Finding the Spirit Bear Deep in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest

Finding the Spirit Bear Deep in the Heart of Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest

An expedition into Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest in search of the mystical white Kermode bear.

Words * Tim Johnson
Photos Maple Leaf Adventures
*A veteran travel writer and editor who has traveled to 145 countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, and has contributed to global outlets such as CNN Travel, Bloomberg, The New Yorker, and AFAR.
timjohnsontravels.com

Even for Canadians, who are accustomed to vast lands, immense distances, and wilderness, the Great Bear Rainforest is a vast, remote, and somewhat unknowable place. Lush, green mountain ranges stretch on seemingly without end, separated by deep inlets and fjords that are often draped in cloud or splashed by tumbling waterfalls. Indigenous peoples have lived here for more than 10,000 years, and some of them will tell you this place is magic. A single visit was more than enough to convince me that it is true.
Stretching along the Pacific coast of British Columbia and encompassing 6.4 million hectares of land, the Great Bear Rainforest is the largest coastal temperate rainforest in the world. Most of the forest’s ancient, old-growth trees remain protected and preserved. After flying about 90 minutes north from Vancouver and landing at an airport near the small town of Terrace, I transfer to a double-hulled ship called the Cascadia. A comfortable, upscale vessel owned and operated by British Columbia–based Maple Leaf Adventures, it carries a maximum of just 24 guests. The lines are cast off, and the ship pulls out of the postcard-perfect harbor at Kitimat.

Even for Canadians, who are accustomed to vast spaces and great distances and wilderness that just never seems to end, the Great Bear Rainforest (GBR) is a remote, enormous, and somewhat unknowable place. A series of seemingly endless lush, green mountains separated by deep inlets and fjords that are often draped in cloud and splashed by tumbling waterfalls, it is populated by Indigenous people who have lived here for more than 10,000 years. Some of them will tell you that this place is magic. And just one visit was certainly long enough to convince me that the enchantment is very real.
Encompassing 6.4 million hectares of land, stretching along the Pacific shorelines of British Columbia, the GBR is the largest coastal temperate rainforest in the world. Most of the ancient, old-growth trees are protected and preserved. Flying about 90 minutes north from Vancouver, I land at an airport near the small town of Terrace, and board a double-hulled ship called the M/V Cascadia. Owned and operated by BC-based Maple Leaf Adventures, this comfortable, upscale vessel carries a maximum of just 24 guests. We cast lines and cruise out of the postcard-perfect harbor at Kitimat.

“This is a true expedition. We have a plan, yes, but all we really know for sure is that we need to be back in a week,” says Expedition Leader Marlo Shaw. “Mostly, people want to go deep into places that are truly wild, where they have a good chance of seeing wildlife.” And while there is plenty to see here, one animal tops everyone’s list.
“We all hope to see the spirit bear,” she says. Spotting a spirit bear is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Commonly called the spirit bear, the Kermode bear is technically a black bear with a mutant gene that turns its fur white, and it is extremely rare, with perhaps 500 or fewer in the world. Many legends surround this magnificent creature, and the Indigenous peoples who have lived alongside them for thousands of years believe that they have supernatural powers.
Spirit bears are found almost entirely around three islands within the Great Bear Rainforest. We experience many wonders even before we see the storied Kermode. On the first day of the expedition, soon after leaving port, a dozen or so humpback whales swim around the ship, putting on a show. They pop up on the starboard side and at the stern, send huge plumes of spray out through their blowholes, splash their fins, and give us a slow, fond farewell with their tail flukes. One early morning, we spot wolves on a beach. There are eagles, too, and grizzly bear cubs, who check us out from the safety of the shore before retreating into the dark, impenetrable forest in search of their mother. We also meet transient orcas, the bad boys of the whale world, swimming fast and on the hunt.

“This is a true expedition, we have a plan, yes, but all we really know for sure is that we need to be back in a week,” says Expedition Leader Marlo Shaw. “Mostly, we want to be in places that are really wild, where we have a good chance of seeing wildlife.” And while there’s plenty to see here, one animal tops everyone’s list. “We all hope to see the spirit bear,” she says.
Spotting a spirit bear is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Technically a black bear with a mutant gene that turns them white, the Kermode bear is extremely rare, with perhaps 500 or fewer in the world. Many legends surround this magnificent creature, and the Indigenous people who have lived with them for thousands of years traditionally believed that they have supernatural powers.
They’re almost all found around three islands here in the GBR. We experience many wonders, even before we see the storied Kermode. Soon after leaving port, on the first day, dozens of humpback whales swim around the ship, putting on a show. Popping up on starboard and stern. Big puffs emanating out through their blowholes. Splashing their fins, and giving us a nice, slow farewell with their tail flukes. We spot wolves on a beach one early morning. Plus eagles, and grizzly bear cubs, checking us out from the safety of the shore before retreating into that impenetrable forest in search of their mother. Plus, transient orcas, the bad boys of the whale world, swimming fast and on the hunt.

But no moment can compare with the morning we saw the spirit bear. At first, she was very shy. Following an Indigenous guide, Marvin Robinson, deep into Gribbell Island, we settled in beside a roaring stream. It was the season when salmon swim upstream, so hungry bears often appear in the area.
We didn’t have to wait long. A big, healthy white bear approached the water. Perhaps the scent of Robinson, who had spent days in this same spot before, put her at ease. The spirit bear seemed to head toward the middle of the little river, then dashed back into the huge hemlocks and cedars, and before long she was close to us. Coming from the far side, she carefully made her way down the bank and into the water. Seemingly indifferent to our presence, she caught fish for a late lunch, moving slowly, calmly and confidently, with an almost artful grace. Entranced, we held our breath and didn’t blink, our eyes fixed on this mysterious creature.
It was undeniably a close encounter. The magic of the spirit bear. None of us will ever forget that enchanting moment, deep in the heart of the rainforest.

But nothing will ever match that morning we see the spirit bear. She was shy, at first. Led along a path deep into the interior of Gribbell Island by an Indigenous guide named Marvin Robinson, we settle in for a patient day of sitting by a roaring stream. Because of the salmon swimming upstream during this point of the season, bears are attracted here, in search of an easy food source.
And so, we didn’t need to wait long. Perhaps eased by the scent of Robinson, who had been here, in this same spot, for many days, a big, healthy, beautiful white bear made her way upstream. At first, she made her way to the middle of the little river, then dashed back into the big hemlocks and cedars. But soon enough, she was close. Coming from the far side, the white bear made careful steps down the bank and into the flow. Seemingly impervious to the presence of our group, she fished for a late lunch. Moving with a quiet confidence, poetry in motion, she proceeded slowly. We paid rapt attention, fixed on this wonder of nature, not even wanting to x-blink, or breathe.
A close encounter, to be sure. The spirit bear, casting a spell. A magic moment, deep in the heart of that rainforest, one none of us will ever forget.