Website design By BotEap.comBritish adventurer Claire boarded her scheduled Air Canada flight to Vancouver, British Columbia (BC). Twenty-nine-year-old Claire, who treats herself to an adventure trip every year, always tried to start her adventure by flying on an airline organized by the country she would visit. She selected Vancouver to embark on a Royal Caribbean Cruise Line ship bound for Alaska. The ship’s route through the internal passage between the channel islands presented a great opportunity to see humpback whales and killer whales that hunt in those channels. Maybe you could see a bear on one of the islands.

Website design By BotEap.comWhile planning his trip, Vancouver piqued his interest. Much more than just a cruise ship embarkation port, the diverse cosmopolitan city offered delicious dining options, nightlife, and (most important to Claire) other adrenaline-pumping adventure opportunities. She planned to experience the city for a few days after hiking through the coastal rainforest on a photography tour to find and photograph the rare and elusive Spirit Bear.

Website design By BotEap.comScientifically called “Kermode Bear”, the natives of ancient times called the whites Spirit Bears. Claire thought about improving her chances of seeing one by hiring a native Kitasoo guide to take her to the rainforest. All Kermode bears are black bears, however many of those that live in the coastal rainforest have white fur. Many people mistake them for polar bears, but no wild polar bear lives in the forest. The Spirit Bear’s size, shape, and facial features clearly reveal it as a black bear.

Website design By BotEap.comScience can provide no answer for the bear’s occasional white coat other than to declare nature’s strange albino result. But the natives put it this way: The Spirit Bear reminds people to show gratitude for the generosity they have, because once the whole land lay under crushing glaciers and unfathomable snow. Claire hoped she could photograph the bear, and perhaps the equally elusive cougars and coastal wolves that live in the rainforest. None of her friends had gone with her on the trip. It saddened him that his friends chose to grow up heavy and sensitive like his parents. Perhaps the wildlife photos, your depiction of cruise fun, and your enthusiasm for telling adventures in British Columbia and Alaska might tempt your friends to come next time. # TAG1writer

Website design By BotEap.comFind your way to see the BC Spirit Bear. Chris Weston photography web search.