Salvation is a fish
A fish so fat you can light it with a match, eulachon have been a critical part of Coastal First Nations culture for hundreds of generations.
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.
Beautiful unity
When you spend time looking for wolves, most of the time you end up watching other things instead. On this evening, it was sandpipers. Semipalmated or Western? In the fading light, I couldn’t be sure, and it didn’t really matter. It was good enough to simply watch them wheel and swoop in unison, each bird exquisitely sensitive to its neighbour, each responding to the smallest flicker of a wing.
All 2020 tours cancelled
The pandemic has affected everyone. For us, it has meant that we have cancelled all our 2020 wolf expeditions and spirit bear tours. Leading these trips is a living for Marven Robinson and me, but it is…
Embracing mystery
One of the things that fascinates me about nature is all the things we don’t know. There is still so much mystery out there. As my Dad likes to say “ there are more questions…
Salmon are for the birds
You may be aware of the tight connections between salmon, forests and bears. But have you ever thought about the connections between salmon and songbirds? Perhaps it’s time you did?
Space available on 2020 wolf expeditions
For years I longed to watch and photograph the elusive coastal wolf. For years all I managed were glimpses and a few blurry images. Those experiences only added to the mystery and allure. When I…
2019 spirit bear highlights
2019 was an exceptional year for us with incredible bear sightings. Here’s a re-cap of some of the main characters from our tours in the Great Bear Rainforest.
Famous spirit bear lives on
As the 2019 spirit bear season approached it seemed there was one question on everybody’s mind: would Ma’ah still be with us? Ma’ah is a white bear who is closing in on 20 years old….
BC’s coastal wolves: elusive and worthy of protection
I worked as a guide in the Great Bear Rainforest for 14 years before I managed to get a decent photo of a coastal wolf.
Great Bear Rainforest IMAX celebrates local First Nations
Three years is a long time to wait for anything. But finally (finally!) I was able to see the Great Bear Rainforest IMAX film.
Wolves are just wolves
I have read there have been more books written about wolves than any other species. There is something so compelling about them and, yet, they are also polarizing for people. Opinions about wolves are strong…
Wildlife photography is full of failures (and that’s okay)
This is a photo of an American black bear checking out a remotely triggered camera in the Great Bear Rainforest. Thanks to Paul Nicklen for technical assistance with this one (i.e. teaching this buffoon the basics of how to use and maintain an underwater housing). There were many, many failures while trying to get this one shot. So many failures. Oh, so many failures…
Salmon, spirit bears and Ma’ah.
This is Ma’ah. Her name means grandmother in the language of the local Tsimshian First Nations language. She is perhaps 18 years old, and she is a really special bear. Not only did Ma’ah appear…
Coexistence: Charlie Russell’s legacy
Hunting grizzly bears for sport was banned in British Columbia this April. But this is about a lot more than killing bears. I think it reflects the changing relationship people have with nature. One of the people who has helped push things in this direction is Charlie Russell. Sadly, Charlie died this week.
The winner of our spirit bear tour giveaway is…
Are you nervous? Excited? On the edge of your seat? You should be. This is awesome. I’m about to give somebody a trip to the Great Bear Rainforest to see a spirit bear for half…