Salmon Bay, British Columbia | Adventure Travel Photography

On a recent crisp autumn morning I enjoyed a guided walk along the banks a salmon-bearing river through lush and mossy temperate rainforest at Salmon Bay in British Columbia. This was the first shore trip for our group and we were eager to enter the Great Bear Rain Forest that we had traveled so far to see.

Our guide and naturalist gathered us in a patch of sunlight at the edge of the forest where she shared with us a poem that called us to be present and attentive in this special place. We listened to the water rippling past and felt the breeze in the branches above.

The rocky shoreline was quiet and lined with drifts of seaweed and leaves left by the receding tide. Golden morning light filtered through the moss-draped branches of tall trees. The jaws and remnants of recently spawned salmon were scattered near the woodland undergrowth. This was an ideal environment in which to see evidence of grizzly bears, wolves, and other wildlife.

At the river’s mouth a grassy meadow revealed vegetation bowed by recent high water, as the region had been saturated by an atmospheric river the week before.

Through some patches of the meadow the ground had been disturbed as bears foraged for the roots of the silverweed plant.

We entered the forest through a curtain of green growth, crossing logs and cushions of deep moss. The last of the salmon for the season’s run lingered in the deeper river channels, while some recently spawned fish floated in the shallows.

As we followed the narrow path deeper into the trees a raven watched from overhead, floating from branch to branch and calling loudly. A dew-covered eagle feather lay on the ground.

The rich earthy smells of the forest mingled with the distinct scent of fish remains. The environmental impact of the salmon migration and spawning within the coastal rain forests is enormous. Their presence in the ecosystem provides a substantial transfer of nitrogen into these bio-diverse watersheds and habitats.

This experience was a beautiful introduction to the Great Bear Rainforest. It was a privilege to explore a meadow that had been overturned by grizzly bears in search of silverweed roots, walking beside a salmon-bearing river and passing beneath tall mossy trees.

View my full set of photos from Salmon Bay, British Columbia here, selections available as prints and for licensing.