1-Day Grizzly Bear Tour Photo Gallery

The MV Inside Passage: A Stable Catamaran Viewing Platform

After the Khutzeymateen Clipper Boeing 737 charter, operated by Air North, arrives from Vancouver International Airport (YVR), guests transfer on Digby Island, near Prince Rupert, to MV Inside Passage for the marine wildlife-viewing portion of the day. This 72-foot catamaran provides a stable platform for viewing and photography, with protected indoor seating, floor-to-ceiling windows, and five outdoor viewing decks across three levels.

The vessel gives guests room to move between indoor and outdoor viewing areas while watching the coastline, tidal waters, and surrounding rainforest. It is operated by Prince Rupert Adventure Tours, whose onboard crew provide wildlife commentary, guest guidance, and interpretation. Their training includes marine wildlife education, bear-viewing etiquette, ecology, biology, and conservation.

The vessel’s shallow draft helps it navigate closer to suitable shoreline areas when tides, weather, and wildlife behaviour allow. This can improve viewing opportunities from the water, while keeping the tour responsible, low-impact, and guided by local operating practices.

Onboard amenities include two washrooms with grab bars, plus a licensed snack bar offering additional food, beverages, souvenirs, and quality regional maps for purchase. Lunch is included with the tour.

Wildlife Along Chatham Sound and the Khutzeymateen

The coastal route to the Khutzeymateen travels through Chatham Sound and into a rich marine environment of protected inlets, forested shoreline, tidal waters, and mountain scenery. From the catamaran, guests watch for grizzly bears, whales, sea lions, seals, porpoises, bald eagles, and other coastal wildlife.

The tour is planned around favourable tide conditions, when lower water may expose shoreline feeding areas and draw bears closer to the waterline. The timing, vessel, and local guiding are chosen to give the day strong viewing potential while keeping the tour responsible and low-impact.

How the One-Day Expedition Works

These route maps and visual notes explain how Aspire Canada Tours’ one-day escorted Grizzly Bear Tour connects Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Chatham Sound, and the Khutzeymateen in one carefully coordinated day.

They show how the charter flight, Prince Rupert transfer, catamaran route, tide timing, wildlife-viewing season, and vessel details work together to support a responsible day of coastal wildlife viewing.