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Tim IrvinTim Irvin

Tim Irvin

Ecologist & Guide

  • Tours and ExpeditionsExpand
    • Spirit Bear Tours
    • Sea Wolf Expeditions
    • Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bears
    • Herring & Wolf Expeditions
    • Polar Bear Tours
  • Field Notes
  • About Tim Irvin
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Tim IrvinTim Irvin
Tim Irvin
Ecologist & Guide
Spirit bear on a mossy log in the rainforest.

Ecologist and wildlife guide

I am a naturalist first.

I explore nature and promote wildlife conservation through research, photography, writing, and wilderness expeditions.

I am also a guide and the Director of Wildlife Journeys, a small wildlife tour company that leads trips focussing on wolves, spirit bears, grizzlies, and more in the Great Bear Rainforest.

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If you love wildlife and wild places, then I have the email newsletter you’ve been waiting for. In each issue, I curate a selection of stories, images, and videos from the wild to inject a little wonder into your day to leave you feeling good about this beautiful planet.

Tours and Expeditions

Spirit bears

A spirit bear on a rocky stream, with a fish in its mouth.

During these tours, we explore lush river valleys in search of spirit, or Kermode, bears in a place that National Geographic has called the “Wildest Place in North America.” Travelling with Marven Robinson of the Gitga’at First Nation, we will spend all of our time in the very heart of spirit bear territory seeking out these extraordinary and rare white bears.

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Coastal wolves

A wolf laying on the beach in front of the ocean.

In a world dominated by human landscapes, the wilderness of the Great Bear Rainforest is a refuge for wildlife, including the wolf. In the words of eminent scientist Dr. Paul Paquet, “the remote ocean archipelago of the Great Bear Rainforest comprises North America’s most unusual and one of its most pristine wolf populations.”  In this expedition-style trip we offer the extraordinary opportunity to photograph these wild coastal wolves.

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West coast herring expeditions

A wolf standing on a sandy beach by the ocean.

The spring herring spawn is one of nature’s great wildlife spectacles. It may be less known that the annual salmon runs the west coast is famous for, but it attracts a profusion of marine and terrestrial predators alike. We are offering the only multi-day tour of this remarkable event on the remote west coast of Vancouver Island. This is the perfect way to shake off the winter cobwebs by immersing yourself in some of Mother Nature’s finest work.

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Coastal Grizzly Bears

Grizzly bear in the an estuary in the Great Bear Rainforest

The Kutzeymateen is home to one of the most dense populations of grizzly bears in North America and is the very best place in Canada for springtime grizzly bear viewing and photography.  During this tour, we will stay in a quaint floating lodge situated in a beautiful fjord. Just spending time in this place is worth the trip. The scenery is spectacular, the food is delicious and the photography opportunities are endless

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Post List #1

Marven RobinsonSpirit Bear Tours

Spirit bear guide, Marven Robinson, on CBC Radio

ByTim IrvinApr 10, 20251 min read
Marven Robsinson, the legendary spirit bear guide from the Gitga'at First Nation
This is legendary spirit bear guide, mariner, storyteller, fisherman, prankster – and so much more – Marven Robinson.
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Great Bear RainforestKhutzeymateen

A grizzly gift

ByTim IrvinApr 8, 20252 min read
A grizzly bear lying in the grass in a gentle rain in the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
20-plus years ago, when I was working as a field biologist, someone asked me if I would be interested in working as a guide at a grizzly bear viewing lodge in the Great Bear Rainforest. At…
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Great Bear RainforestSpirit Bear Tours

Spirit bear and cub

ByTim IrvinMar 26, 20251 min read
A spirit bear with a black cub spotted during a spirit bear tour in the Great Bear Rainforest
This spirit bear was named Strawberry because she’s a bit of a strawberry blonde.  She showed up out of the blue in 2017, and we have seen her every year since.  In 2019, she had…
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Coastal Wolvessea wolf tour

The most curious sea wolf

ByTim IrvinMar 20, 20251 min read
A black sea wolf lying on sand with ocean in background. Photo taken during a sea wolf tour.
This is the most curious wolf I have ever met. While other members of the pack would keep their distance and keep moving when they saw us, this wolf sometimes approached and, in this case, just lay down and watched us for a while. This was not a one-off. Over two or three seasons, there were numerous times when this wolf would change its course to investigate us.
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Great Bear RainforestPhotographySpirit Bear Tours

Animalscapes

ByTim IrvinMar 3, 20251 min read
Wide angle photo of a black bear with a second black bear fishing for salmon in the Great Bear Rainforest during a spirit bear tour.
My favourite wildlife photos tend to be the ones that show the animal in their environment. Some people call these kinds of images “animalscapes.”
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Coastal Wolvessea wolf tour

The mind of a coastal wolf

ByTim IrvinFeb 27, 20251 min read
Sea wolf on a beach photographed during a sea wolf tour in the Great Bear Rainforest
When I took this photo, the tide was out, giving this coastal wolf a large expanse of tidal flats to travel over. It could have easily avoided us by keeping its distance, or by simply slipping into the forest. Instead, it came by to check us out.
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Recent articles

  • Spirit bear guide, Marven Robinson, on CBC Radio
  • A grizzly gift
  • Spirit bear and cub
  • The most curious sea wolf
  • Animalscapes

© 2025 Tim Irvin 
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