Outer Shores Expeditions

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Outer Shores Expeditions

Small-ship expeditions exploring the ancient cultures and stunning wildlife of the BC Coast

Outer Shores’ small-ship expeditions provide extraordinary and intimate opportunities for being immersed in the ancient cultures and stunning wildlife of Canada’s Pacific Coast. Guided by a crew of professional mariners, scientists, and expert naturalists, small groups of 6-8 guests explore the incredible coastline of British Columbia while living aboard the 70’ classic wooden schooner, Passing Cl

oud. President and Captain Russell Markel holds a PhD in marine biology and is dedicated to hosting travellers from around the world while fostering stewardship and supporting conservation-based research in the areas where Outer Shores travels.

07/11/2024

At the core of every Outer Shores expedition is an unwavering commitment to conservation and sustainability.

Our work is guided by the belief that responsible exploration must contribute to preserving the environments and species we encounter. This is why Outer Shores established the OCEaNS Fund—an initiative that supports the conservation of coastal ecosystems, wildlife research, and Indigenous-led stewardship programs.

Each voyage directly contributes to these vital efforts, ensuring that future generations may continue to experience the wonders of this extraordinary region.

📷 - on IG

05/11/2024

We’re over 75% sold out for 2025! But we still have spaces available on our early Haida Gwaii, Spring Great Bear Rainforest, and Fall Northern Vancouver expeditions.

Join us in 2025 for the trip of a lifetime. 🔗 in bio to learn more.

📷 - of SV Passing Cloud in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

01/11/2024

We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our amazing crew members who made this year truly unforgettable ⚓️

The heart of every Outer Shores expedition is our crew. Their deep connection to the coastal landscapes, their knowledge of the ecosystems, and their genuine care for every guest make each journey truly remarkable. We are forever grateful for the kindness, expertise, and passion they bring each day.

Thank you for being an irreplaceable part of the Outer Shores family!

(And apologies to any crew we missed in this post! We were only able to upload 10 images to the carousel 😅)

30/10/2024

That’s a wrap on our Fall Migration Tour of the Inside Passage & Salish Sea, marking the end of our 2024 expedition season! ⚓

From bow-riding Dall's porpoise to killer whale sightings and stunning coastal landscapes, this journey home for the winter was full of unforgettable moments.

A huge thank you to our crew, amazing guests, and partners for making this season so special. We can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store.

🎥 - Crew Member Emma Lafontain (.wildlife on IG)

29/10/2024

Grizzly bear in the fog 🐻

📷 - James Thompson Photography Tour

24/10/2024

SV Passing Cloud is more than just a ship—she’s a work of art.

Handcrafted with classic elegance and a deep connection to the natural world, she plies effortlessly through the coastal waters of British Columbia. From her polished wooden decks to her brass accents and billowing sails, Passing Cloud offers moments of peace, wonder, and awe as she navigates from the Great Bear Rainforest to Haida Gwaii, and Northern Vancouver Island in search of adventure and incredible wildlife encounters.

On board, every journey becomes a story you’ll never forget ⚓️

📷 -

21/10/2024

Where will your 2025 adventures take you? ⚓

Join us for the trip of a lifetime next season! While we're already around 75% sold out for 2025, we still have available spaces on our early Haida Gwaii, Spring Great Bear Rainforest, and Fall Northern Vancouver expeditions.

📷 - .wildlife on IG

15/10/2024

Found nowhere else on Earth 🐻‍❄️ the rare, white-coated black bear (Ursus americanus kermodei), known as “Kermode” or “Spirit” bears, became a globally iconic species associated with the protection of Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest.

Spirit Bears live primarily on a small number of islands and adjacent mainland regions of the Great Bear Rainforest. These bears have a limited home range of just 6,500 km2, and recent estimates suggest that their population size may be limited to as few as 100 individuals.

Known to the First Nations of the Great Bear Rainforest since time immemorial, Indigenous oral history has long recorded a “1 in 10” frequency of these white-coated black bears.

The Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy is located within the traditional territory of the Kitasoo-Xaixais First Nation and is co-managed under an agreement between the Kitasoo Nation and the Province of British Columbia. This conservancy is intended, in part, to protect a significant portion of Spirit bear habitat and home range, and fortunate visitors may get a glimpse of this iconic bear.

📷 -

09/10/2024

Moody mornings in the Great Bear Rainforest ⚓️

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27/09/2024

The Great Bear Rainforest never ceases to amaze! 🐻

The past few weeks here have been nothing short of magical. Salmon, bears, wolves, and whales. Stunning granite fjords that transform from exposed rock to walls of cascading waterfalls in minutes.

We’ve been lucky enough to watch coastal grizzlies thrive, humpback whales bubble net feeding, and the elusive white spirit bear, which is found nowhere else on Earth.

