Coastal Photography Tour in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest

9-days exploring glacier-carved fjords and biologically-rich estuaries. The perfect backdrop to hone your nature and wildlife photography skills.

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2020 Edition

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During our 2020 Photo Tour in the Great Bear

Rainforest, living and travelling aboard the

schooner Passing Cloud, and isolated from

all the distractions of shore-bound life, you’ll

have the opportunity to focus on taking your

photography to the next level. Accommodations,

delicious food, and transportation to stunning

photo destinations are all included, leaving you

free to concentrate on capturing your vision of

this pristine coastal wilderness.

Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest

Photography Tour 2020

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2020 departures: October 1-9

Price per person: $6,495 CAD

Departs from/Returns to: Bella Bella, BC

9-days / 8-nights

At a Glance

Our 9-day/8-night photography tour through

Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest is perfect

for photographers, novice and accomplished

alike, wishing to combine photography with

experiencing the wildlife and ecosystems of

this incredible region. This unique wilderness

photography tour will be led by coastal

photography specialist, Dr. James Thompson,

and focuses on the megafauna of this diverse

ecosystem. This expedition circumnavigates

Princess Royal Island, starting and ending in the

Heiltsuk First Nation community of Bella Bella,

British Columbia.

What’s Included?

All meals, accommodation, transportation, Conservation

and Stewardship fees, use of onboard gear and resources

including rubber boots, instruction and guidance by onboard

photography expert, Dr. James Thompson.

What’s not included?

5% GST, travel and accommodation before and after the

expedition, crew gratuities, any personal expenses incurred due

to weather, logistical delays, delayed departures of chartered

aircraft, taxis, ferries.

- Jonathan, Outer Shores’ Traveler

“Our expectations were superbly exceeded in every respect...Once again your excellent crew have contributed so much to our enjoyment. Your enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment is unsurpassed. Altogether the experience warms the soul. Thank you for providing leadership and guidance to make this and every Passing Cloud experience so special.”

Today gets started with an early morning visit to one

of the rainforest estuaries, an enclosed body of water

with multiple rivers and streams running into it, to

observe and photograph wildlife. After exploring this

area for the morning, we continue our travels north,

potentially spotting humpback whales, dolphins, and

porpoises. In the afternoon we visit our first major river

system, where we find a comfortable spot to sit and

wait to observe grizzly bears fishing for salmon.

Day1

Sample Itinerary:Coastal Photography Tour 2020

Our floating classroom for this photo tour is the schooner Passing Cloud, and our playground is Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest. This all-inclusive photography adventure overlays discussion-based workshops, photo reviews, and one-on-one guidance upon the old-growth rainforests, estuaries, and bear viewing stands operated by local First Nations.

Our adventure begins in the Heiltsuk First Nation

community of Bella Bella, a short flight from Vancouver

International Airport. Upon boarding our 70’ classic

wooden schooner Passing Cloud and settling into

accommodations, we set sail and begin our journey

north into the heart of Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest.

As we slice through the waters of the Seaforth Channel

we’ll be on the lookout for our first wildlife sightings

- humpback whales, sea otters, elephant seals, and

killer whales. Later in the afternoon we’ll set down

our anchor in a small coastal estuary and go ashore

for our first taste of the coastal temperate rainforest

ecosystem. To prepare for tomorrow’s adventure,

James will give us his “Wildlife Photography 101” talk

after dinner.

Day2

Bella Bella, Wildlife Photography 101

Estuary Wildlife Photo Session

After optional morning sea kayaking (or quiet cup of

coffee on deck), we depart for Wright Sound and the

Gitga’at First Nation community of Hartley Bay. On

route, we’re hopeful that we’ll encounter the large

groups of humpback whales that are increasingly found

congregating in this area. In Hartley Bay we’ll enjoy a

walking tour of this beautiful boardwalk community

and learn about the Gitga’at Nation. We’ll spend this

afternoon sailing and photographing whales in Squally

Channel and Taylor Bight, hopefully including fin whales,

the second largest mammals on the Planet! We’ll have

our first image review session tonight.

