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Tim IrvinTim Irvin
Tim Irvin
Ecologist & Guide
Great Bear Rainforest

It’s not all about the bears

ByTim Irvin January 20, 2025August 14, 2025
A grizzly bear standing on a log in the mist in an estuary in a coastal fjord in the Great Bear Rainforest

As with most things, it is the sum of all the parts that truly matters.

Despite the name, in the Great Bear Rainforest, the bears are simply one part of this remarkable place. Even when there are no bears around, just having one’s boots on the ground here is a privilege in and of itself. Some of the best days start out waking up on a boat anchored in a coastal fjord. Heading up on deck with a hot cup of coffee, one is confronted by some of Mother Nature’s finest work. Perhaps there are mountain peaks, a waterfall, mist in the trees, and reflections in the calm water. Maybe an eagle is calling. And, if you are lucky, you spot a grizzly standing on a log when you scan the estuary with binoculars. The bear is a wonderful thing. But it is also just icing on an already magnificent cake.

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  • Spirit bear guide, Marven Robinson, on CBC Radio
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