📷 - Em LaFontaine

05/09/2024

SV Passing Cloud ⚓

📷 - .wildlife

30/08/2024

Our Fall Great Bear Rainforest season begins in 3 days! Looking forward to all the adventures to come 🏔️🌲🐻⚓

📷 -

26/08/2024

Bears, Whales, Waterfalls, Estuaries, Salmon, Fiords. We can't wait for our fall return to the Great Bear Rainforest ⚓

📷 1, 2, 3, 6 - James Thomspon Photography
📷 4 -

23/08/2024

"Don’t let her looks deceive you... Passing Cloud could be the prettiest boat on the coast, but oh man, can she sail!

This past week, we took Passing Cloud around Cape St. James, one of the most remote and rugged areas on the planet. She and our crew faced all types of winds, swell, currents and weather conditions. Passing Cloud was game for it all, pushing us out of our comfort zones and asking for more..."

📷 - Repost from taken aboard our 2018 Haida Gwaii Expedition

Go Haida Gwaii British Columbia Gwaii Haanas - Islands of Beauty Parks Canada

21/08/2024

Travel by sailboat into the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest with Outer Shores Expeditions in 2025!

Join us for an immersive journey through one of the world's most pristine wilderness areas, where towering forests meet rugged coastlines and diverse wildlife thrives.

From grizzly bears and majestic spirit bears to breathtaking fiords and ancient forests, every expedition is a gateway to understanding and preserving this extraordinary ecosystem.

Secure your spot aboard our 2025 Great Bear Rainforest expeditions before spaces fill up ⚓

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19/08/2024

Explore the wonders of Haida Gwaii with Outer Shores Expeditions in 2025.

Our 9-day sailing expeditions through the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area, and Haida Heritage Site allow you to immerse yourself in the rich Haida culture and pristine wilderness of this remarkable archipelago.

From lush rainforests teeming with biodiversity to encounters with diverse marine life, each expedition promises a journey of discovery.

Secure your spot early for our 2025 Haida Gwaii expeditions ⚓

📷 1, 2, 4 - on IG
📷 - .wildlife on IG

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2025 Sailing BC Expeditions

Our 2025 expeditions are filling up fast! ⚓ While our 2025 Haida Gwaii and Great Bear Rainforest expeditions are around 50%, we still have several available spaces. If either of these regions are on your bucket list, call or email us to join us for the trip of a lifetime. Learn more at outershores.ca 🎥 - @stay.wildlife & Russ Markel aboard our Gulf Islands, Haida Gwaii and Great Bear Rainforest expeditions

Humpback Whale Watching

A humpback whale visited our anchorage! 🐋📷 - @stay.wildlife

Sailing Haida Gwaii 2024

Blue skies and sunshine at our peaceful anchorage in Haida Gwaii, Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve ⚓️☀️ 🎥 - @stay.wildlife #HaidaGwaii #GwaiiHaanas #NorthwestCoast #OuterShoresExpeditions #ExploreBC #PNW #Sailing #Sailboat

2024 Haida Gwaii Sailing Expedition

Magical moments from our Haida Gwaii expeditions ⚓️⛵️✨ 🎥 - @stay.wildlife #HaidaGwaii #GwaiiHaanas #NorthwestCoast #OuterShoresExpeditions #ExploreBC #PNW #Sailing #Sailboat

Sailing Passing Cloud

Among Passing Cloud’s many appealing features is her exceptional sailing abilities ⛵️ Since her launching in 1974, Passing Cloud has cruised the South Pacific, weathered hurricanes, won many sailing races, worked as a sail training vessel, and explored the far reaches of the BC coast. She is now established as an expedition sailing vessel by her current owner, Russell Markel. “The Cloud” has a rich history that we are proud to share with you — visit our website to learn more. 🎥 - @stay.wildlife aboard our 2024 Haida Gwaii Expeditions #OuterShoresExpeditions #50yearsold #woodenboat #woodensailboat #schooner #schooners #schoonerlovers #schoonerpassingcloud #sailboat #sail #sailing #pnw #pnwsailing #pnwboating

📍Haida Gwaii, Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve

📍Haida Gwaii, Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve Year after year, the beauty and serenity of the “Canadian Galapagos” never ceases to amaze. The ancient Haida villages, warm welcome from the Haida Watchman, and all of the magical moments in between are nothing short of extraordinary. Truly a bucket list trip — this remote island archipelago offers unmatched biological diversity matched with the Indigenous cultural heritage that has been stewarding these lands and waters for more than 14,000 years. #HaidaGwaii #GwaiiHaanas #NorthwestCoast #OuterShoresExpeditions #ExploreBC #PNW #Sailing #Sailboat

