The Great Bear Rainforest is a land of fjords, islands and great river estuaries. There are no roads. Instead, everyone travels by water. It's the world's largest intact temperate rainforest. The many protected, unlogged and ancient rainforests, and the quiet, nutrient-rich ocean, support wildlife and ecosystems as they would have been thousands of years ago across the continent- where grizzly bears and wolf packs roam free and live from what they naturally have always lived from, including abundant salmon runs.
Explore the worlds of several northwest First Nations: the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Haisla, Gitga’at and Henaaksiala. Everywhere is evidence of their civilization. Fish traps, bark-stripped trees and longhouse remains give testimony to a way of life tuned to the rhythm of nature. You’ll visit modern villages, talk with local residents, and see the ancient art traditions still in place today.
Autumn is another peak time for bear viewing, as it is when the rains start, and the bears come to the rivers to feed on salmon. This is the only time you will have a chance to see a spirit bear.
Your trip will be very personalized and fun, like a private expedition with friends. You will find you are very well taken care of and yet also fully connected to the place - wildlife, landscapes, cultures - for a wonderful sense of adventure.
A Trip is Being Planned for September 2025
This is not a dive trip
$XXXX
$1000 nonrefundable deposit
$2000 due XXX XX, 2024
$2000 due XXX XX, 2025
Final payment due XXX XX, 2025
Trip Insurance Recommended
Passports must be valid 6 months after trip
Any cancellation less than 90 days out will result in a 100% penalty-no refund.
If you cancel, we will do our best to find someone to fill your spot, but if we have any unfilled spots on the trip, we will fill those first before finding your replacement.
This is my fourth trip with Richard. Even though I am not an active underwater photographer, I go because of his unique ability to build a group of fun loving people and inject more fun and value into the trip. His warm and open personality serves him well as does his enthusiasm for teaching the finer aspects of photography. I attend his photography lectures to watch a master in action.
-William Golley, Canada
I went to Jardines de la Reina, Cuba, with Richard Salas and it surpassed all my expectations!!!! As an underwater photographer and dive professional my expectations can sometimes be pretty high but the diving in Cuba is fantastic, the people I met were super nice and to be able to swim with crocs was the cherry on top.
Richard is an amazing person very easy to talk to about anything but if you start talking about photography even more, it's really cool to be around someone with so much experience that has the answers for pretty much everything.
-Pepe Suarez, Cozumel
“I have known Richard for several years now, and have been on many of his trips. Not only well organized and a lot of fun, they’re most of all educational. I’ve been photographing above and under water for a long time, and I’m always delighted to learn new tricks and find new angles for my work. And Richard’s wealth of knowledge and experience ensures—again and again—that I can keep learning and exploring my own skills.”
-Jens Troger, Germany
Richard Salas will take you on an adventure you will never forget. Swimming with sharks and crocodiles are experiences that most people have only seen on TV, and I did it almost every day in Cuba. Each time I return home after a trip with Richard, I feel like a better version of myself, someone I am more proud of.
Everything that Richard presented in his introductory video to Cuba I experienced ...and then some! Not only is Richard Salas the best underwater photographer I know, he has a wealth of knowledge and an abundance of patience to help each person reach their goals and go on to the next level. And he really knows how to draw an eclectic and wonderful crowd.
As a professional photographer, I strive to always be better in my craft. Richard's approach of teaching through experience and one on one training has made me a stronger photographer. A trip of a lifetime is an understatement, it will touch your soul.