The province of British Columbia in thewest of Canada embraces vast areasof wilderness and spectacularscenery and plays host to a large anddiverse range of wildlife. On this tour wewill travel through a variety of differenthabitats, giving us an outstanding chanceof seeing both Orcas and Grey Whales aswell as some excellent birdwatching. FromVancouver Island we will travel to NekiteValley on the mainland. Our destination isthe Great Bear Rainforest, a remote andtemperate coastal rainforest which is hometo several threatened species and one ofthe last strongholds of the Grizzly Bear.Here, in a true wilderness environment, wewill stay on a floating lodge from which wewill be able to travel a short distance towitness one of the most exciting wildlifespectacles in the world - Grizzly Bearscongregating to fish for salmon, togetherwith their retinue of attendant Bald Eagles.We begin our tour with a flight to thecosmopolitan city of Vancouver on the westcoast. Crossing the Strait of Georgia byferry the following morning throughmagnificent coastal scenery, ourdestination is Vancouver Island and thepicturesque district of Tofino, located onthe northern boundary of the Pacific RimNational Park Reserve. The reserve hasoutstanding examples of coastal rainforest,sandy beaches and coastal marine-life andwe will take a couple of days to fullyexplore this wonderful region. A formerfishing village situated on the mouth of theClayoquot Sound, Tofino is on the mainmigration route of the Grey Whale and isone of the best areas in the world in whichto observe these magnificent creatures.Birdlife is also plentiful in the area and wewill be on the look-out for Chestnut-backedChickadee, American Dipper, Steller's Jay,several species of warbler and VariedThrush. The Black Bear is still flourishing in British Columbia and we have anexcellent chance of observing them fromthe water, as they forage for food in theinter-tidal zones.Leaving Tofino, we will drive to Zeballossituated in the north-west of VancouverIsland. The drive is a long one but it willtake us through a diverse range ofspectacular scenery, from rainforests andmountains to beautiful beaches. FromZeballos we will take a boat trip in searchof the charismatic Sea Otters often foundin this area before moving to Port McNeillon the Johnstone Strait, an area which isknown to be one of the most accessibleand predictable places to view Orcas. Inaddition, we will have excellentopportunities of seeing Harbour and Dall'sPorpoises, Pacific White-sided Dolphin,Harbour Seal, Steller's Sea Lion andpossibly, if we are extremely fortunate,Minke, Humpback and Grey Whales.Birdlife in the area is plentiful and shouldproduce such species as RhinocerosAuklet, Marbled Murrelet, Red-neckedPhalarope, Pelagic, Brandt's and Double-crested Cormorants, Surfbird, BlackTurnstone and Black Oystercatcheramongst others.From Port McNeill we will travel the shortdistance to Port Hardy, from where we willboard a float-plane, travelling overbreathtaking scenery to Great Bear Lodge,our base for the next part of our holiday.Here we will find ourselves in truewilderness, on a floating lodge nestlingagainst a backdrop of snow-cappedpeaks, forested hills and waterfalls.Enveloped in silence and tranquillity, ouronly neighbours are the birds andmammals which inhabit the area. One ofthe definite highlights of our tour will be theunique chance to observe the magnificentGrizzly Bear from the safety of enclosedviewing stands situated along the river. Outstanding photographic opportunitieswill present themselves as we watch thebears fishing for salmon in the watersnearby. Our concentration on thisincredible spectacle will be matched by theBald Eagles congregating in the nearbytrees, intently watching for any scraps offish the bears may leave. In the eveningswe will have ample opportunity to discussthe day's events over an excellent home-cooked evening meal, before talking withthe local guides or just relaxing andwatching the moon rising over themountains. Birdlife will not be ignored and we will hope to see Marbled Murrelet,Pigeon Guillemot, Western Grebe andnumerous Bald Eagles, which often fly very close to the lodge itself. Whilst out inthe boats, we will also be watching theshore for sightings of Black Bear. TheGreat Bear Rainforest, where our lodge issituated, is also home to an exciting rangeof other animals and we might catch sightof Otters or even a Grey Wolf if we are very fortunate.Leaving this wilderness paradise to returnto civilisation will be extremely hard but wewill carry lasting memories with us. Ourreturn float-plane will give us anotherchance to enjoy the spectacular viewsbefore we land back in Port Hardy. Thefollowing day we will make our way downthe east coast from Port McNeill and backto Vancouver on the mainland, where wewill have a last chance for somesightseeing, shopping or some finalbirdwatching in the area, visiting thenearby Boundary Bay or Reifel BirdSanctuary. Here we should get farewellsightings of the more common birdspecies of the region such as AmericanRobin, Steller's Jay and Red-wingedBlackbirds and perhaps some of the moreunusual species such as Barrow'sGoldeneye, Hooded Merganser andHarlequin Duck.Canada - The WestA 14-day wildlife and whale-watching holiday, including a unique opportunity to view Grizzly Bears catching salmon.Thursday 6th September - Wednesday 19th September Cost: £5,595Wednesday 12th September - Tuesday 25th September Cost: £5,595Book direct on 01962 733051or see page 280 for Booking InformationKNIGHT INLET JOHNSTONE STRAIT CAMPBELL RIVER PORT MCNEILL PORT 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 ZEBALLOSOutline itineraryDay 1Fly Vancouver.Day 2/4Tofino.Day 5Zeballos.Day 6/7Port McNeill.Day 8/10Great Bear Lodge.Day 11Port McNeill.Day 12Vancouver.Day 13Depart Vancouver.Day 14Arrive London.AccommodationComfortable hotels, motels and afloating wilderness lodge, all withprivate facilities.FoodAll meals included except for dinnersin Vancouver. Allow £30-£40.GradingA. Day walks only.FocusGrizzly Bears, whales, othermammals and birds.LeaderLee Morgan, Peter Dunn or AndySmith.Single room supplement £650. Not available at Great BearLodge.Web quick search: CAN01191Grizzly BearGreat Bear LodgeOrcaRiver Otter

