![Make zoodles](https://loka.nahovitsyn.com/211.jpg)
And for people like me who appreciate their alone time, there’s lots of space on deck to sit in silence and marvel at the scenery (being summer-time in BC, it doesn’t get dark until about 9:30 PM). After bear-viewing time had passed, the guests would all sit in the dining area and exchange stories, look at photos, and even sing songs. One that would be repeated a number of times each day during my stay each outing bringing a different experience and different photo opportunities.īack on board the mothership at dinner time, we enjoyed feasts of halibut and crab followed by decadent deserts. And I’m really glad I did!Īfter getting settled, my fellow guests and I got back on board the zodiac and our bear guide took us up into the estuary for a life changing experience. The trips are usually just 3 days long, but I decided to do two back-to-back trips to maximize my bear viewing opportunities.
![grizzly adventure time deck grizzly adventure time deck](https://thumb.modcdn.io/mods/6d7e/1158655/crop_320x180/cbdafe5d-7a71-4e40-a57f-d4852cc2.jpeg)
I arrived by float plane from Prince Rupert and a zodiac transferred me to the majestic 70 foot ketch-rigged sailboat called the “Ocean Light II” that would be my home for the next 6 days.
![grizzly adventure time deck grizzly adventure time deck](https://www.weekendnotes.com/im/008/07/fn2.jpg)
There are only a small handful of outfitters that are licensed to enter the estuary, which means that fewer than 200 people per year have the privilege of being here and witnessing the secret life of grizzly bears. Land access is prohibited, as is unguided access to the estuary. For these reasons, the grizzlies here do not see humans as a threat. No bear has been collared or tranquillized and no bear has found food that belonged to a human. No bear has been hunted here for 23 years. It includes over 45,000 hectares of rugged peaks, a valley of wetlands, old growth temperate rainforest and a large river estuary. This grizzly bear sanctuary was the first area in Canada to be protected specifically for grizzly bears and their habitat. My first grizzly bear was in Khutzeymateen Provincial Park in northern British Columbia.
![grizzly adventure time deck grizzly adventure time deck](https://grizzlybomb.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/labyrinth-30th-annivesary-board-game-1.jpg)
So I decided on the way in that I would resist the urge to hold up my camera and photograph the first bear I saw. It’s also necessary, in my opinion, to have this kind of experience before you can convey emotion in an image. The experience is more important to me than the photos. It was this profound experience I wanted and I got it within 20 minutes of stepping foot on the small zodiac that would take me into grizzly bear territory. How often do these simple but profound things happen in life? Not so often that a person doesn’t remember each and every one of them. Then… he simply looked away and went back to eating grass. Not scared, not worried, not concerned, just curious.
![Make zoodles](https://loka.nahovitsyn.com/211.jpg)