We’re travelling this summer to the Great Bear Area and in August, 2013 to the Haida Gwaii region on a very special Quest tour that includes visiting Haida communities on the island before setting off by boat.

Great Bear Rainforest video

(All photos by Glenn Barrett)

Sat Feb 11– welcome dinner at Occidental Miramar

Sun Feb 12 – travel to Pinar del Rio province via the Autopista Nacional; stop for photos of scenic Vinales Valley from lookout located near Hotel Los Jasmines. Lunch at Palenque de los Cimarrones (our first beans and rice dish, and our first band!), watch reenactment of slave dances, than walk through the cave where escaped slaves lived. Short drive to Cueva del Indio for hike and motor boat tour of cave. See our first Cuban Trogon after boat ride, than on to Hotel Rancho San Vicente.

Cuba scenery – Photo by Glenn Barrett

Mon Feb 13 – first optional early morning nature hike provides audio and visual evidence of Cuban Screech Owl (Bare-legged Owl). After breakfast leave Hotel and pick up our guide for the day (Martin), who leads us on a great hike of Vinales Valley including stops at a tobacco farm and drying barn. Enjoy refreshing guarapo (freshly squeezed sugar cane juice) at end of hike while we wait for Eddy to pick us up. Lunch at Mural de la Prehistoria than back to Hotel for R+R, before we hike back to Cueva del Indio to watch thousands of bats emerge at dusk.

Tue 14 – brief opportunity to visit town of Vinales while some clients go to currency exchange, then back on bus for drive to Soroa Orquideario where local guide Aliett gives us an excellent tour of the orchid greenhouse and gardens. Late lunch at the Mirador de San Diego, then drive to the Rancho Charco Azul, where ‘welcome drinks’ (with or without ‘vitamin R’) await. After check-in, opportunity to join local guide Dennis on short hike before dinner.

Wed Feb 15 – great day exploring trails and village at Los Terrazas with local guide Justo. Very tasty lunch at Cafetal at the old Buena Vista coffee plantation, followed by more time at Los Terrazas Lake. Candlelit dinner back at Rancho Charco Azul until power restored (before dinner a Turkey Vulture had unfortunately collided with the transmission wires near the pool).

Coffee Plant – Photo by Glenn Barrett

Thu Feb 16 – head east back around Havana and into central Cuba, stopping for lunch at Fiesta de los Campesinos. While none of us are successful playing guinea pig roulette, location provides a tasty meal and an opportunity to see captive Hutias and some new bird species. Meet our local guide Mario then short drive to Estacion de Reproduction de Fauna (Cuban Parrot breeding facility) and Criadero de Cocodrilos (Cuban Crocodile farm/zoo) where in addition to Cuban Crocodiles we see more new wildlife species including Limpkin and Cuban Crow and a very large and bright green Anolis equestris (Cuban Giant Anole). Check into Playa Larga Hotel with time to watch sunset over Bay of Pigs before dinner, where several clients discover the hard way that the containers at the tables do not contain pepper!

Anole – photo by Glenn Barrett

Fri Feb 17 – morning bus ride with Mario out towards Las Salinas, travelling thru Zapata National Park with numerous stops to see great views of Greater Flamingos, Black Skimmers, Common Black Hawk and more. Lunch at Cueva de los Pesces followed by time for snorkeling, birding or relaxing. Then short drive to location where we observe Bee Hummingbirds (world’s smallest bird species) flitting about with Cuban Emeralds! Brisk walk in late afternoon provides us with excellent views of a Cuban Pygmy Owl and Bare-legged Owl.

Sat Feb 18 – check out of Playa Larga and back onto bus. One hour walking tour of Cienfuegos while Eddy refuels bus. Next stop is an excellent tour by the very enthusiastic/knowledgeable Roger at Soledad Botanical Gardens – an amazing array of plants including the Carolina Tree and Brazillian Rose. Delightful (albeit late) lunch in Trinidad Colonial restaurant, followed by a visit to the Santander pottery studio located in this 500 year old city. Check into Brisas Trinidad del Mar hotel on the Ancon Peninsula with enough time for swim in warm Caribbean Sea before sunset and dinner at which we celebrate David’s birthday.

