W aT E R W aY SN a t u r a l H i s t o r y C o a s t a l A d v e n t u r e s

S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

S S

People travel across the world to experience differentcultures, landscapes and learning. Yet, right here inNorth America we have ancient civilizations,untouched wilderness and wildlife like you neverthought possible. Right here in our own backyard?Yes! It requires leaving the “highway” and taking asense of exploration. But the reward is worth it, thesense of adventure tangible.

Bluewater explores coastal wilderness regions onlyaccessible by boat. Our guided adventures can giveyou weeks worth of experiences in only 7-9 days.Learn about exotic creatures and fascinating art. Liveyour values and make your holidays green. Join us(and find out what all the fuss is about). It issimple… just contact us for available trip dates andbook your Bluewater Adventure. We are lookingforward to seeing you at that small local airport…

Bluewater Adventures is proud to present small group,carbon neutral trips for people looking for a differenttype of “cruise” since 1974.

Silently watching a female grizzly bear from kayaks in theGreat Bear Rainforest.

Travel Green, Travel Locally

Rand

y Bu

rke

You selectyour adventureBut let natureselect yourhighlightsThe following momentsawait a lucky few… whichmoments do you want?

• Witness bubble-net feeding whales inSoutheast Alaska

• Spend a quiet moment in SGang Gwaay with the ancient spirits andtotems

• See a white Spirit bear in the Great BearRainforest

• Stand inside a coastallong house and hearthe tribal drums

• Experience the peaceful-ness of kayaking

• Sail along before thewind under a giant spinnaker sail

• See a grizzly bear fishing for salmon in arushing river

• Take a shower under a towering coastalwaterfall

• See a glacier calve rightin front of you

• Stand beneath trees over 1000 years old

• Watch a humpbackwhale breach beside the boat

• Enjoy a fabulous sunsetin the wilderness, with aglass of wine

...the list goes on.

“Once upon a time… in late July of 2009, 13members of a very diverse and far flung family flewnorth to take the "Trip of a Lifetime". We travelledtogether on a sailing boat named the IslandRoamer through the islands of Haida Gwaii.Though we ranged in age from 5 years old tosomewhere around 60 and varied widely in tasteand ability and experience we put aside individualpreconceptions, swallowed our fears and boy didwe just go with the flow…kayaking, hiking,swimming, wildlife watching, eating, sailing,talking, smiling... Our last night on board we sat together late into the night sharing our

Family Charteringexperiences of the trip andsavoring our family.

The Bluewater office staffhelped me organize the tripand Randy, Colin, Hans andGavin were the best captainand crew…they becamefamily to us as they fed andguided us through thenature and history that isGwaii Haanas. The Trip of aLifetime…our hearts arestill full.” – Christine Dill,California

Have you dreamed of traveling with your family or a group of friends on one of Bluewater’s yachts?Bluewater is able to provide charter group pricing,which makes the experience less expensive than youmay imagine. While planning ahead is always recom-mended, there are still dates available this summer andfall. Our 2011 schedule is now available and groups arealready booking their favourite times. This adventurewith your loved ones is a “once in a lifetime” opportu-nity. Share the magic, experience the joy!The Dill family gather on the bow of Island Roamer

All members of the familycan get involved with therunning of the yacht

■ The Kermode or Spirit bear (Ursus americanuskermodei) is actually a black bear, created when bothparents have a rare recessive gene. This gene is onlyprevalent along the Central Coast of British Columbiawhere coastal bears likely became isolated from theirinterior cousins. On some of the larger islands up to10% of the black bears are white. They are not albino.They can live for 25 years in the wild.

■ The Kermode was named after Frank Kermode,former director of the Royal British ColumbiaMuseum. In 2006, the Kermode bear was named the official animal of British Columbia.

■ The Tshimshian First Nation say that Ravencreated every 10th bear white in order to remember the time when the earth was covered by glaciers.Their name for the bear is Moksgm’ol. Under FirstNations tradition the white bears are to be revered and protected.

■ Bear viewers and photographers come fromaround the world to catch a glimpse of this rarecreature. It is estimated there are only a few hundredSpirit bear – making them rarer than panda bears.There are two times of year when Spirit bear sightingscan be expected – Spring after the bears leave hiberna-tion and are feeding on estuary sedge grasses, and Fallwhen returning salmon bring them to creeks andrivers. This is why Bluewater Adventures only offersthese trips in the Fall and Spring.

■ After years of hard work by conservationists, in2006 the British Columbia government announced

protection for 10 newSpirit Bear Conservancies(amounting to 522,000acres). Conservationbiologists tell us we need to protect at least 44-50%of the coastal rainforest of British Columbia ifecosystems for bears,salmon and other wildlife are to remain viable inperpetuity. Studies show that wolves and bears requirevaster areas of intact wilderness than was originallythought. The new Conservancies are a great step in theright direction, but more effort is needed to ensureKermode long term survival.

