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The vast forests and snow-cladmountains of British Columbia are stillroamed by the continent's mostformidable predator, the Grizzly Bear. Forthousands of years Grizzlies have livedalongside the native peoples of this regionand been honoured for their great strengthand intelligence. Whilst respect for theGrizzly remains strong amongst theseindigenous peoples, the bears are not heldin such high regard by other sectors ofmodern society. Today they face a widevariety of threats throughout their range,from the relentless march of the loggingindustry to trophy hunting and illegaltrapping. Despite these threats, the GrizzlyBear is still widespread in British Columbiaand it is to these beautiful forests, inletsand islands that we head, on this tour, inour quest for North America's top predator. We begin with a flight to Vancouver, avibrant and cosmopolitan city backed bythe pine-clad mountains of the CascadeRange, and will spend a day visiting someof the region's top birding sites, includingBoundary Bay, Iona Lagoons and the Reifel Bird Reserve. Spring migration willbe in full swing by early May and we hopeto find such species as Western Sandpiper,Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Townsend's and Yellow-rumped Warblers,Western Tanager and the diminutive Rufous Hummingbird. The following morning we take a ferryacross the Straits of Georgia to VancouverIsland. Both Dall's and Harbour Porpoisesply these waters, whilst small pods ofOrcas are occasionally seen at this time ofyear. In May huge numbers of sea-duck,divers and other seabirds head norththrough the straits on their way to theirArctic breeding grounds and during thecrossing we will look out for such speciesas Surf, White-winged and Black Scoter,Pacific Loon, Rhinoceros Auklet, MarbledMurrelet and the beautiful Harlequin Duck.Arriving at Nanaimo, on the east coast, wedrive across the island to the smallcommunity of Tofino on the northern edgeof the Pacific Rim National Park. This is adramatic area of rocky headlands andsandy beaches pounded by the full force ofthe Pacific and backed by some of the lastremaining old-growth rainforest in theregion. It is also on the migration route ofthe Grey Whale as the species migratesfrom Mexico's Baja Peninsula to itssummer haunt in the Bering Sea. On onemorning we will head out onto the water tolook for these dramatic mammals, togetherwith Steller's Sea Lions, Sea Otters andsuch birds as Pigeon Guillemot, HarlequinDuck and the beautiful Tufted Puffin.After three nights at Tofino, we head northon a long but scenic drive through adiverse range of spectacular scenery toCampbell River. The following day we moveto Zeballos in the north-west of the island,where we have an excellent chance ofviewing the charismatic Sea Otters whichare often found in large rafts in the area atthis time of year.Now our adventure really begins as weboard a float-plane at Port Hardy for thespectacular journey to Great Bear Lodge.This small floating wilderness lodge is setamidst breathtaking scenery in the GreatBear Rainforest, one of the last strongholdsof the Grizzly Bear. Within the rainforest liesthe Nekite Valley, its river estuary - filledwith the sedges, succulents and grassesthat make up the spring-time menu of thebears - a magnet for hungry Grizzlies emerging from their long winter fast andalso for Black Bears in search of inter-tidalproduce. May is also the time to seemother bears with their inquisitive newborncubs and perhaps to spot a male bear ashe leaves the forest to find a mate. Ourbear-viewing will be done by boat, with thebears generally being most active in theearly morning and late afternoon. At othertimes you may take a boat trip to explorethe glacier-carved inlet, or enjoy someforest walks or birdwatching. At this time ofyear the forests will be alive with such birdsas the beautiful Varied Thrush, Townsend's,Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers, HermitThrush, Fox Sparrow, Pacific-slopeFlycatcher and Red-breasted Sapsucker,and the newly arrived summer visitorsshould be busily proclaiming their newterritories with a variety of unfamiliar songs.Alternatively, you may prefer simply to relax at the lodge and enjoy the completesilence and solitude broken only by thecries of Bald Eagles flying overhead or the splashing of River Otters playing in the water. Leaving this wilderness paradise behind,we return to Port McNeill on VancouverIsland before sadly retracing our steps toVancouver for our final night in Canada,stopping en route to look for the numerousdivers, ducks and grebes that frequent thecoastal waters. In Vancouver we will havemost of the day at leisure, enabling us towatch the Racoons and birds in StanleyPark, wander the streets of historic 'GasTown', or simply relax by the waterfrontbefore our evening flight home. Spring in Canada'sPacific North-westA 14-day holiday to the beautiful forests and fjords of Canada's Pacific North-west in search of the Grizzly Bear and other wildlife. Friday 11th May - Thursday 24th May Cost: £4,995 Outline itineraryDay 1Fly Vancouver.Day 2Vancouver area.Day 3/5Tofino.Day 6Campbell River.Day 7Zeballos.Day 8/10Great Bear Lodge.Day 11Port McNeill. Day 12Vancouver.Day 13Depart Vancouver.Day 14Arrive London.AccommodationComfortable hotels, motels and afloating wilderness lodge; all haveprivate facilities.FoodAll meals included except fordinners in Vancouver. Allow £30-£40.GradingA. Day walks only.FocusGrizzly Bears, birds, whales andother mammals.LeaderPaul Marshall or Paul Stanbury.Single room supplement£650. Not available at Great BearLodge. ExtensionsAvailable on request to all parts ofCanada and the USA.Web quick search: CAN04190Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryKNIGHT INLET JOHNSTONE STRAIT CAMPBELL RIVER PORT MCNEILL ZEBALLOSPORT HARDY GREAT BEAR LODGE TOFINO STRAIT OF GEORGIA NANAIMO VANCOUVER VICTORIA JUAN DE FUCA STRAIT PACIFIC OCEAN UNITED STATES WESTERN CANADA BRITISH COLUMBIA VANCOUVER ISLAND Grizzly BearGreat Bear LodgeSea Otters