Great Bear Rainforest Named as “Best of the World” by National Geographic Traveler

Victoria, BC – The Great Bear Rainforest, stretching more than 400 kilometres along the northwest coast of British Columbia, has been named as one of the “Best of the World” trips for 2013 by National Geographic Traveler.

With photographs by recently celebrated UVic graduate Paul Nicklen, the Great Bear was recognized as the planet’s largest intact coastal temperate rain forest, home to Canada’s largest grizzly bears as well as the rare, white Kermode spirit bears.

Local tour operators relish the attention, as local concern over the proposal for crude oil pipelines that could cross fragile salmon producing watersheds and create a large volume of supertanker traffic through narrow channels gains international attention.

“The increased profile of the Great Bear Rainforest is drawing attention to the importance of conservation in the area,” says Kevin Smith, president of Maple Leaf Adventures. “We have scheduled additional trips for the 2013 season to match demand by visitors wanting to see this area before any pipeline decisions are made.”

For the 2013 season, Maple Leaf Adventures will be offering six, nine and 10-day tours of the Great Bear Rainforest from late April until the end of September, with prices from $2,630 to $5,750.