goodbye Harbor Chalet Lodge is small, exquisite and full of family warmth. We reluctantly left and seemed to understand why the British Navy left this harbor in 1870. Called "Goodbye Port"... Goodbye, hope to come back here again.