■ $80 million dollars has been raised by conserva-tion groups like the Nature Conservancy to help createa sustainable economy for First Nations and localcommunities. Part of the money will support FirstNations wildlife guides – which Bluewater hires onevery voyage – and wildlife monitoring programs.

■ It is illegal to shoot a Kermode bear, but until 2009 ‘sport hunters’ could still shoot black bears in the high concentration Spirit bear areas. Certainlysome of these black bears carry the recessive gene, andare thus, critical to the survival of the Kermode. Newsfor grizzly bears is better. The government hasannounced three new grizzly bear “No Hunt” manage-ment areas along the coast – including our principalgrizzly bear viewing sites in the Great Bear Rainforest.Coastal First Nations want to see the end of all trophyhunting of grizzly bears.

Join us this Fall for an 8-day voyage inthe spectacular Great Bear Rainforest. See grizzlies, black bears, and with good luck – the

Kermode! We still have room available – August29-Sept 5 / September 14-21 and September

28-Oct 5 (this last date will spend twodays at bear viewing stands).

$4185, plus taxes.

Be anAmbassador- Tell aFriendWhen you tell a friendabout your Bluewater tripyou are providing us withthe best advertisingpossible. To demonstratehow appreciative we areof all of our ‘BluewaterAmbassadors’, we have aspecial offer. For everyperson who signs up afterhearing about the tripfrom you, we are going tooffer you a 5% discountoff your next trip. If sixpeople sign up, youreceive a 30% discount.Please ensure when theysign up they mentionyour name.

Need More Info? If you want to checkavailability or find outmore details about aparticular trip pleasecontact the Bluewateroffice. Telephone toll-free 1-888-877-1770.Leanne, Erin and Randyare happy to answeryour questions.

Or contact us via emailat explore@bluewateradventures.ca

A Day in the Life of “Kermode”

Rand

y Bu

rke

A young Spirit bear with apink salmon

Why do Kermode or Spirit bears occur in one small area of the British Columbia coast? Isolation is part of the story.Is there an ecologicalbenefit to beingwhite?

Char

lene

Edw

ards

Special 2010 Trips Northern Vancouver Island

Southeast Alaska

Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte IslandsInside Passage

Quotesfrom you...“This was the best trip ofmy life – even better thanMachu Picchu”

J.M. Alberta

“ When that spirit bearcame out I just had to putdown my camera. It wasthat amazing.”

M.E. Florida

Orcas are iconic symbols of the Pacific Northwest!These sleek whales with their tall dorsal fins are a joy towatch. Northern Vancouver Island is the best place inthe world to see them, with fascinating native culture,amid a rugged beauty. Join us this summer - July 31-Aug 6 with Bluewater owner and Captain Randy Burkeor Aug 13-19 with noted naturalist, Sherry Kirkvold.$3225 per person, plus tax.

Experience the glaciers, bears and whales of wildAlaska, under foot and up close. Get off the beatenpath and join Bluewater’s small group voyages. Joinmarine mammal scientist, Rob Lott July 1-9 aboardIsland Odyssey; local Alaskan Captain Paul Brownaboard Snow Goose July 18-25 or the Sierra ClubAugust 6-15. Snow Goose now has additional doublekayaks, so all passengers can experience the joys ofkayaking at the same time.

One of our most anticipated voyages this season is theCoastal Explorer – October 7-16. See the differentlandscapes of the coast between Bella Bella andVictoria, BC. Highlights will range from grizzly bearsup Knight Inlet, whales in FitzHugh Sound andJohnstone Strait, beautiful Desolation Sound and thenorthern Gulf Islands. 10 days for only $3500 perperson, plus tax.

Haida artist, Bill Reid’s totem pole is an apt symbol forHaida Gwaii (formerlythe Queen CharlotteIslands). Join us toexplore the GwaiiHaanas National ParkReserve with CaptainNeil Shearar July 18-25or July 26-Aug 2. We arethrilled to have CaptainBrian Falconer aboardAugust 9-16 and Aug.16-24 bringing hisexceptional knowledgeof the coast. Want tobring the family? Wenow have August 2-9available to charter.

2011ScheduleNowAvailable Planning Ahead? The Bluewater 2011 tripschedule is now avail-able on our website –www.bluewateradven-tures.com. We have somevery special tripsplanned. There will bemore Khutzeymateengrizzly bear trips. Wehave had lots of successwith our new 9-daySoutheast Alaskavoyages. Look for a new 7-day Great BearRainforest itinerary.And of course, our awardwinning Haida Gwaii(Queen CharlotteIslands) trips. OurLearning Series withnoted Resource Leaderscontinues with plans for archeology, whaleresearch and conserva-tion focuses in 2011.Contact us for details.

