Mountains might dominate the view when you arrive in Bella Coola, but to really understand this part of the Great Bear Rainforest, you also need to experience it from the water.
One of the signature days of our Great Bear Rainforest Adventure at Firvale Wilderness Camp takes guests out of the Bella Coola Valley and into the spectacular glacial fjords of British Columbia’s Central Coast.
For the marine portion of the adventure, we partner with Bella Coola Grizzly Tours, a long-established local family-run operator, for a day aboard their 42-foot vessel, the MV Nekhani.
Firvale’s version of the experience runs approximately 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and focuses on exploring the fjords, searching for marine wildlife, visiting waterfalls and soaking in a remote natural hot spring.
After returning to Bella Coola, we continue the adventure on land with our own guided trip to the Walker Island Big Cedar Trail.
It’s a day that combines ocean, mountains, rainforest, wildlife and a natural hot spring—and is often one of the most memorable days of a stay at Firvale.
Leaving Bella Coola Harbour
The adventure begins at Bella Coola Harbour, where the Bella Coola River finally meets the Pacific Ocean.
From here, we board the MV Nekhani, a 42-foot Transport Canada-approved passenger vessel operated by Bella Coola Grizzly Tours.
Once we leave the harbour, the landscape changes remarkably quickly.
The Bella Coola Valley opens into North Bentinck Arm and a network of deep coastal fjords surrounded by steep mountains rising directly from the ocean.
This is the western side of the Great Bear Rainforest.
There are few roads, very little development and enormous stretches of coastline that can only realistically be explored by boat or aircraft.
The journey itself is a huge part of the experience.
Cruising Through the Fjords of the Great Bear Rainforest
Over the course of the marine adventure, the boat travels through some of the dramatic fjord country surrounding Bella Coola.
Snow-capped peaks rise thousands of feet above the ocean. Waterfalls descend from hanging valleys. Dense coastal rainforest grows almost to the water’s edge.
Unlike the inland portion of our adventure package, where we’re travelling by road, hiking trail or river, travelling by boat gives guests access to an entirely different landscape.
It also gives us the opportunity to look for marine wildlife.
Depending on the day and season, possible sightings can include:
- Pacific white-sided dolphins
- Humpback whales
- Orcas
- Harbour seals
- Bald eagles
- Black bears
- Grizzly bears
- Wolves
- Other marine and coastal wildlife
Wildlife is completely wild, so sightings are never guaranteed.
That’s part of travelling through the Great Bear Rainforest—you aren’t visiting a wildlife attraction. You’re moving through an enormous natural ecosystem and seeing what happens to be there that day.
The Natural Hot Springs
For many guests, this is the highlight of the day.
Hidden along the remote coastline is a natural mineral hot spring tucked into a rocky shoreline.
There isn’t a resort, spa building or developed commercial facility waiting for you.
It’s simply a wilderness hot spring surrounded by the Great Bear Rainforest.
After arriving by boat, guests step ashore and make their way to the natural pool for a soak.
The setting is difficult to beat.
You’re sitting in naturally heated water looking out into a remote coastal landscape that is accessible primarily by boat.
It is one of those experiences that makes Bella Coola feel very far removed from everyday life.
Getting Into the Hot Springs
It’s important to understand that this is a natural wilderness hot spring rather than a developed attraction.
There are no paved pathways, docks, ramps or changing rooms.
Guests must disembark from the vessel directly onto the rocky shoreline, and surfaces can be wet and slippery.
You should be comfortable stepping on uneven terrain and moving carefully around rocks.
Guests with mobility concerns should speak with us before the trip so we can discuss whether this portion of the experience will be appropriate.
Don’t Forget Your Bathing Suit
This sounds obvious, but your bathing suit is one of the most important things to pack for the day.
We recommend either wearing it underneath your clothes or keeping it somewhere easily accessible in your daypack.
You’ll also want a towel for after your soak.
A small quick-dry towel is ideal because it takes up very little room and dries much faster than a large cotton beach towel.
Waterfalls and Glacial Water
The hot springs aren’t the only water feature on the trip.
The fjords surrounding Bella Coola are carved into the Coast Mountains, and countless creeks and waterfalls drain the glaciers, snowfields and high alpine valleys above.
Bella Coola Grizzly Tours includes a visit to an impressive cascading waterfall during the marine adventure, where the vessel can approach close enough for guests to experience the spray coming off the falling water.
Going from a hot wilderness pool to cold glacial waterfall spray is about as Bella Coola as a spa treatment gets.
Keep Watching the Water
One of our biggest pieces of advice is not to treat the boat ride simply as transportation between attractions.
Keep looking.
Dolphins can suddenly appear beside the boat.
A whale may surface in the distance.
Seals can be resting along the shoreline.
Eagles frequently appear overhead.
And bears and other wildlife occasionally travel the beaches and estuaries.
The marine wildlife varies considerably throughout the season, and there are never guarantees, but that’s precisely what makes a sighting exciting.
What Is the Boat Like?
The marine portion of the adventure takes place aboard the MV Nekhani, Bella Coola Grizzly Tours’ 42-foot passenger vessel.
This isn’t a small open speedboat.
The larger vessel provides a comfortable platform for travelling through the fjords and gives guests room to move around and enjoy the scenery.
Bella Coola Grizzly Tours has been operating marine and wilderness trips on British Columbia’s Central Coast for decades, and the Ellis family brings extensive local knowledge to the experience.
The skipper also provides interpretation along the way, sharing information about the landscape, local history and wildlife.
Will I Get Seasick?
The waters around Bella Coola are generally very different from travelling on the exposed outer coast of British Columbia.
The trip travels through protected inlets and fjords rather than heading into the open Pacific.
That generally means significantly less ocean swell than you would experience on an offshore whale-watching or fishing trip.
