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Spirit Bear Lodge, British Columbia
Recommended Stay
Spirit Bear Lodge in Klemtu is a lovely new addition to British Columbia's bear viewing. It is built in the spirit of Canada's First Nations heritage with guests' comfort in mind.
Whether you are a guest on one of our unique wildlife viewing tours or cruising the Inside Passage aboard your vessel or sea kayak, the waterfront Spirit Bear Lodge is a welcoming and comfortable place to lay your head at night while visiting British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest.
Architecturally, the exterior of the Spirit Bear Lodge pays homage to the traditional long houses built for thousands of years by West Coast First Nations. Inside, the atmosphere is modern and relaxing. After a day of Spirit bear viewing, share stories with fellow guests in "The Great Room", an intimate central room with comfy couches, 20-foot high, ocean view windows, local Tsimshian Art and two 12-foot, solid cedar dining tables. Gaze out towards the grey blue waters of the Pacific Ocean and watch for passing Orcas, White-Sided Dolphins and Sea Lions. Listen to the silence as you revel in the natural wonders of the pristine and raw landscapes that surrounds you in the unique culturally authentic accommodation.
With an abundance of wildlife such as Spirit Bears, Grizzly and Black bears, wolves, whales and dolphins, the ancestral lands of the Kitasoo/Xai'xais are also home to ancient village sites and architecture. Spirit Bear Adventure guides weave a historical and compelling narrative that highlight the unique ecological and cultural knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years.
Wildlife Watching
Guests can enjoy tour packages at Spirit Bear Lodge between 3 and 7 nights. We would recommend a minimum stay of 4 or 5 nights so that you have a good chance to see the elusive Spirit Bear. During your stay you will be travelling in small groups by motorboat, exploring the temperate rainforest and ecological wonders of Princess Royal Island, home to the world's only Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy. Fabulous opportunities exist to watch and photograph these amazing creatures in their natural habitat. This is a wilderness viewing experience and the Spirit Bear Lodge guides know the best locations to view Spirit Bears. Your tours will include looking for Spirit Bears, Grizzly Bears, Black Bears and Wolves.
Holiday idea
| Day 1 |
Fly from London to Vancouver. Overnight in Vancouver |
| Day 2 |
Depart Vancouver South Terminal aboard Pacific Coastal scheduled service to Bella Bella. Short transfer by boat shuttle to Shearwater Resort in Shearwater for overnight. (Meals are not included at the Shearwater resort, there is a restaurant and cafe where you can purchase food). Spend the rest of the day relaxing or exploring the quaint village of Shearwater. |
| Day 3 |
After breakfast, meet on the dock for 90 minute water taxi ride to Spirit Bear Lodge in Klemtu. Arrive mid morning, check in and meet for your welcome orientation. Gear up and hop aboard the high speed boat with your guides and lunch for your first afternoon tour in search of Grizzly bears in Carter Inlet. See the spectacular waterfalls in Cater Inlet. You will return by 6pm in time to freshen up before your buffet dinner at 7pm followed by an evening presentation on the Great Bear Rainforest, Bears or First Nations culture. |
| Day 4 |
7am breakfast, then on the water for 8am for a full day grizzly viewing adventure on foot in the estuary. You will return by 6pm for dinner and evening program. |
| Day 5 |
7am breakfast, then on the water for 8am for Spirit Bear quest to one of the pristine valleys in the Spirit Bear conservancy. |
| Day 6 | After breakfast you have a choice of morning sea kayak paddle along the shores south of Klemtu, rainforest walk or cultural tour. At 11am board the water taxi for the 90 minute trip to Bella Bella arriving in time to catch your afternoon flight back to Vancouver South Terminal arriving between 5 and 7pm. Transfer to your hotel in Vancouver for 1 night. |
| Day 7 | Day at leisure before returning to the airport for your flight back to London. |
| Dates | 1 August - 10 October |
| Prices From | £2040 per person for 4 nights |
Price Includes: Return airfare by floatplane from Vancouver to Bella Bella and shuttle from Bella Bella to Shearwater. One night accommodation at Shearwater Resort & Marina with private bathroom and shower. Round trip water taxi from Shearwater to Spirit Bear Lodge in Klemtu, 3 nights accommodation on full board in a private ocean view room with a private bathroom and shower. Welcome briefing and orientation to the tours, all transportation to bear viewing areas, professional guides services on all programs and tours. Half-Day afternoon bear viewing tour on arrival day. Full day excursions to main grizzly viewing area. Half-day optional excursions on departure day. International flights, accommodation in Vancouver, grauities and items of a personal nature are not included,
Spirit Bears
The Pacific Coast of British Columbia is home to the World's only white coloured black bears. The Spirit bear or white bear, as called by the Tsimshian Coastal First Nations, is thought by scientists to be a generic variation of the black bear.
Scientists believe that the presence of a single recessive gene in these creatures is responsible for the white coat. They are found on the islnads, off the north-central coast of British Columbia and white coat Spirit Bears are found most frequently on Princess Royal Island, situated between the coastal mainland and the Queen Charlotte Islands. Scientists believe there is such a high concentration of the Spirit Bears on this island because they are geographically isolated from other black bear populations. There is estimated to be about 120 on the island.
Wolves
In the Great Bear Rainforest wolves range over vast territories and travel in packs. They are extremely social and trael and hunt in packs that usually consist of a famly group (normally 6 to 7 members). On British Columbia's coast, there is a unique subspecies of Wolf that roams the estuaries and swims up to ten kilometers between the remote islands searching for salmon, Sitka black tailed deer, and even intertidal crustaceans.
Black Bears
The Coastal Black Bear is an Eco-Tourism Highlight for any visit to British Columbia. The number of black bears are high in wet climatic zones, such as the Great Bear Rainforest, where vegetation is more plentiful and access to spawning salmon in the rivers gives an abundant food source rich in important nutrients for winter hibernation.
Grizzly Bears
The "Great Brown Bears" of British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest and Fjordland Conservancy - The Great Bear Rainforest is cruitically important for North America's remaining grizzly bears - it is the most southerly coastal grizzly bear population remaining on the Pacific Coast.