Rick

Hul

bert

Patri

ck M

cClo

skey

Patri

ck M

cClo

skey

Bear ViewingAs interest in bear viewing growsworldwide, there is a need forgreater public education toensure bear viewing is carried outin a sustainable, respectfulmanner. Both viewers and bearsneed consistent viewing practicesto ensure comfort and safety. In2002, Bluewater Adventuresbecame a founding member ofthe Commercial Bear Viewing

Association of BC. The Associationhas created bear viewing ‘BestPractices’ and offers annual bearguide training and certification.Now on all of Bluewater’s bearfocused trips – Great BearRainforest, Southeast Alaska,Northern Vancouver Island - wehave staff trained and certified asbear guides. We want to ensureour guests understand why theseincredible creatures are sospecial, and why they need ourincreased protection. Pa

trick

McC

losk

ey

2009PassengerQuotes“Our expectations were high.They were exceededconstantly. The setting isincomparable. The IslandRoamer is exquisite. The crewdeftly did their jobs, whileteaching us so much. In shortfor over a week, we sloweddown and “smelled the roses”

A.F. – Washington

“The meals were one of theover-the-top highlights.Delicious, imaginative andelegantly presented”

CC – British Columbia

“I think every day we didsomething that was justsuperb. I loved how all theactivities gave us an overalleducation of Alaska’s wildlife,sealife, flora and people”

K.G. - USA

“I loved how our crew just‘explored’ everywhere, andthen used their expertise tohelp us learn as much aspossible about the flora,fauna and culture.”

SE, California

“I had the incredible opportunity to join a QueenCharlotte Island trip last July – it was my first timetraveling there. A definite highlight was witnessinghow nature exists without limitations. There weremoments where I became conscious of my senses,energized by the surreal sights, smells and sounds.Life slowed dramatically and all that matteredwere the Humpbacks, the Orcas, and the countlesscritters everywhere you looked! Kate, ourNaturalist, shared her brimming enthusiasm for allliving things and this kept me and my travelingcomrades searching the landscape for somethingnew to share with our group.

I feel privileged to have sailed through GwaiiHaanas and hope that the sentiment that I am leftwith stays with me. For at every glance, thereexisted a discovery…it was like seeing through theeyes of a child again.”

Erin Boyle joined the Bluewater office last summer as Logistics Coordinator

Bluewater Adventures Ltd.#3 – 252 E. First StreetNorth Vancouver, BC V7L 1B3Tel: (604) 980-3800Toll Free: 1-888-877-1770Fax: (604) 980-1800Email: explore@bluewateradventures.cawww.bluewateradventures.ca

Save Trees, Receive the Newsletter by Email As part of our commitment to the environment and to reduce the use ofpaper, we are now using email as much as possible, including an emailversion of this newsletter. If you would prefer to receive “Waterways”by email please let us know. If your email address has changed pleaseinform us. Guests with email also receive extra updates. Bluewater willnever sell, share or abuse the private information of our guests.

Erin’s Log

Travel Bluewater -Hybrid Style Hybrid vehicles are becoming increasingly popular!Our environmentally sensitive mode of travel is to use the wind – sometimes wind alone and at otherswith ‘sail assisted’ diesel motors. We also harness theelectricity that is generated by the motors, store it inbatteries and all night long power all the lights andships electrical needs. So each evening when we stopand anchor for the night, there is silence… You canhear the water lapping against the hull out your openporthole, and in the morning, birds calling.

Wild Salmon In JeopardyReturns of wild sockeye salmon to the famed FraserRiver collapsed last year. Expectations were for millionsof fish to return and spawn. Most of them nevershowed up. Scientists are now reporting that salmonfarming is part of the problem. Juvenile salmon‘smolts’ swim by salmon farms along their migrationroute. Farmed fish concentrated together in nets ofover a 100,000 are natural havens for sea lice. Thesmolts pass by and sea lice attach – too small to fightoff the parasites, most will die. The CanadianDepartment of Fisheries must take the precautionaryapproach and immediately protect the migrationroutes of young salmon. Salmon farms can be movedor fallowed each year during the migration. Studiesnow confirm that salmon farms can be separated fromwild fish using closed containment. To learn more visit: www.farmedanddangerous.org and www.Adopt-a-Fry.org

Rand

y Bu

rke

It wasinspiring to watchOlympicathletesmakingdreamscome true(and reallyspecial towitness it in person here in Vancouver). BluewaterAdventures’ Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands)voyage was featured by Olympic broadcasters inads called “My BC” produced by Tourism BC. Catchthe Olympic spirit on our website under ‘About Us’on our ‘In the News’ page.

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!'

– Goethe

Winter Olympics