Day3

We continue our exploration of Khutze Inlet with an

early morning photography and wildlife expedition

into the estuary via our inflatable boat. Next, we head

back aboard our ship and travel north in search of

the iconic spirit (or Kermode) bear, which are actually

black bears with a rare gene that produces completely

white fur. After we anchor in Bishop Bay Marine Park

for the evening, we head ashore to enjoy a soak in one

of the natural hot springs in the area and reflect on our

photographic processes of the day.

Day4

After optional morning sea kayaking (or a quiet cup

of coffee on deck), we depart for Wright Sound and

the Gitga’at First Nation community of Hartley Bay.

On route, we’re hopeful that we’ll encounter the large

groups of humpback whales that are increasingly

found congregating in this area. In Hartley Bay we’ll

enjoy a walking tour of this beautiful boardwalk

community and learn about the Gitga’at Nation.

We’ll spend this afternoon sailing and photographing

whales in Squally Channel and Taylor Bight, hopefully

including fin whales, the second largest mammals on

the Planet!

Day6

This morning we hope to catch a glimpse of the

secretive coastal wolves that inhabit the Great Bear

Rainforest (but certainly no promises!). We plan to

visit a small coastal stream in this region, surrounded

by ancient spruce and cedar trees, which provide

ideal habitats for wolves and bears. We’ll visit a

small research station (Cetacea Lab), where we’ll

learn about ongoing whale research in this region,

including their whale photo-identification program.

This afternoon we’ll sail south through Whale Channel

on the look out for…you guessed it!

Day7

Day5

This morning we’ll follow along a coastal stream in

the Gitga’at First Nation territory, where we’ll have an

excellent chance of observing spirit bears and black

bears fishing for salmon. We spend the majority of the

day quietly observing and photographing the salmon,

bears, and other wildlife from the edge of the stream.

This is a great place to break out our tripods and get

some amazing wildlife and landscape images. Later this

afternoon, we travel a short distance to our overnight

anchorage. Tonight we’ll have an image review session

and discuss our techniques.

Day8

This morning we pass through Myers Narrows en

route to the Kitasoo/Xaixais First Nation community

of Klemtu. We are welcomed to this remote coastal

community with a guided tour of their traditional

Big House. We’ll learn about the deep history of this

indigenous nation and their present-day initiatives to

protect their culture, community, and economy. In the

afternoon we sail south through Finlayson Channel

and Milbanke Sound, getting to experience the outer

coast before anchoring overnight in the vicinity of

Seaforth Channel, near Bella Bella

Day9

As we travel the short distance to Bella Bella this

morning we hope for last minute wildlife sightings,

and enjoy the pristine landscapes and seascapes of

the Great Bear Rainforest. Once we arrive, we say

our farewells to the Great Bear Rainforest before

disembarking and heading to the Bella Bella airport.

Culpepper Lagoon, Khutze Inlet

Dawn Patrol and Hot Springs

Landscape and Wildlife Photography

Kayaking, Whales, and Hartley Bay

Ancient Rainforests, Wolves, and Cetacea Lab

Kitasoo/Xaixais Territory, Klemtu Big House

Disembark in Bella Bella

Who should take this tour?Anyone with an interest in improving their technical and artistic

photographic skills in a stunning coastal wilderness setting.

What is the nature of this tour? What kind of photo tour is it?This tour has three main components: (1) living and travelling

aboard a beautiful wooden schooner, participants are completely

immersed in a pristine coastal wilderness environment, providing

unlimited photographic opportunities; (2) all logistics are

completely taken care of for you, including accommodation,

transportation, and wonderful chef-prepared meals…it’s easy!

And (3) our instructor and photography expert focuses on helping

you build your photographic toolbox by focusing on a range of

photographic challenges/opportunities including marine wildlife,

coastal rainforests, the intertidal zone, coastal composition, and

more. Frequent shooting sessions, discussion-based workshops,

one-on-one help, and group image reviews are hallmarks of this

tour. Ultimately, this is your holiday and we want it to be fun and

informative for you.