Sun Feb 19 – nice morning walking tour of Trinidad that includes a visit to Elio’s friend’s colonial era (circa 1785) house and garden courtyard (‘Casa Colonial – El Patio’), witness a cigar making demonstration, tour cathedral and time for shopping in market, followed by lunch and tower climb at the Manaca-Iznaga tower site located in the Valle de los Ingenios. En route back to hotel stop at scenic overlook where orange butterflies flit about the yellow flowering agave plants, and we see the interesting Pelican Flower tree.

Cuban Green Woodpecker – photo by Glenn Barrett

Mon Feb 20 – steep and curvy ride from hotel up to Topes de Collantes (altitude 800 m) where we meet local guide Alex. Surprisingly comfortable ride on “Russian Limousine” (converted army trucks) to reach La Codina, a former coffee plantation. Very refreshing ginger-flavoured drink (Jincilla) before we head out on a nice hike with an eclectic mix of plants (orchids, tree ferns, palm trees, pine trees), excellent views of Pygmy Owls, various anoles and also a pseudoscorpion, for those of us who go thru the cave. Excellent campfire roasted pork lunch, then back onto army truck for visit to ‘Casa del Café’ for tasty coffee before checking into our garden rooms at Los Helechos Hotel.Tue Feb 21 – Hanabilla Reservoir boat tour in the morning produces water-level views of flocks of Lesser Scaup and new bird species including Least Grebes, and delivers us to our scenic lunch location of Rio Negro (even grander scenery observed by those clients who hike the very steep trail at Rio Negro pre-lunch). On boat ride after lunch, to meet up with Eddy and the bus, several of us see a North Antilles Slider (turtle) in the water. Back onto the bus for drive to Remedios, before arriving at our beautiful cabins at Cayo Los Brujas, 40 km off the north coast of Cuba.

Wed Feb 22 – sailing adventure today on large catamaran with stops for snorkeling (lots of fish in nice clear water) and beachcombing. Tasty lobster lunch at the Acuario Delfinario Cayo Santa Maria restaurant. After lunch several clients enjoy up close encounters with the captive dolphins. Back to hotel with time for exploring and enjoying the beautiful sunset. Celebrate Nahid’s birthday at dinner.

Thu Feb 23 – morning bus tour of Cayo Santa Maria with a number of stops for up close views of a variety of shorebirds, waterbirds and even a Crested Caracara. Back to Cayo Los Brujas for lunch followed by an afternoon at the resort with free time for swimming, snorkeling, photography, relaxing.

Photo by Glenn Barrett

Fri Feb 24 – arrive in Santa Clara and visit life-size Che Guevera statue (Elio explains meanings of all the various pieces that the sculptor incorporated into statue to document various aspects of Che’s life), visit site of pivotal ammunition train crash that ended the Cuban Revolution, and finish morning at Che’s mausoleum with tour of associated museum and viewing of the very large statue). Lunch at Los Canyes restaurant, then drive 2+ hours back to Havana (dinner at Occidental Miramar hotel).

Sat Feb 25 – busy day that begins with walking tour around Fort Morro (including lighthouse) and continues with walking tour of Old Havana thru several plazas and into historic buildings (including Former House of Representatives – now the Museum of the National Campaign Against Illiteracy), a perfumery and several art galleries. Great lunch location on rooftop of Ambos Mundo Hotel, followed by souvenir shopping at a large indoor market beside harbour. Drive back to hotel, stopping briefly for photos of Revolutionary Square. Time to freshen up at hotel before leaving for sunset cocktails (and excellent farewell dinner) overlooking Old Havana from stunning Roof Garden Restaurante Torre del Oro location atop elegant Hotel Sevilla.

Sun Feb 26 – early breakfast for 14 of us in Lobby Bar as we depart hotel for airport at 4:00 (3 remaining clients leaving on separate flights later today). Unfortunately for us early risers the Air Canada flight departure is delayed for 2 hours.

Great weather throughout trip; although it is cool the first couple of days (jackets on during dinners at Rancho San Vicente), remainder of trip is sunny and warm with no rain. A wonderful group of clients – it was fantastic travelling with all of you – best wishes for all of your future adventures.