The cold, nutrient-rich waters off CapeCod provide outstanding whale-watching opportunities. Indeed this isone of the top destinations for cetaceansanywhere in the world. Here Humpback,Fin, Minke, Pilot and North Atlantic RightWhales are all on the cards, as are AtlanticWhite-sided Dolphins and HarbourPorpoises . not to mention a littlesightseeing in Boston and the charmingand historic town of Plymouth.On this 6-day holiday we will fly directly toBoston, Massachusetts, and transfer to thehistoric and picturesque waterfront town ofPlymouth, our base for this 4-night stay inNew England. From here we will take fourhalf-day whale-watching trips out to theStellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuarywhere, from April and May onwards,summering concentrations of whales buildup to feed on sand lance, capelin, herringand mackerel. Here Fin, Minke, theacrobatic Humpback and Long-finned PilotWhales may all be seen, plus a range ofdolphin species and possibly even thecritically endangered Northern Right Whale. It is the entertaining Humpback Whale,however, that is likely to be the star of theshow! A Humpback breaching is one of themost exciting sights in nature and, if we getclose enough, the sounds and smell ofthese magnificent creatures will alsoremain in the memory. These whales arehighly migratory and feed voraciouslyduring the summer months to build up fatreserves before moving to tropical watersfor the winter, during which period theyoung calves are born. The Humpback'sunmistakable long flippers, the longest ofany cetacean, earn a quirky local relevancein the creature's scientific name, Megapteranovaeangliae, which translates as 'big wingof New England' a reference to the fact thatthe first described specimen came fromthese northern waters.We will also be on the look-out for suchother marine highlights as HarbourPorpoises, Leatherback Turtles, BaskingSharks and Ocean Sunfish, plus amultitude of seabirds. Depending on theweather conditions, it is possible to seethousands of Wilson's Storm-petrels,together with smaller numbers of Great andSooty Shearwaters and some dainty Red-necked Phalaropes. The contrast in size asgroups of these tiny seabirds feed aroundthe enormous whales is truly remarkable! During our stay there will be plenty of timeto explore Plymouth, where the narrowstreets, clapboard houses and antiquesstores give a familiar old-world feel to thispart of New England. Famous for the 102pilgrims who disembarked here inDecember 1620, the Plymouth waterfront isalso home to Mayflower II, an exact replicaof the 1620 Mayflower. The area along thewaterfront, and to the south, is excellent forterns, with Common, Arctic, Roseate andLittle Terns breeding here, whilst offshorerafts of Common Eiders may be seen. Italso attracts an interesting range ofmigrating shorebirds, amongst them PipingPlovers, and a good variety of passerinessuch as Horned Larks and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows. During the autumn, thetime of our visit, southbound migration willbe in full swing and we additionally haveevery chance of a few avian surprises. We may also have some time forsightseeing in Boston prior to our returnflight to London (or you may wish to extendyour holiday with a stay here). Despitebeing New England's largest and mostimportant city, most of Boston's historicaland architectural attractions can be foundwithout having to walk far. Its 375-yearhistory has left much of interest to choosefrom, whether it be the site of the BostonTea Party (during which ships were forciblyboarded and unloaded), or the relaxingatmosphere of Boston Common (the oldestpublic park in the USA, and home to avariety of resident and migrant Nearcticpasserines). Here we hope to see Red-tailed Hawk, Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay,House Finch, Northern Cardinal andCommon Grackle, alongside more familiarspecies such as Rock Dove, EuropeanStarling and House Sparrow - remindersof home that, all too soon, we must return to! Boston, New England & its WhalesA 6-day holiday focusing on the outstanding dolphin and whale-watching off Cape Cod, one of the top destinations for cetaceans anywhere in the world, plus a little sightseeing in Boston and the charming and historic town of Plymouth.Thursday 23rd August - Tuesday 28th August Cost: £1,695Outline itineraryDay 1Fly Boston; transferPlymouth. Day 2/4Daily whale-watchingcruises from Plymouth.Day 5Boston; depart Boston.Day 6Arrive London.AccommodationA comfortable hotel in the historictown of Plymouth; all rooms withprivate facilities.FoodBreakfasts only are included in theprice. Allow £100 for main meals. GradingGentle walking only. Grade A. Easyand optional.FocusCetaceans and birds.LeaderIan Nicholson.Single room supplement£250. Web quick search: USA01192Call now or visit www.naturetrek.co.uk for your free Trip ItineraryATLANTIC OCEAN CANADA USA BOSTON PLYMOUTH Wilson's Storm-petrel Piping PloverHumpback Whale