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…
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.
-
-
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…
-
One week left in spirit bear tour giveaway
We are giving away a 5-Day spirit bear tour at half the normal price – and there is only one week left to enter for a chance to win.
-
More salmon, more grizzly cubs at play
These grizzly bear cubs are playful for a reason: their mother is a formidable salmon hunter.
-
A feeling is worth a thousand photos
It is what we had all hoped for. The bear had accepted our presence and was now perched on a rock mid-stream scanning the creek for salmon. Her white fur was wet from an overnight rain and steam rose from her back in the morning sun. It was like a scene from National Geographic television – only this was live.
-
Bears and Big News in the Great Bear Rainforest
The Great Bear Rainforest is a global treasure. In keeping with this, today I bring you some highlights from the rainforest in three languages and some really, REALLY big news.
-
How to make a Great Bear Rainforest film
Zip lines, cameras, grizzlies, salmon and adventure. This is filmmaking in the Great Bear Rainforest. Oh yeah, and giant slugs too…
-
An Ordinary Day With Spirit Bears?
It was the first day of our spirit bear trip this fall, and we were walking up a small creek in the Great Bear Rainforest. Sunlight filtered through the lichens and mosses dangling from the tree branches; salmon splashed in the stream. This creek is one of the best places on Earth to see a Kermode, or spirit, bear. The only problem was nobody had seen one here this year…
-
Wild Ones Live: Nature Needs People
Jon Mooallem is the author of Wild Ones: A Sometimes Dismaying, Weirdly Reassuraing Story About Looking at People Looking at Animals in America. It was one of my favourite books of 2014. But it also shines when done live with a little musical accompaniment…
-
Bears, Salmon and Drama at Alaska’s Anan Creek
Anan Creek in southeast Alaska is one of those special places where people can get amazing views of bears feasting on salmon. This BBC video shows some great footage of some Anan Creek action.
-
Can We Put a Value on Nature? Should We?
How much is nature worth? One 1997 estimate put its value at $142.7 trillion. But what about those people in China who pollinate apple blossoms by hand? In this episode of Radiolab, Jad and Robert talk with some of my favourite authors, including Carl Zimmer and J.B. Mackinnon, and discover that this simple question – how much is nature worth? – is not very easy to answer.
Photo by flagstaffotos.com.au Canon 20D + Sigma 150mm f/2.8
-
Grizzly Expectations.
Sometimes unexpected things happen. When this grizzly bear decided to swim across the river I don’t think it expected that the current would push it right past our zodiac that was anchored mid-channel…
-
View From My Office Today
Today was a good day. It was the kind of day that makes a guy feel pretty darn lucky to be a bear guide. As far as jobs go, it is a good gig.
I know I waxed all eloquent about rain in my last post. And it is all true. But there is a place for sun. Especially for action shots of things like grizzlies chasing salmon…
-
In Praise of Rain (and Orcs)
I’ve been in the Great Bear Rainforest for two and a half weeks now and it has only rained once. But I have been hoping for rain. The way the mist and clouds mingle with the mountains on rainy days makes me feel like I’m somewhere in Middle Earth…
