Bluewater Adventures
#3 252 East First Street V7L 1B3 North Vancouver, BC, Canada

As we approach Black Friday, some food for thought. Our choices make a difference too. "...Marine plastic is a huge issue on this coast and the planet. These expeditions certainly made a difference, but the problem is far bigger. We all need to be conscious of choosing sustainable options that support our collective future..." #BCCoastalCleanUp #MDRI

It sure feels like winter these days . Are we in Southern BC or Southeast Alaska?? - Tom Stoeri . . .... . #bluewateradventuresbc #cold #coldweather #fall #fallvibes #winteriscoming #orca #wildlife #boat #boats #boating #alaska #adventures #seekthewild #wildernessculture #explore #oneononewithnature See more

This collaborative effort, tasking many skilled and passionate people, netted massive results - see the many many mega bags on that barge. That is a heap we could not have imagined. #BCCoastalCleanup Thanks for sharing Outer Shores Expeditions

As of Sept 13, ~96 tonnes of marine debris has been removed from the outer shores of the Great Bear Rainforest. The ongoing 6-week long MDRI has reported that 70% of the garbage they’ve collected is waste from the fishing industry. While the majority of this debris will be sent to waste facilities, the tugboat crew from Bella Bella mentioned how one particular type of fishing gear called trawl floats can be repurposed for the herring-roe-on-kelp fishery. The traditional Hei...ltsuk fishing technique of harvesting herring roe is quite simple and sustainable. Hemlock branches, cedar bows or kelp blades are suspended underwater near herring spawning grounds. During the spawning season, female herring deposit their eggs on these suspended underwater features in vast quantities and in many layers. After the spawn, the herring eggs can be peeled off the branches or kelp for immediate consumption or preserved by air drying. Unlike the seine net fishing industry, this technique is non-invasive as live herring can move freely throughout the submerged branches and kelp and are not harmed during the harvesting process. Trawl floats are used in the commercial fishing industry to suspend the upper half of a trawler net as these nets drag along the ocean floor (photo #4). While these floats are extremely tough, built to withstand a ton of water pressure and the harsh elements of the pacific northwest, they can break off from these nets and end up awash along our coastline. Over many years of being battered and beaten by the ocean and scorching sun, these floats will eventually break down into microplastics, which are infinitely more difficult to remove and can end up in the food chain. Repurposing trawl floats for the Heiltsuk herring-roe-on-kelp fishery will come in useful for securing the end of kelp lines and acting as suspension floats for the submerged hemlock, cedar and kelp blades. The crew have sent almost a full container of trawl floats back to Bella Bella as a gift to the Heiltsuk roe-on-kelp fishers. Recycling at its finest. #BCCoastalCleanUp 1 - @alenaesphoto (taken in Kitasoo/Xai’xais territory) 2 - @emilyfulton 3 - Monterey Bay Aquarium

Collaboration in the face of adversity... Wilderness lodges, coastal First Nations, local businesses and small ship tour operators come together to clean up the coast. #bccoastalcleanup #beautifulbc #tiabc #tiac #destinationbc... Spirit Bear Lodge Bluewater Adventures Maple Leaf Adventures Outer Shores Expeditions Mothership Adventures Ocean Adventures Charter Co. & Great Bear II

Notes from the Field: Features skipper - Neil Shearar I recently returned from leading part of a coastal debris cleanup expedition. In this video, the amazing and dedicated team I was lucky enough to work with, are loading collected debris to above the high tide line for a later helicopter pickup. ... It is shocking to be in such a remote place and find that there are bits of plastic every few feet, wedged up into every nook and cranny. Our expedition included 9 vessels from coastal wilderness tour companies. Totaled up, in three weeks we collected over 61 000 kgs of plastic crap, consisting of old fish gear, nets, ropes, plastic bottles, tires, barrels, lengths of pipe, giant styrofoam blocks, little styrofoam blocks, tiny bits of styrofoam, teeny tiny bits of styrofoam, its a long list. This was a very small first step for this coast, I am glad to have participated. Plastic waste is an enormous problem and a challenge we need to take on NOW! #BCCoastalCleanup with the Small Ship Tour Operators Association Ocean Adventures Charter Co. & Great Bear II Mothership Adventures Outer Shores Expeditions Maple Leaf Adventures

