Spirit bear enigma
This spirit bear is an enigma. Known as Warrior, we used to see her regularly on one of the creeks we work on. But in the last few years, she has shown up very sporadically…
Author: Tim Irvin
Tim Irvin is a naturalist and guide, and the Director of Wildlife Journeys, a wildlife tourism company that leads expeditions in the Great Bear Rainforest.
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Spirit bear guide, Marven Robinson, on CBC Radio
This is legendary spirit bear guide, mariner, storyteller, fisherman, prankster – and so much more – Marven Robinson.
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A grizzly gift
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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Spirit bear and cub
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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The most curious sea wolf
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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Animalscapes
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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The mind of a coastal wolf
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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Grizzly Bear Love
The Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary is nothing short of remarkable. I am forever grateful for the people who had the foresight to protect this place. This protected area represents some of the highest quality grizzly bear habitat in Canada.
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Sea wolves in the mist
We woke to heavy fog on this morning. Sitting in camp drinking coffee we felt like our chances of finding a wolf were just about nil. Then we heard howling in the distance.
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It’s not all about the bears
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.
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Winning with or without sea wolves
This was a rare occasion when I was out in the wild with a camera but I was not guiding. And this wolf showed up
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The lungs of the rainforest
This is one of my favourite places. With the mist that often hangs in the air from the falls, it feels like the lungs of the rainforest. The character of this spot changes dramatically with water levels. When the salmon are running and the water levels are much higher than in this photo, I love to just sit and watch the fish leaping up the falls.
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Alone in the Arctic (on the Dirtbag Diaries)
This is a story of caribou, poop, and a little notion called biophilia, all wrapped up within a seven-week solo canoe expedition in the Arctic. This was my third canoe expedition in the Barren Lands…
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Fortress of the Grizzly
20 years ago, I cut my teeth as a Great Bear Rainforest bear guide running grizzly bear tours in coastal estuaries. Spring on the British Columbia coast is glorious. There is nothing like the sweet fragrance and vibrant greens of spring, mingled with birdsong, snow-capped mountains, and the sight of grizzly bears amidst all.
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Meet Łaaya the spirit bear
On an overcast September day last fall, I was sitting with a group of guests by a creek in the Great Bear Rainforest. Everyone was eager to see a white bear, but we were not…
