How can I help the Great Bear Sea?

WWF

I had the privilege of visiting the Great Bear Sea last month with a group of WWF-Canada supporters. I was on board as a photographer (dream come true!) and heard this question from everyone who joined the trip. It is such an exquisite, breathtaking place – such a Canadian place – that is so important to our environment, our economy, our people. WWF is working to protect this healthy ecosystem including a joint effort with Coastal First Nations to inform Canadians about the value of this amazing ecosystem, research into the impacts of ocean noise on marine species and partnerships with local communities to support conservation of estuaries and rivers in the area.

A Grizzly bear munches on some salmon in misty Khutze Inlet. ©Steph Morgan
A Grizzly bear munches on some salmon in misty Khutze Inlet. ©Steph Morgan

The one question on everyone’s mind by the end of the trip (if not immediately from the start) was: “How can I, (a professor, musician, nurse, lawyer), help the Great Bear Sea ?”
Even if you haven’t had the opportunity to visit British Columbia’s gorgeous Northern coast, you too might ask yourself how you can support WWF’s work in this area. One simple way is to use your credit card. Now, I’m not being cheeky (although donations are very much appreciated), I’m talking about getting a BMO® WWF-Canada MasterCard®*. With this card, for no extra charge to you, BMO contributes a percentage of your spend to WWF-Canada. Find out more about this great partnership here. This simple action raises money that helps fund the vital conservation work WWF is doing, including the Great Bear Sea.
To help inspire you to get involved in the conservation of the Great Bear, I could write pages upon pages about what an incredible journey the trip was for me – as a conservationist, an environmentalist, and simply a person. Instead, I’ll leave you with some of my favourite images from the trip. Interpret as you wish – to me they speak to the natural cycles that are so critical to this region, the peace and quiet that is becoming rare on this planet, and the beauty of nature’s intricacies.
A black bear carries lunch from the river into the rainforest. © Steph Morgan
A black bear carries lunch from the river into the rainforest. © Steph Morgan

A salmon decomposes on the rainforest floor, returning vital nutrients to the vegetation. ©Steph Morgan
A salmon decomposes on the rainforest floor, returning vital nutrients to the vegetation. © Steph Morgan

A playful humpback whale shows off its pectoral fins (belly up!) near Hartley Bay. ©Steph Morgan
A playful humpback whale shows off its pectoral fins (belly up!) near Hartley Bay. ©Steph Morgan

Everything is alive in the Great Bear rainforest. Here, droplets accumulate on a mossy tree. © Steph Morgan
Everything is alive in the Great Bear rainforest. Here, droplets accumulate on a mossy tree. © Steph Morgan

A pink salmon struggles to get upstream on its valiant journey back to where it was born. ©Steph Morgan
A pink salmon struggles to get upstream on its valiant journey back to where it was born. ©Steph Morgan

WWF-Canada’s conservation efforts, including the Great Bear Sea, are supported by funds like those generated from the BMO WWF-Canada Affinity Card Program. Apply for a BMO WWF-Canada AIR MILES®† MasterCard and earn 1 AIR MILES reward miles for every $20 in card purchases. If you already have a card, we thank you for supporting WWF’s work here in Canada and around the world.