Marine debris has become one of the biggest pollution problems facing the world’s oceans and waterways today. Marine debris is a manufactured solid material that enters into the marine environment whether intentionally or unintentionally. A closer look at the 61 tonnes of marine debris removed from the outer shores of the Great Bear Rainforest during the first expedition of the ongoing Marine Debris Removal Initiative, was that about 70% of the garbage collected was from the ...fishing industry. Waste from the fishing industry can harm marine mammals and ecosystems if not properly disposed of. Sunken nets can smother and block out the necessary light that habitats like coral reefs and eel grass beds need to survive. Marine mammals are also at risk of entanglement in ghost nets and derelict traps - currently, there are 3 known humpback whales off the coast of British Columbia that are entangled in fishing gear, making swimming, foraging and even breathing difficult to impossible. (https://www.cbc.ca//britis/entangled-whale-freed-1.5721833) The orange net in this featured video took our crew on SV Island Odyssey approximately 3 hours to remove from its driftwood entanglement. This one net weighed exactly 1000kg, and is made up of braided nylon material. Built for resiliency, this one net would have taken many years to disintegrate into micro plastics - another grave concern for our marine ecosystems. One big winter storm could have resulted in this gear washing back into the ocean, making it critical that our crew remove it, even if it took hours of labour. One less ghost net drifting aimlessly around in our oceans quite possibly means we’ve prevented one less entanglement of our renowned coastal wildlife like humpback whales . - @emilyfulton - @sharonwckay Keep up the great work team! @bluewateradventuresbc Outer Shores Expeditions Maple Leaf Adventures Ocean Adventures Charter Co. & Great Bear II Mothership Adventures Wilderness Tourism Association Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC #BCCoastalCleanUp #plasticpollution #clean #cleanup #cleanouroceans #protectourcoast #protectouroceans #protectourplanet #ocean #oceancleanup #oceancleanupproject #oceancleaning #lovethewild #westcoast #explorebc #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc #plasticfree #marinedebris #debris

Notes from the Field: Featured crew Given Davies "We just spent the last 21 days working as a team in the Marine Debris Removal Initiative and #BCCoastalCleanUp. 90 crew and 9 vessels worked together collecting marine debris that has been collecting on our coast since plastic began. One of the most disheartening things we found was what can be best described as a foam midden. Foam has been pounded into this shoreline for decades, creating an embankment of pure foam. This is our legacy. The garbascene. Watch these two videos for more detail on how it was done."

"...Waste from fishing industry accounts for about 70 per cent of garbage collected in 61-tonne haul..." That was what we encountered during the first of two 21-day beach debris removal expeditions. A good story to tell amidst COVID-19 #bccoastalcleanup @bluewateradventures.ca @thenarwhalca @Mapleleafadventures @Outershores @OceanAdventuresCharterandGreatBearII @Mothershipadventures

Notes from the Field: Featured crew member Emily Fulton "61 TONNES (136,640 lbs) of marine debris removed from BC’s Central Coast! ...and more to come!... I feel so fortunate to have been a crew member for @bluewateradventuresbc participating in a massive marine debris removal initiative. As COVID-19 upended many industries this year, we have seen some great adaptations and evolution. Five of the Small Ship Tour Operators Association (SSTOA) companies came together and proposed this remote marine debris removal project to our government. These companies very quickly adapted from offering remote wilderness tours to figuring out how to get crews of skilled mariners and guides into the remote reaches of the Great Bear Rainforest to pick up trash! The first half of this initiative removed debris from just south of Calvert Island, northward all the way to Milbanke Sound (over 1000km of coastline covered!). The vessel that I traveled on (SV Island Odyssey) was tasked with cleaning the exposed west coast of Calvert Island and the Goose Group. The second half of this project is now underway and targeting areas further northward to pick up where we left off. The crew I had the privilege of working alongside was stellar in every way imaginable. We had physically and mentally challenging days, encountered some grueling combinations of terrain/weather/piles of debris, and didn’t always agree on what was the best action to take. That being said, our crew came together so naturally as a team and some days it felt like we never stopped laughing. We kicked ass as trash-pickers, were so lucky to explore some very seldom-visited and breathtakingly beautiful areas, had insane wildlife encounters, supported each other day in and day out, and got to give back to the supernatural province we call home. Thank you endlessly to @bluewateradventuresbc, Outer Shores Expeditions , Maple Leaf Adventures, Mothership Adventures, Ocean Adventures Charter Co. & Great Bear II and all of your crew members onboard and behind the scenes, what a treat it was to clean up our coastline with you." #bccoastalcleanup Photo: @wandersailing