Glenn Barrett

What an incredible safari (last February) – thanks to Lewie Gonsalves for recommending it and for everyone involved in booking the trip, airfare, insurance etc. My expectations were high, but the trip still blew me away, and now it almost seems like a dream. Great bunch of people, great guide (Alan Watson), wonderful accommodations and all the animals you would want to see and more.  Again many thanks for an unforgettable safari and I look forward to traveling with Quest again,  (AM, Toronto)

Following the track in Tanzania

Red Admiral Butterfly

The Toronto Star reported on this on Saturday, April 21:  http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1165510–southern-ontario-sees-irruption-of-red-admiral-butterflies

Dave took these incredible photos during the Gorilla Trek – it’s a full day with our local guides who know just where to find the gorillas. Permits for these treks are strictly limited to eight participants each day so we limit our disruption to the gorilla’s habitat. Dave and our Quest group had a great day in Bwindi, spotting the male silverback and several female gorillas.

When I found out I would be joining the Quest Nature Tours Amazon Rainforest of Brazil trip, the first things to come to mind (after the excitement!) were the impenetrable jungle, giant tarantulas crawling everywhere and massive anacondas that would surely leap out to attack me. I can thank movies and T.V. for those wild misconceptions and I’m incredibly grateful that I had the chance to experience the Amazon for what it really is!

We started in the northern city of Manaus, where much of the European colonial architecture still stands; it gave us a real feel for what life was like at the height of the rubber boom. The highlight is definitely the Teatro Amazonas, voted by many as one of the top 20 most beautiful opera houses in the world.  We took a stroll through the market with piles of plantains and fresh fruit, and finished with the lively fish market.

It wasn’t long before we embarked the Tucano from just outside our hotel to make our way down the Rio Negro. The days were packed with excursions and our incredibly knowledgeable guides made sure we didn’t miss a thing.

During our boat trips and forest hikes, we were able to spot over 160 species of beautiful birds, countless grey and pink river dolphins, sloths, caiman, monkeys, fragrant orchids in bloom, and yes, one tarantula! All the while being educated on medicinal plants and trees, the culture and folklore of the local people, and the fruits of the rainforest.

Other highlights came from the visits made to villages and towns along the way. At some we were able to pick up carvings and jewelry for souvenirs. The people were welcoming and eager to tell us a little more about life on the river.

A real thrill came from fishing for piranha. Using just a bamboo rod with fishing wire, a hook, and a piece of meat, we filled our boat with the fish and had them grilled up by our cook for us to enjoy. Mine were pretty tiny, but you can see some more serious ones were caught too!

Another favourite of mine was the impressive “meeting of the waters” where the dark waters of the Rio Negro join the silty, cloudy water of the Amazon. I had never seen anything like it before and while I could only grasp the basics of the science of it (water density, speed), it certainly made for some great photos.

Short rain showers occurred daily, but were mostly appreciated since they cooled us down as we cruised down the river, and rarely interfered with our activities. But with all that cloud cover, it made the spectacular sunrise below all the more special.

Under Quest naturalist Pete Read’s watchful eye and with our local guides’ experience of over a decade each, nature and wildlife remained the number one focus throughout. I was continually astounded that they could not only spot but also identify the species of a bird or mammal from such a distance and with only a fleeting glance. They were then quick to maneuver our canoe to a place where we could all get a closer look.  Our extensive list of bird sightings included the Amazonian umbrellabird, hoatzin, musician wren, Crimson Topaz hummingbird, Yellow-tufted woodpecker, and more than our fair share of festive parrots, blue & yellow and scarlet macaws, and toucans.

So, joining the Quest group to the Amazon was educational to say the least. I came through without a scratch, and even convinced some friends upon my return that no, wild Amazonian animals and insects do not seek out humans to scare and attack! I also had a wonderful time getting to know some of our Quest travelers better. It was adventurous, relaxing, and fun, and I think all nature lovers will find something to learn and love on this Amazon journey.

Photo by Sherry Kirkvold

In the beginning, some say it was Raven who brought light to the world. Some tell a story of a great ice covering the land that carved out mountains and steep fiords as it retreated. However it came to be, the north and central coast of British Columbia was once known by the British Columbia government as the Mid-coast Timber Supply Area. Various First Nations have names for their traditional territories, but most of us now know it as the Great Bear Rainforest.