However, anyone who knows they are particularly susceptible to motion sickness should still consider taking their usual precautions.
If you use motion-sickness medication, follow the directions carefully—many products work best when taken before getting on the boat rather than after you begin feeling unwell.
What Should I Wear?
The biggest mistake you can make is dressing only for the weather you see at Firvale in the morning.
Conditions on the water can feel considerably cooler.
Even on a beautiful summer day, travelling by boat creates wind, and temperatures around the fjords can change quickly.
Dress in layers.
We recommend:
- Comfortable long pants or shorts depending on the forecast
- T-shirt or base layer
- Warm fleece or sweater
- Light insulated layer on cooler days
- Waterproof rain jacket
- Comfortable shoes with good grip
- Hat or toque depending on conditions
- Sunglasses
Bring your bathing suit and towel separately for the hot springs.
A waterproof shell is particularly useful because it protects you from rain, wind and occasional spray.
What Should I Bring?
You don’t need a huge amount of gear.
A small daypack is usually ideal.
We suggest bringing:
- Bathing suit
- Towel
- Warm layer
- Waterproof jacket
- Water bottle
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Camera or phone
- Binoculars
- Extra camera battery
- Any personal medication
- Small dry bag or waterproof case for electronics
Binoculars are particularly worthwhile on this trip.
Marine animals can appear a considerable distance from the vessel, and binoculars allow you to watch whales, dolphins, eagles and wildlife along the shoreline without needing to approach them closely.
Protect Your Camera and Phone
You’re spending the day around saltwater, waterfalls and hot springs.
That’s not an ideal combination for electronics.
A small dry bag or waterproof phone case is inexpensive insurance.
If you’re bringing a larger camera, a weather-resistant camera bag is a good idea.
And just like our bear viewing float, remember that you don’t need to experience the entire day through a camera.
Take your photos.
Then put the camera away for a while and look around.
Walker Island Big Cedar Trail
After coming back from the marine portion of the day, we head to the Walker Island Big Cedar Trail for a guided walk through the rainforest.
This gives us the opportunity to experience the Great Bear Rainforest from another completely different perspective.
Earlier in the day, you’ve been looking at the rainforest from the ocean.
Now you’re walking underneath it.
The trail passes through lush coastal forest and leads to enormous old-growth cedar trees that help put the scale and age of this ecosystem into perspective.
Your Firvale guide can slow the experience down and interpret the forest rather than simply treating the cedar as another quick stop on a busy sightseeing itinerary.
It’s a fitting way to finish the day.
One Day, Two Sides of the Great Bear Rainforest
This is really why we’ve structured the day the way we have.
The Great Bear Rainforest isn’t one single attraction.
It’s an interconnected landscape of mountains, rivers, temperate rainforest, glaciers, fjords and ocean.
In a single day, our guests can travel by boat through a glacial fjord, search for marine wildlife, soak in a natural wilderness hot spring, stand beneath waterfalls and then walk through an old-growth rainforest.
It’s a remarkable amount of variety without the day feeling rushed.
Is This Day Physically Difficult?
For most guests, the boat portion is relatively easy.
The primary physical consideration is accessing the hot springs.
Guests need to be able to step off the vessel onto an undeveloped rocky shoreline and walk carefully over uneven and potentially slippery terrain.
The Walker Island portion adds some walking later in the day.
You don’t need to be an athlete, but you should be comfortable walking outdoors on natural surfaces.
If you have mobility concerns, let us know before your trip. We would much rather discuss the day’s conditions beforehand and help you determine what’s appropriate.
A Few Tips From Firvale
Bring more layers than you think you’ll need. The ocean is often cooler than the lodge.
Wear footwear with decent grip. You’re travelling through a natural environment rather than developed tourist sites.
Put your bathing suit somewhere accessible. You don’t want to unpack your entire bag at the hot springs.
Bring binoculars. They can turn a distant speck on the water into one of the best wildlife sightings of your trip.
Protect your electronics. Saltwater and phones aren’t great friends.
Look behind you occasionally. Some of the best views aren’t necessarily in the direction the boat is travelling.
And most importantly:
Enjoy the journey between the stops.
The hot springs and waterfalls are incredible, but cruising through the fjords of the Great Bear Rainforest is the experience.
Part of Firvale’s Great Bear Rainforest Adventure
Our boat and hot springs adventure is included as part of the Great Bear Rainforest Adventure Package at Firvale Wilderness Camp.
We designed the package to give guests a taste of the enormous variety surrounding Bella Coola rather than focusing on just one activity.
Over the course of the trip, guests experience the landscape from rivers, trails, mountains and the ocean.
This particular day might demonstrate that philosophy better than any other.
You leave a mountain valley in the morning.
A few hours later you’re soaking in a natural hot spring on the edge of a remote Pacific fjord.
By afternoon you’re back on land, walking beneath enormous cedar trees in the Great Bear Rainforest.
And by evening, you’re back at Firvale for dinner.
That’s a pretty good day in Bella Coola.
Quick Guide: Firvale’s Boat & Hot Springs Adventure
Marine operator: Bella Coola Grizzly Tours
Vessel: 42-foot MV Nekhani
Firvale boat itinerary: Approximately 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Departure: Bella Coola Harbour
Highlights: Glacial fjords, marine wildlife, natural hot springs, waterfalls and spectacular coastal scenery
After the boat: Guided Walker Island Big Cedar Trail experience with Firvale
Bring: Bathing suit, towel, warm layers, waterproof jacket, water, camera, binoculars and sunscreen
Footwear: Comfortable shoes with good grip
Physical considerations: Guests must be comfortable accessing an undeveloped rocky shoreline at the hot springs
Wildlife: Whales, dolphins, seals, eagles, bears and other wildlife are possible, but never guaranteed