Notes from the Field: Features skipper - Neil Shearar I recently returned from leading part of a coastal debris cleanup expedition. In this video, the amazing and dedicated team I was lucky enough to work with, are loading collected debris to above the high tide line for a later helicopter pickup. ... It is shocking to be in such a remote place and find that there are bits of plastic every few feet, wedged up into every nook and cranny. Our expedition included 9 vessels from coastal wilderness tour companies. Totaled up, in three weeks we collected over 61 000 kgs of plastic crap, consisting of old fish gear, nets, ropes, plastic bottles, tires, barrels, lengths of pipe, giant styrofoam blocks, little styrofoam blocks, tiny bits of styrofoam, teeny tiny bits of styrofoam, its a long list. This was a very small first step for this coast, I am glad to have participated. Plastic waste is an enormous problem and a challenge we need to take on NOW! #BCCoastalCleanup with the Small Ship Tour Operators Association Ocean Adventures Charter Co. & Great Bear II Mothership Adventures Outer Shores Expeditions Maple Leaf Adventures

The 2nd expedition of the Marine Debris Removal Initiative has already begun. The collective crew of the Small Ship Tour Operators Association have until September 28 to remove as much marine debris as possible from our coastal shores of British Columbia. Thank you everyone for your continued commitment to the MDRI!! @bluewateradventuresbc @outershores @mapleleafadvent @oceanadventurescharter @mothership.adventures ... @wildernesstourismassociation @bearviewingbc - Neil Shearar @ocean_grizzly - Technicolour Beat by Oh Wonder #BCCoastalCleanUp #marinedebris #plasticpollution #beachcleanup #oceancleanup #environment #oneocean #cleanocean #conservation #protectourcoast #protectouroceans #sustainability #love #nature #beautifulbc #britishcolumbia #explorebc #oneononewithnature #bluewateradventuresbc

Notes from the Field: Featured crew Given Davies "We just spent the last 21 days working as a team in the Marine Debris Removal Initiative and #BCCoastalCleanUp. 90 crew and 9 vessels worked together collecting marine debris that has been collecting on our coast since plastic began. One of the most disheartening things we found was what can be best described as a foam midden. Foam has been pounded into this shoreline for decades, creating an embankment of pure foam. This is our legacy. The garbascene. Watch these two videos for more detail on how it was done."

Updates from the Marine Debris Removal Initiative currently underway on the outer shores of the Great Bear Rainforest. The region of focus for the 1st expedition of the Marine Debris Removal Initiative covered the region from south Calvert Island to Milbanke Sound, and covered over 1000km of our coastline. As of September 6th, the Small Ship Tour Operators Association have collected an estimated 61 tonnes of marine debris off these rugged shores. When heli-lifting operations... began the first week of September, we had around 425 lift bags filled with marine debris collected. Despite some disruptions by late summer fog banks, we were able to heli lift 350 of those bags, and will pick up what we left behind during the 2nd expedition. On September 6th, ‘Modest Marge the Garbage Barge’ left Cape Calvert with those 350 lift bags and around 50 tonnes of marine debris. A massive achievement only made possible by all the highly skilled crew of the Small Ship Tour Operators Association companies. - @ryanwilliammasson / @saferoceans , @eddysavagebc @bluewateradventuresbc @outershores @mapleleafadvent @oceanadventurescharter @mothership.adventures #BCCoastalCleanUp #plasticpollution #clean #cleanup #cleanouroceans #protectourcoast #protectouroceans #protectourplanet #ocean #oceancleanup #oceancleanupproject #oceancleaning #lovethewild #westcoast #explorebc #britishcolumbia #beautifulbc #plasticfree #marinedebris #debris

Scouring the rugged outer shores of the Great Bear Rainforest for marine debris, our crew have to be extremely cautious about all sorts of hazards. Typically, it’s the shores exposed to open ocean currents and swell that are the most susceptible for marine debris accumulation. Crew have to be simultaneously mindful of all sorts of things - rogue waves, uncharted reefs, deadheads (a log or heavy timber floating nearly vertical underwater, with little of its bulk showing above ...the surface), rapidly changing weather forecasts, fog banks, the list goes on. Luckily, all crew associated with the Small Ship Tour Operators Association (SSTOA) member companies are trained professionals in British Columbia’s harsh coastal environment. Our continued success in the Marine Debris Removal Initiative is dedicated to your collective skillsets. - @eddysavagebc @bluewateradventuresbc @outershores @mapleleafadvent @mothership.adventures @oceanadventurescharter #BCCoastalCleanUp #marinedebris #plasticpollution #beachcleanup #oceancleanup #environment #oneocean #cleanocean #conservation #protectourcoast #protectouroceans #sustainability #love #nature #beautifulbc #britishcolumbia #explorebc #oneononewithnature #bluewateradventuresbc

