Begin Again
If getting there isn’t half the fun, you must be in the wrong province of Canada. With no direct flights from Singapore to Nimmo Bay, we got on 3 planes, 1 vintage float plane to land in the middle of almost nowhere.
Spanning 6.4 million hectares and 400 kilometres of coastline, Great Bear Rainforest is a wildlife seeker’s dream. It houses bears, wolves, and thousand-year-old trees. Its waters hold whales, sea otters, and porpoises —then splinter into a dizzying maze of fjords and inlets where the Pacific Ocean meets the BC coast. Its rivers are full of salmon, trout, and steelhead. I can’t think of a better place to plonk down to reconnect with nature.
We decided on Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort- an eco floating lodge just on the edge of the Great Bear Rainforest, accessible only by float plane or helicopter.
We started our first morning sitting in delightfully moody fog and kayaking in the pristine waters surrounding our cabins. The sounds of the forest gently stirring only interrupted by the ocacsional splash of a curious sea lion popping its head up to check us out was a cure for us city dwellers. I fell asleep on a kayak which for a light sleeper like myself is a feat.
Cruising the pine-lined passages of the archipelago out into the open waters of Queen Charlotte Strait, we saw sleepy harbour seals lolling on rocks, watchful bald eagles circling for fish and plump black bears snacking on crustaceans. At one point, we were surrounded by humpback whales diving deep under our boat- the excitement and awe was palpable.
Climbing through wisps of cloud hovering between valley walls, our heli pilot took us through some stomach lurching flying to land on a glacier atop one of the numerous granite cliffs. At this altitude, 1500 metres, alpine snow and lakes appear, the glacial melt giving the water its eerie milky-green/blue colour. We’re now deep in the Coast Mountains range and the view doesn’t get any better or more majestic.
Because what is adventure if not stepping out of your comfort zone. Even if it means trying to stand-up paddle board on one of these glacier lakes and gripping your toes so hard so that you don’t fall into the frigid waters beneath!
On the last day as I sat in a remote wood-fired sauna, surrounded by cedars and probably a bear watching me from afar, there is just enough stillness to recount these past four days. The lessons I will take with me.
I think there are some places on earth that no amount of words will do it justice so I will let my pictures tell the story.
