Nestled in a protected harbour in the Broughton Archipelago Marine Provincial Park, Berry Island Wilderness Lodge (previously called Farewell Harbour Lodge) is a beautiful retreat set within the mighty Great Bear Rainforest.

Whilst you’re truly immersed in the remote surroundings, Berry Island is easily accessed from Port Hardy on Vancouver Island and can be easily incorporated into any Canada holiday. If exploring the island on a fly drive holiday, simply make your way to Alder Bay Marina to meet the scenic water taxi to the lodge. If you’re travelling without a car there are regular flights from Vancouver, and the lodge offers a shuttle service from Port Hardy hotels to meet the transfer.

The lodge itself is built of natural cedar, combining cosy communal spaces with comfortable accommodation and breathtaking ocean views. Meals are taken with your fellow guests and are lovingly prepared to showcase local BC produce. In my view the star of the show is the large outdoor terrace complete with fire pit, the perfect place to reflect and chat after the day’s exploration, or watch other brave guests join the lodge’s legendary 5pm swim club!

Berry Island Wilderness Lodge prides itself on offering many ways to connect with the natural world through guided wildlife viewing and a curated selection of adventure, cultural and relaxation experiences. Depending on your length of stay, you can tailor your itinerary to include as much or as little as you like!

My stay included a full day bear viewing excursion by boat. We set off early to travel up Knight Inlet, keeping our eyes peeled for marine wildlife as we went. We spotted a range of species including black bears foraging on the shore, and on arrival at Glendale Cove we transferred into a zodiac and were rewarded with a family of grizzly bears, including very young and playful cubs! We had a set amount of time in the cove meaning it wasn’t crowded and felt very respectful of the bears.

I spent my second morning at the lodge kayaking, while other guests ventured out on a full day marine tour in search of orca, humpback whales, Dall’s porpoises, Steller sea lions and sea otters, to name a few of the species regularly spotted. If I had more time, I would have liked to join a tour to a local village to learn more about the indigenous culture of the Kwakwaka’wakw people or explored the surrounding rainforest of Berry Island.

The wildlife encounters were undoubtedly my personal highlight as they were so varied and it felt truly special so see so many amazing species, some of which for the first time.

There were too many to list but my sightings included breaching humpback whales on the water taxi from Alder Bay to the lodge, as bald eagles hovered above; black bears eating mussels along the rocky shores; mighty grizzlies ranging from a territorial male on his hind legs (from a great distance, thankfully!) to mothers and cubs frolicking in the shallows and a pod of orcas hunting for their next meal.

My personal favourite wildlife experience, however, was being closely followed by two playful seals on my kayaking tour around the perimeter of Berry Island. They were so curious and enjoyed swimming in our wake while cheekily keeping us guessing whether they’d pop up ahead of us as we paddled.

British Columbia enforces laws surrounding whale watching, meaning boats strictly maintain a distance of 100-400 metres to keep the wildlife safe. Bear viewing is also conducted from a respectful distance. This doesn’t take away from your viewing experience, and the lodge have binoculars on hand (shared amongst the guests), but if you’re an avid photographer it’s worth investing in your kit to get up close and personal!

Conversely, I would also recommend setting your phone or camera aside throughout your stay and simply taking everything in without a screen.