Since the light came to the world, or even before, and since the ice retreated, people have lived in this land. Evidence can be seen in the bark-stripped trees still living more than a century after some of their bark was made into clothing, rope, baskets or other goods. The outlines of stone fish traps and canoe runs can still be seen in shallow waters, and a very lucky few have visited the remains of an ancestral bighouse with its standing corner posts and beams.

Canoe Run - Photo by Sherry Kirkvold

Evidence of more recent and once vibrant small communities can be seen in the remains of old canneries. Today only a few small communities remain. Clearcuts and a few fish farms now occupy parts of the landscape, fishing continues to be an important way of life, but most of this area remains a remote and magnificent pristine wilderness.

In sheer size, it has been referred to as 6.4 million hectares with a deeply convoluted coastline, but there are no official boundaries. Some areas such as Fiordland were protected early on, while others were added leading up to the Great Bear Rainforest Agreement of 2006. Many believe, however, that the scientific and biological needs of the area have not been taken into consideration and much more needs to be protected.

Now Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline poses a new threat to this area. The federal government’s Joint Review Panel is currently hearing from communities throughout the region. Aboriginal communities are united in their stand against this project.

Butedale Cannery - Photo by Sherry Kirkvold

The proposal is to move Alberta tarsands crude oil in a pipeline traversing rugged mountainous terrain to a terminal in Kitimat. Once in Kitimat, the oil would be loaded into tankers much larger than the Exxon Valdez, whose 1989 spill in Alaska resulted in one of the most devastating human-caused environmental disasters in the world. Depending on the route, tankers would travel for about 10 to 16 hours through the longest stretch of narrow channels of any tanker route in the world, into Dixon Entrance and Hecate Strait whose waters rank among the wildest in the world.

Every major tanker port has had an “incident” shortly after opening. In these waters we have recently seen the sinking of the BC Ferry Queen of the North in 2006 and the grounding of the Petersfield in Douglas Channel in 2009. Human error, mechanical failure and the whims of nature can all conspire against our best-laid plans.

It is not only an oil spill devastating our shores, seabirds, marine mammals and coastal communities we need to be concerned about. Tankers themselves would change this place forever.

Photo by Sherry Kirkvold

Since the cessation of whaling in BC in 1967, the number of humpback whales has begun to rebound. More recently, fin whales have been returning to these waters. For whatever reason, fin whales are the species most frequently hit by large ships, second only to humpbacks. As well, part of the tanker route is proposed “critical habitat” for both humpbacks and Northern resident orcas.

An exciting recent discovery is that humpback whales are singing in this area. It was long believed they only sang in their winter grounds. Their song is extremely complex and all whales in an area sing the same song. That song changes each year. How it is decided what the composition will be and how it is passed on remains a wonderful mystery. That would all change with near daily tanker traffic passing through these quiet waters.

And of course this area is home to the rare white form of black bear known as the Kermode or spirit bear. These bears along with grizzly bears, wolves, bald eagles and others all rely on salmon for a significant part of their diet. This area could also be called the Great Salmon Forest, for salmon not only feed wildlife, their decaying carcasses also feed the ancient forests.

Kermode or "Spirit" Bear - Photo by Sherry Kirkvold

I have worked in this area since 1995 and it has become a passionate love affair. I will be making an oral statement to the Joint Review Panel, but there is much more to do.

In 1989, artist friend and fellow naturalist, Mark Hobson, asked if I would be involved with an expedition of 100 artists going to Carmanah Valley. Out of that came the book Carmanah: Artistic Visions of an Ancient Rainforest and a travelling art show. Public awareness grew and eventually that area was protected from logging.

Mark recently asked for help with another project. This time 50 artists, many well-known and many who are First Nations, will travel to the Great Bear Rainforest. The logistics for this area are more complex, but several lodges and boat operators are lending their support along with Raincoast Conservation Foundation. A book is planned, Canada’s Raincoast at Risk: Art for Tanker-free Shores, as well as a video and travelling art show. Initially the show will tour in B.C., but there are hopes to take it across the country. We are currently looking for funding for both the expedition and the book. The primary goal is public awareness, and should any excess funds be generated from book and art sales, they will go towards Raincoast’s scientific work. If you would like to help out, donations can be sent to Raincoast Conservation Foundation (www.raincoast.org).

