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The bear whisperer CONTINUED
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The valley and inlet shelter a resident population
of at least 50 grizzly bears, counting all the solitary males, females
with young and subadults that crisscross the area. Tom knows just
about all of them by sight, and also regularly sees wolves, deer,
other land mammals and an abundance of sea life. Humpback and grey
whales, orca, dolphin, seals and river otters all regularly frequent
the vicinity.
And despite what many people might consider
the drawbacks of living in an isolated place (it can only be reached
by boat or a 40-minute trip by small seaplane across the Queen Charlotte
Strait from the north end of Vancouver Island), Tom and Margaret
actually live in considerable comfort. They have wind, solar and
propane heating, along with satellite TV and Internet, and are in
the process of building a small dam to ensure their power supply.
Better still, they live on an expansive, luxurious
houseboat complex that, during the summer months, doubles as the
Great Bear Lodge, the centrepiece of the eco-adventure company the
couple runs with offsite partners. Great Bear Lodge is a rare example
of how to guarantee a first-class pristine wilderness experience.
Nature's
Bounty
On the one hand, Tom is a serious researcher whose enormous experience
with and daily access to bears makes his work vital to science's
understanding of grizzly bear ecology on the West Coast. At the
same time, his and Margaret's sense of commitment means they never
compromise either their sense of "green" ethics or their enthusiasm
at being able to both fund and share their life's work with urban
visitors, many of whom find themselves stunned by the majesty of
their surroundings.
To cater to that phenomenon, the lodge contains
five bedrooms suitable for two, each with private bathroom. A gourmet
chef is on hand to run a kitchen I never saw deflect a single request.
After an exciting day of bear watching, guests return to feasts
of fresh salmon smoked on cedar planks or exotic seafood paellas,
all improved by Margaret's extensive collection of reserve wines.
There's even a comfortable sitting room complete with a television
to screen your day's bear footage (taking a video camera is a must).
The houseboat complex, approached from the
nearby shore by a gangplank that rises and falls with the tides,
is surrounded by pleasant outdoor decks that make up for any claustrophobia
suffered by not being allowed to go ashore.
And that's a consideration that highlights
a final point that Tom and Margaret never stint on: the safety standards
that ensure guests see some of Canada's premier wildlife not only
more frequently, but in closer proximity than anywhere comparable.
That's why, worldwide, Great Bear compares well with the Serengeti
plains of Tanzania or the parks of Nepal in its abil-ity to safely
and spectacularly introduce untutored visitors into intact wilderness.
It's also a testament to Tom Rivest's skill
and finesse that he can safely bring one tourist after another into
the stronghold of an animal that has the speed and strength of a
small car and the smarts that come with the largest brain proportionate
to body size of any mammal. As Tom points out in typically dry fashion
during the safety lecture that begins every Great Bear stay, "Never
ever run from a bear. If you're the kind of person who freezes in
panic, you'll do well in a bear encounter."
Do No Harm
In over eight years of operation in two locales, Tom has never had
any harm befall a guest, other than overeating. Apart from Tom's
knowledge of grizzly behaviour and careful staff training, much
of this is achieved by a process of habituation informed by constant
respect for the bears.
After August, bears are viewed from three
permanent hides erected along the river that curls beside an old
logging road stretching inland from the houseboat mooring. Guests
are ferried to and from their destinations by bus, and never leave
the hides unaccompanied by Tom or a qualified staff member. In spring,
viewing is done quietly from boats floating in the sounds of the
estuary, where you can photograph bears mere metres away as they
placidly feed on the protein-rich grasses.
Great Bear Lodge was an enormous thrill. I
went in early fall, when Tom focuses on the salmon run in the river,
a place I would never dream of setting foot in without him. Over
my three-day stay, I had 40-odd grizzly sightings of cubs and adults
along the banks and pebbly spits a short distance from the lodge.
Much of the viewing was done at such close
quarters that I still found myself occasionally recoiling behind
the seemingly insufficient foliage. And I never did manage a "bear-whispering"
monotone that didn't have an unintended squeak in it.
But I thoroughly enjoyed Great Bear's painless
and enthralling introduction to a hidden, vanishing world most Canadians
never get to see. For that, I'll have to thank Tom and Margaret,
who continue to live happily in their remote, unnamed fjord, alone
except for 50 grizzly bears.
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