What will I get to photograph?We endeavour to expose participants to all the major features

of our wild west coast: the open ocean, the fascinating intertidal

zone, unspoiled soaring coastal old growth rainforests, and a wide

array of wildlife including bears, eagles, whales, sea lions, seals

and a myriad of other birdlife all set against the stunning backdrop

of the Great Bear Rainforest. We occasionally also run into orca,

and porpoises.

How physically fit should I be?You should be able to walk short distances over somewhat uneven

terrain carrying your camera gear.

What is the Instructor to Participant Ratio? How many crew will be on board?There will be a maximum of 6 participants on the tour, and one

instructor. Our ship’s crew will consist of captain (also a PhD

in marine biology), onboard photography expert, Dr. James

Thompson, mate/deckhand, and chef.

What camera gear should I bring?Short answer? Everything! The wider the range of focal lengths

available to you, the more photographic choices you have. Another

essential piece of equipment is a tripod sturdy enough to bear the

weight of your camera plus largest lens. Other useful items include

a polarizing filter, spare batteries, plenty of storage media, and a

flash or reflector.

I am a single traveler. Can I have a cabin to myself or do I have to share with someone else?We do encourage spouses or close friends to join this tour together

and share a cabin. If you don’t mind sharing, we can add you

to pour waitlist to pair you up with another single traveller of

the same gender. However, if you would prefer a private cabin,

we typically can accommodate single travellers in a cabin to

themselves at 2x our regular rate.

FAQ: Coastal Photography Tour 2020

How do I get there?The tour departs aboard the schooner Passing Cloud from the

remote First Nations village of Bella Bella,BC, in the central regions

of Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest. Bella Bella Regional Airport hosts

daily flights from Vancouver, and sometimes connects in Comox and

Campbell River. Pacific Coastal Airlines typically has a morning and

afternoon arrival (approximately 2 hours from the Vancouver Airport).

Visit Pacific Coastal for further details (pacificcoastal.ca)

What will the weather be like?Spending a week on the west coast in September and October

although you will likely encounter a little bit of everything, expect rain

and cooler temperatures in the rainforest at this time of year. Sun,

wind, and rain are often encountered even within a single day as

weather fronts from the open Pacific Ocean pass by. You can expect

daytime temperatures to be between 5 to 15 degrees Celsius.

What clothing should I bring?You will be provided with a detailed packing list well in advance of the

tour; however, you’ll need to be prepared for a wide range of weather

conditions.

How should I protect my camera gear?While rain can easily be wiped off, and many higher-end cameras are

well weather sealed, salty sea spray can be very corrosive to sensitive

electronics. A simple shower cap will keep the worst of the weather at

bay, but you may want to consider purchasing more sophisticated and

robust weather protection. See James Thompson’s Outer Shores Blog

post “It IS a rainforest after all” for more details (www.outershores.

ca/2013/05/it-is-a-rainforest-after-all/).

Will I be able to charge my camera batteries and laptop?Yes, the ship has several AC power outlets with the standard North

American type plug sockets.

How much on board storage is available?There are several large drawers and a small hanging locker in each

stateroom, perfect for all your clothing, jackets and some gear.

Should I bring my laptop computer?Yes! Although not mandatory, we will be critiquing our work during

the trip and providing on-the-fly post-processing tips. There will be

downtime each day during which you can work on your images.

How do I book this tour?To reserve your berth on this tour we request that you provide a

$1000 CAD deposit that is fully refundable until 120 days prior to your

departure date. At this time your balance becomes due in full, and

payments becomes non-refundable. If you have to cancel inside of 120

days, you can transfer your payment to one of our other expeditions in

the same or following year. We recommend you purchase independant

travel insurance in the off-chance case you need to cancel last minute.

We look forward to welcoming you aboard!

FAQ: Coastal Photography Tour 2020 (Continued)

P.O Box 361Cobble Hill, British ColumbiaV0R 1L0, Canada

info@outershores.caoutershores.ca

If you have any questions about our expeditions, or a specific detail about the expedition you have booked, please let us know by phone or visit our website for more information.

Photo Credits: James Thompson, Ryan Flett,

Owen Perry, and Russell Markel.1-855-714-7233 (Toll Free in North America)1-250-220-2311 (Local and International)