Vancouver Island wildlife tours, Canada
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
The company is strong advocate of local environmental groups that are calling for an end to salmon farming on BC’s west coast. Scientific evidence has proven that salmon farms generate sea lice that infest juvenile salmon stocks. To this end, $50 of every tour sold is directed to Save Our Salmon Marine Conservation Foundation. Our bear viewing and whale watching guides are local to the area and are also committed environmentalists. Guests are also informed about Straitwatch, a volunteer marine warden program in Alert Bay that monitors whale watching operators.
We have strict rules that travellers do not leave the vehicle they are in, whether it be a boat or tour van, if they see wildlife. This rule ensures that our guide is always in control of people / wildlife boundaries. Travellers are not permitted to ‘bushwack’ – going off designated trails due to safety and environmental impact concerns. As well, we educate travellers on pertinent environmental issues in the areas we travel, such as those affecting salmon runs, how to reduce forest fire hazards and reducing consumption of packaged goods while on tour (eg providing healthy snacks for travellers to carry with them instead of buying junk food at local stores). As well, we solicit and act upon client comments as how to improve our sustainable tourism practices.
We use recycled tissue and environmentally friendly cleaning products. Our office staff are provided with a secure place to store their bicycles and encouraged to car pool. Inter-office documents are printed on the blank side of previously used paper. Light bulbs are all low energy.
We support the following environmental charities in Canada: The Land Conservancy, the Alpine Club of Canada and the BC Wilderness Tourism Association.
As owners of Alert Bay Lodge we also have excellent relationships with the ‘Namgis people, the main band in the area. One of the attractions we include in this tour is the entrance fee to the ‘Umista Cultural Centre which features the history of the Alert Bay area including the potlatch collection that was stolen from the ‘Namgis in the 1920’s. As outlined in our pre-departure information we also recommend local First Nations attractions including dance ceremonies, the carver’s studio and local shops that sell First Nation arts and crafts.
Community
Our pre-departure information is tailored to the specific destinations we travel to. Each document contains information on travelling responsibly and social and environmental issues in the particular area.
Our small group adventures utilize local outfitters, stay in small scale, locally owned accommodation and frequent local shops for meals, supplies and crafts. These practices facilitate a high degree of contact with locals and ensures that the economic development our business brings goes directly to local businesses and communities.
Alert Bay artists are known around the world for their paintings, carved masks, figurines and cedar boxes. Examples of this art can be purchased in several shops and viewed at the U’mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay. On our Vancouver Island Wildlife Tour we ask our guests to respect the culture and traditions of Alert Bay by supporting First Nation shops and attending First Nation events (a list of shops, attractions and events is outlined in our pre-departure package). In turn, they are rewarded with experiences and gracious hosts that contribute to a very unique travel experience.
We use established local operators for our marine tours including those that employ local native and non-native guides. Our grizzly bear operator has tenure with the Kwakwaka'wakw people to observe grizzlies in Knight Inlet. We also use utilize local whale watching operators, all of whom are Coast Guard certified and observe whale proximity requirements that are monitored by Straitwatch.
Our guides are intimately familiar with the communities we tour, including being cognizant of the need for our guests to be culturally sensitive. This dynamic is particularly important with our this tour, which takes place in a primarily native community. More information on these dynamics is provided in our pre-departure information. In all of our tours, including those featured in Responsible Travel, we provide informal opportunities for individuals and small groups of travellers to mix and dialogue with locals.
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