Marine debris has become one of the biggest pollution problems facing the world’s ocean and waterways today. Marine debris is a manufactured solid material that enters into the marine environment whether intentionally or unintentionally. Large pieces of styrofoam, fishing nets and floats, plastic containers and other household items are commonly found washed ashore on remote coastal beaches of British Columbia. While of course the main solution is to prevent marine debris fr...om entering into our oceans, another solution is to conduct organized clean-ups like the Marine Debris Removal Initiative, currently underway in the Great Bear Rainforest. These types of large-scale organized clean-ups not only remove existing debris from important habitat, they also prevent the subsequent formation of microplastics in the ocean. If shoreline plastics are not removed before winter storms arrive, waves sweep existing onshore debris back into the sea, where the debris breaks down into microplastics, which are infinitely more difficult to remove. The Small Ship Tour Operators Association had to pick their weather window wisely so as to be able to access as much of the outer coastlines of the Great Bear Rainforest as possible. The 100+ crew apart of the initiative and working hard everyday to rid as much debris from the shores as possible. As coordinator on the ground, we had to double our order of heli-lift bags for the second MDRI expedition Sept 8-28, meaning our crew are not only finding, but also removing a larger quantity of marine debris from our shores than they originally estimated was achievable. A big shout out to the Small Ship Tour Operators Association and everyone else involved! Our coast is thanking you - @bluewateradventuresbc @outershores @mapleleafadvent @mothership.adventures @oceanadventurescharter - @eddysavagebc #BCCoastalCleanUp #marinedebris #plasticpollution #beachcleanup #oceancleanup #environment #oneocean #cleanocean #conservation #protectourcoast #protectouroceans #sustainability #love #nature #beautifulbc #britishcolumbia #explorebc #oneononewithnature #bluewateradventuresbc

Heli-lift bags filled with marine debris have to be strategically placed in open locations where a helicopter can safely access them and lift them onto a tug an...d barge for removal. Crew have to be mindful of things like tides and surf swell so as to not get the lift bags wet or destroyed prior to take off. Damp bags or garbage could result in a weight too heavy for a helicopter to safely carry, and ripped bags could result in debris scraps flying all over the place from the downdraft force of the helicopter blades. Each individual heli-lift bag is weighed to keep under a specific weight for the helicopter to be able to carry. A lot of logistics are at play with this unprecedented Marine Debris Removal Initiative. This project would not be possible without an incredible crew of outdoor professionals. Their ability to learn on the fly, understand and work around the ever changing west coast weather forecast, all the while prioritizing the safety of everyone is unparalleled. So far, our Island Odyssey crew have removed ~5500kg of marine debris from the outer shores of the Great Bear Rainforest. As a fleet, the Small Ship Tour Operators Association collectively have removed ~45,000kg of marine debris in the first 2 weeks of the project. Heli-lifting began yesterday and will carry on through the rest of the week/weekend, and we aren’t even halfway through the project. Thank you to all of those involved in this unbelievable project - @bluewateradventuresbc @outershores @mapleleafadvent @mothership.adventures @oceanadventurescharter - @eddysavagebc & @ryanwilliammasson / @saferoceans #BCCoastalCleanUp #marinedebris #plasticpollution #oceancleanup #oneocean #environment #cleanup #cleanocean #goodnews #beautifulbc #britishcolumbia #bluewateradventuresbc

Just Announced! A project that we are beyond proud to be a part of!! "On August 18, a fleet of tourism ships began an unprecedented, six-week expedition to the Great Bear Rainforest’s outer coast as part of the Marine Debris Removal Initiative (MDRI), a project funded by the provincial Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy. With the blessing from Indigenous leaders in the region, the expedition expects to remove between 75 and 100 tons of marine waste, includin...g plastics, from up to 1,000 km of coastal beaches along the Great Bear Rainforest. A group of BC small ship tour companies developed this innovative project in response to tourism shutdowns due to COVID-19..." Leslie Anthony #BCCoastalCleanUp #BCTourismMatters #exploreBC See more

"There are stories of grizzly bears and interactions with clans on Haida Gwaii, and those are very important narratives and oral histories." Just released this week, Bill Reid's artwork appears on the toonie, Canada's two-dollar coin.

