点评:A big ‘Thank You’ to Rolf Hicker of Vancouver Island Photo Tours. We spent three days with Rolf on the water around northern Vancouver Island in May 2026.
If anyone is thinking of a wildlife tour in that area I can whole-heartedly recommend Rolf for the job.
Rolf is a consummate wildlife professional and photographer and an all-round great guy. He is great fun to be with and, while he states very clearly that, when searching for wildlife, there are no guarantees of sightings, he does seem to be a bit of an animal magnet 😊👍
Ever respectful of the environment, the wildlife, as well as the First Nation peoples in whose landscape the tours operate, Rolf has a wealth of knowledge and there is never a moment when the tours dry up for want of input.
Rolf’s primary focus is respect for the bears, eagles, whales, otters and other critters but running a very close second is Rolf’s total commitment to make the tour memorable for every participant whoever they be.
We spent two days touring Knight Inlet with some light relief on the middle day to Broughton Archipelago. I say light relief because the boat ride can get bumpy but it is well worth it for the ground you get to cover in a day but make no mistake, it is no sedentary paddle round a lake.
The standout moment for us was on our middle day. We set off early to tour Broughton Archipelago and came into a wide shallow bay where Rolf had spied a black bear mooching around the shoreline looking for breakfast. We drifted in slowly then Rolf donned his waders and pulled us in gently the rest of the way. The bear remained totally unperturbed throughout and then we just watched for almost 20 minutes. The bay was sheltered and there wasn't a breath of wind. It was silent. The only sounds were the gentle lapping of water on the shore and the bear breathing. This was quite possibly the best experience of our lives. twenty minutes of sheer magic.
As you can see we came back with what I consider some great pics and, even if we never get to go again, I shall always remember that week. Thanks so much Rolf.
翻译:衷心感谢温哥华岛摄影之旅的罗尔夫·希克。2026年5月,我们与罗尔夫一起在温哥华岛北部的海域度过了三天。
如果有人打算在该地区参加野生动物观察之旅,我极力推荐罗尔夫来担任向导。
罗尔夫是一位资深的野生动物专业人士兼摄影师,也是个非常出色的人。和他相处十分愉快;虽然他始终明确指出,在寻找野生动物的过程中并不能保证一定能看到它们。他确实像个能吸引各种动物的“磁石”呢 😊👍
罗尔夫始终十分尊重环境、野生动物,以及旅游路线所在地区的原住民。他学识渊博,在讲解过程中总能妙语连珠,绝不会出现无话可说的冷场时刻。
罗尔夫最重视的就是对熊、鹰、鲸鱼、水獭等各类野生动物的尊重;而排在第二位的重要事项,则是竭尽全力让每一位参与者都能拥有难忘的旅行体验。我们花了两天时间游览奈特湾,中间那天则稍作放松,前往布劳顿群岛。说是放松,是因为乘船过程可能会有些颠簸,但一天之内能游览如此多的地方,这一切都是非常值得的。不过请记住,这可不是在湖面上悠闲泛舟那么简单。
对我们而言,最难忘的时刻就在中间那天。我们一大早便出发去游览布劳顿群岛。不久便来到了一个宽阔而水浅的海湾,罗尔夫在那里看到一只黑熊正在海岸线附近徘徊,似乎在寻找早餐。我们慢慢漂近,随后罗尔夫穿上防水裤,小心翼翼地将船缓缓驶入湾内。那只熊自始至终都毫无察觉。我们就这样静静观察了将近20分钟。海湾里风平浪静,四周一片寂静。四周只有海水轻拍岸边的声音,还有那只熊的呼吸声。这极有可能是我们一生中最美妙的体验了——整整二十分钟的梦幻时光。
如您所见,我们带回了一些我认为非常棒的照片。即便以后再也没机会去,我也会永远记住那个星期。非常感谢你,罗尔夫。