Haida Gwaii 2024

It’s official, we’re in Haida Gwaii! ⚓️ We completed the Hecate Strait crossing yesterday evening and were welcomed to the “islands of the people” with calm waters and a beautiful sunset. We look forward to another incredible season here and learning of the rich Haida culture from the Haida Watchmen who safeguard some of the most significant cultural and archaeological sites here in the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, including the mortuary poles and longhouse depressions of the village of SGang Gwaay Llnagaay, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. #HaidaGwaii #GwaiiHaanas #NorthwestCoast #OuterShores #OuterShoresExpeditions #ExploreBC #PNW #Sailing #Sailboat

Spring Great Bear Rainforest 2024

Moments aboard our Spring Great Bear Rainforest expedition ⚓️ The fjordlands of British Columbia’s central coast are a truly humbling place. We are so small among towering giants of granite mountains, standing hundreds of meters above us and shooting down to depths we can barely pick up on our depth sounders. And with the recent rains, these sheer rocky clifs transform into a kingdom of waterfalls. Sure feels good to be back in the region again 🏔️🌲🐻⚓️ #OuterShoresExpeditions #ExploreBC #PNW #Sailing #Expeditions #Sailboat #SailboatCharters #Bear #Bears #GrizzlyBear #GrizzlyBears

Spring Great Bear Rainforest 20204

Fully embracing the rain aboard our current Spring Great Bear Rainforest tour 🌧️🌲🐻 This time of year is a truly spectacular time to visit the central coast of British Columbia. Migratory wildlife have returned to the coastal waters, bears have made their way to the intertidal zones to feed, socialize and mate, and the landscape is alive with the variable spring weather. She might be a downpour, but stunningly beautiful nonetheless ⚓️🌧️ #OuterShoresExpeditions #50yearsold #50thbirthdayparty #woodenboat #schoonerlovers #schoonerpassingcloud #sailboat #sailing #pnw #pnwsailing #pnwboating

Snippets from the shipyard 2024 ⚓️

Getting Passing Cloud is ‘ship shape’ for the 2024 season! ⚓️ Snippets from the shipyard 🎥 - Russ Markel #OuterShoresExpeditions #outershores #passingcloud #shipyard #woodenboat #schoonerlovers #schoonerpassingcloud #sailboat #sailing #pnw #pnwsailing #pnwboating

Sailing in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

Sunset views aboard Passing Cloud ⚓️☀️ A glimpse from our recent Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and the Salish Sea expedition. #OuterShoresExpeditions #ExploreBC #PNW #Sailing #gulfislands #gulfislandsbc #nationalpark

Outer Shores Lodge, West Coast Vancouver Island

Escape to the comfort of the wild with Outer Shores Lodge 🌲🐋🐻 Experience the untamed beauty of the Pacific Ocean's wild shores in Bamfield, BC, where rugged coastlines meet lush rainforests. This intimate eco-lodge on Vancouver Island's West Coast is your escape from the everyday. Book your next getaway - https://outershores.ca/outer-shores-lodge/

International Day of Forests

In honour of today's International Day of Forests, we want to highlight Outer Shores' commitment to the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project 🌲🌲🌲 The Great Bear Forest Carbon Project is the only 'Improved Forest Management' project of its scale with equal involvement with the First Nations and the BC Government, strong legal and policy foundations, and robust data supporting the quantification of ecosystem services. This isn't just a conservation project; it's a pioneering model for sustainable development in an economically significant yet ecologically and culturally vulnerable region. Since 2020, 100% of the carbon credits we purchase to offset our emissions are sourced from the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project. The Great Bear Rainforest holds a special place in our hearts as one of our favourite expedition destinations. Our support for this project is a natural extension of our dedication to conservation and sustainability. Learn more about our conservation and sustainability commitments here — outershores.ca/about-us We hope you are able to get outside and enjoy some time in the forest today 🌲🌲🌲 🎥 - @circa_1983

A beautiful moment captured by Russ recently out in front of the Outer Shores Lodge in Bamfield to help start your week off right! Happy Monday! #ose #passingcloud #explorebc #sailing #woodenboats #sailingtravel #explorecanada #nature #travelcanada #exploretheoutdoors #ecotourism #exploremore #adventurecanada #canadaadventure #bcwilderness #ecotourismbc #greentravel #getoutside #alwaysgo #exploremore #naturelovers

The scene from the bluff last night at Outer Shores Lodge! #outershores #whaleviewing #lodgelife #explorebc #whalesofinstagram #pacificrimnationalpark #explorecanada #bamfield #westcoastwhales #destinationbc

You just never know when a surprise visitor shows up at Outer Shores Lodge! 🐻 #bearviewingbc #outershores #lodgelife #beautifulbc #explorecanada #wildlifetravel #explorebc #bears #bamfield

A great family retreat day spent on Brady’s Beach, just a short walk from Outer Shores Lodge in Bamfield, BC! #outershores #explorebc #beautifulbc #britishcolumbia #familytravel #lodgeholidays #familyadventure #travelcanada

Happy Valentine’s Day from Bamfield, British Columbia, where we’ve got sunsets we just know you’re going to fall in love with at Outer Shores Lodge! 💝

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