Forever mesmerized by the rise and fall of coastal tides. - @annie_strucel . . . .... . . #bluewateradventuresbc #ocean #travel#explore #explorebc #sail #sailboat #sailing #boat #boats #boating #beautifulbc #britishcolumbia #canada #pnw #pnwonderland #pacificnorthwest #pacificocean #wild #wildwest #westcoast #lowtide #kelp See more

Join Raincoast Conservation Foundation's online event July 22nd at 6PM - featuring discussions with Jess Housty, Eric Mazimpaka, Nikki Iyolo Sanchez and Misty MacDuffee about the cultural and ecological importance of killer whales. We'll see you there!

"Humpbacks are some of the most watched whales in the world, and yet so much of their lives remains a mystery." - article by Bruce Grierson

Charting Our Course With the recent announcement that British Columbia has transitioned into phase 3 of BC's Restart Plan, we at Bluewater Adventures are setting our sights on the next steps. Normally, late June we would have us sailing in the remote archipelago of Haida Gwaii, just finishing up trips within the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary and preparing to embark on our first expedition in Southeast Alaska. Instead, our vessels have been alongside in Vancouver, recei...ving the most attention by our caring Crew that a maintenance season has EVER seen. As Bluewater Adventures mindfully considers our "re-opening," we are keenly aware that, for safety reasons, some of our First Nations communities are not yet prepared to invite travelers to visit. Through BC residents' responses received from this short survey and with some creativity we have come up with some amazing opportunities that we normally could not take advantage of! There are 3 particularly amazing areas on the southern British Columbia coast that boast old growth forests, rugged archipelagos with cozy anchorages, foraging marine mammals and rafts of sea birds. Although they are some of our southernmost trips, they are a world away from civilization providing us with an easy and much-needed escape! All start/ finish points for the Gulf Islands National Reserve, Desolation Sound and Northern Vancouver Island are easily accessible by car. There are two ways that you can experience the coast: 1) join a scheduled trip with other like-minded locals or 2) let us help you to create a custom trip for your small group of family and friends. Please bear in mind that travel during these times will not be business as usual. Bluewater Adventures has spent several weeks determining the safest means of travel for guests and our Crew. There are some simple changes and Best Practices addressing physical distancing measures, the request for guests to bring cloth face coverings, and the understanding that we may not visit coastal communities to keep them safe. It will be a group effort, as the Bluewater experience usually is, and it will be no less amazing. We expect to raise the sails mid-July and are busy with the anticipation of getting out on the water for the first time this season. There are opportunities for you to join a Bluewater trip late July and early August, but space is limited. The number of scheduled trips will be based on interest and to start, we have the following wildlife-focused expedition exploring the myriad of islands off Northern Vancouver Island. Please contact us directly via email, [email protected], for more information about joining a scheduled trip or how to create your own custom, small-group adventure - we look forward to hearing from you - It has been way too long! - Sam Pater

Great News for British Columbians! We apologize for the radio silence on our end. Our attention has been focused on the challenge of determining how to navigate these uncharted waters and adjusting to COVID-19. While we have been busy, we have been recreating the Bluewater Adventures experience to coincide with the requests from health authorities and WorkSafe BC. We are grateful for their guidance as we prepare to safely and responsibly welcome our guests and crew back aboar...d our trips of a lifetime. Please visit our website to view our COVID-19 Best Practices for more information detailing our elevated safety protocols to ensure the health and safety of all onboard. Out of respect for the various First Nations communities requesting we refrain from visiting for now, the time to explore the vast reaches of northern British Columbia is yet to come. These circumstances are compelling us to redirect our focus to other possibilities of available travel. With Premier John Horgan’s new messaging that we'll be in a position to move to Phase 3 soon, Bluewater Adventures is preparing to host British Columbian travelers in our local waters. Between the coastal cruising in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, exploring the colossal fjords and world renowned sailing in Desolation Sound, and the unbelievable wildlife viewing opportunities in the Broughton Archipelago and Blackfish Sound, there is no shortage of remarkably wild experiences to be had in our local BC backyard. So... ...We want to hear from you! While we prepare to "travel local", we would like to know where you would like to go? What would you like to see? What activities would you like to do? Contact us directly at [email protected] and help our expedition specialists plan your upcoming BC backyard adventure! One thing we have learned in our 45+ years of operation is that all storms eventually pass. Before you know it, we'll be able to hoist our sails and find our way to smooth sailing along the northern coast of British Columbia once again. For now, we are inspired to #exploreBC...local. We look forward to hearing from you. Stay well, and stay connected. - Lisa McGee