Quest Nature Tours will be taking its first voyage to this area in September 2012. This is the height of the season to see salmon runs, bears, whales, eagles, ancient forests, magnificent waterfalls and much more. Why not come along? You just might fall in love.

The group on Tiskita Beach at sunset

Hundreds of natural history highlights including the viewing of two gorgeous snakes, a Coral Snake and an Eyelash Pit Viper; beautiful birds like trogons, toucans, hawks, parrots,hummingbirds, tanagers and manakins; striking poison arrow frogs, many bats, sloths, caimans, crocodiles, butterflies and orchids. A major highlight was the 4 species of monkey seen well by everyone: Howler, Spider, Capuchin and, best of all, the oh-so-cute Squirrel Monkeys which frequented the grounds at Tiskita Lodge.

The Eyelash Pit Viper at La Selva Reserve

The lodges were first-class, as was the Tico food with numerous fruits and vegetables. But the component which made it such a special trip was the group itself ! Everyone was interested in nature, all had a great sense of humour, no-one complained, our Costa Rican guide Nancy was amazing, it was truly a joy to travel with such a group.

A Squirrel Monkey Female with baby at Tiskita Lodge

The country of Costa Rica is beautiful with much lovely scenery, from the volcanoes of Arenal and Poas to the waterfalls of La Paz to the forests of Braulio Carillo. The people were always friendly and helpful too.
Definitely a trip to remember!

Scarlet Macaws flying at dusk

I’ve just read a fascinating article in the February 20th issue of McLean’s magazine. Nicholas Kohler writes about the international trade in polar bear skins sold from a North Bay auction house. The article refers to every side of this discussion including the debate between scientists and environmentalists in the South and Inuit in the North.  With the price of raw, untreated polar bear skins rising by over 200% in the last two years, this is sure to continue to be a contentious issue. Check out the article here: http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/02/16/were-shooting-polar-bears/

The colourful harbour in Manaus

We left the lively city of Manaus with its opulent opera house, grand market, colourful river boats and busy harbor, and headed up the Rio Negro in the Tucano, a riverboat richly appointed in exotic jungle woods. The boat would be our home for the next nine days, as we headed upstream into areas of the Amazon basin that very few explorers ever see.

Our home, The Tucano

We were treated to great wildlife experiences. Everyone will have his or her favourite species, but mine was the spectacular Crimson Topaz, a rather huge hummingbird that blazed brilliantly in the morning sun just a few metres away, as it feasted on the nectar of flowers. For our local naturalists, it was seeing the Black Spider Monkey, a rare sight indeed.

Another wow moment was when one of the legendary Amazon Pink Dolphins came right up to our small expedition boat and peered inquisitively at us from below the water, just a few centimeters away. Sometimes the morning roars of the Red Howler Monkeys sounded like a wind storm approaching. Besides seeing these monkeys, and a number of other species, most enjoyable were the antics of the Common Squirrel Monkey which we found in some good-sized groups. They are so playfully animated, and their death-defying leaps from branch to branch sometimes left us breathless as we watched. I won’t forget the excitement of our travellers as they caught piranha, which we eagerly devoured after the boat’s wonderful chef, Vilma, expertly cooked them.

Fishing for piranha - this one was huge!

We enjoyed the walks in the jungle, led by our two excellent local naturalists, and learned about many medicinal plants and the strange wildlife in the Amazon basin. We examined one of the orchids that had fallen from a tree and it had a rich cinnamon smell.

A fragrant orchid that was found on board

When we weren’t on the small expedition boats slowly exploring the flooded backwaters on the river looking for wildlife, or following trails into the várzea or igapós forests, we were on the upper deck of the Tucano. This was a perfect place to relax, soothed by the breezes over the river, and to view the riverbanks for wildlife and to wave to the  people living along the river that is their lifeline.

River folk habitations

We also enjoyed visiting a few small villages along the river where we learned about making manioc, a staple food, and observed the lives of these people who live in this remote area. On one landing we also viewed some of the ruins of former rubber operations while hearing of the colonial development of the Amazon basin.

Of course the crew was excellent and looked after our every need. They were always cheerful and took pride in all they do. It was a wonderful trip and I look forward to leading it again next year and seeing the excited looks on the faces of the travellers who accompany me as they experience the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil.

Our first outing along Rio Negro!