Welcome to the homelands of the Heiltsuk Nation in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest.
Book one of our charter tours to the wonders of our lands and waters or use our transportation services for your project or logistic needs.
Experience the largest coastal temperate rainforest region left on the Planet.
Located between the outer islands and vast fiords, Bella Bella is the transportation hub for the outer Central Coast and offers direct access to the heart of the largest coastal temperate rainforest area left on the planet, the Great Bear Rainforest. Bella Bella is served daily by direct flights from Vancouver.
Through a variety of vessels, we can provide boat charters for various groups from 1 to 30 people per vessel. We require a minimum no. of participants to proceed with tours.
Travel between Central Coast communities
Health and Wellness Charters - Restoring the Sacred Balance
Water Taxi with pick up and drop off service for sea kayakers and campers within the Central Coast
Charter services for any occasion: work assignment, family visit, potlatch, basketball tournament, and more
Dive Charters, Film Crews and Research Projects
Transporting work crews and equipment safely to your job site
Wildlife viewing of eagles, bears, wolves, and whales
Explore the Central Coast's channels, fiords, islands, sandy beaches, and old growth forests
Natural history, historical interpretation, cultural sharing and storytelling with knowledgeable local Heiltsuk guides
Come by yourself, with your family or with a group of up to 56 passengers to enjoy a trip of a lifetime
Travel into majestic inland fiords that cut deep into mainland inlets where you can observe bears and wolves, water dwellers such as seals, porpoises and whales, as well as eagles, ravens and much more.
Also experience our ancient maritime society's sustainable practices like clam gardens, salmon and herring fish trips. Discover ancestral markers on the landscape such as rock paintings and carvings, and hike into the coastal rainforest to experience the lungs of the earth.
Go out into the many islands on the outer coast and experience the unequaled rugged pristine beauty that is home to one of the most complex maritime Indigenous societies on the planet. See and learn about this unique history and culture.
We are happy to help you design your personal package to meet your needs. Just give us a call or drop us an e-mail and we will explore the options with you.
A day trip through the heart of Great Bear Rainforest. Cut through inland fiords where wolves roam the beaches and bears are a frequent sight. Encounter dolphins and whales, birdlife and majestic ancient trees. The highlight of this tour is a one hour stop at a natural hot spring where you can soak in the healing power of nature.
Visit the Qatuwalas Gathering House and the original Glwa, our ocean-going canoe in Bella Bella. Come and see our interactive local exhibits about our maritime resources and maritime culture. Viewing and purchasing of native arts and crafts are available through advanced booking.
All vessels are equipped with safety equipment and emergency communication. Our local certified captains are knowledgeable and familiar with the Central coast waters. As part of a pilot project for the Heiltsuk Climate Action, we are using biodiesel to fuel one of our water taxis.
30 foot
12 passenger
With head (onboard toilet)
Biodiesel Fuelled
It is served by Pacific Coastal directly from Vancouver or Campbell River, and chartered flights from Seattle. Helijet also offers charter services to Bella Bella. As part of the Inside Passage route Bella Bella is serviced by BC Ferries on a regular schedule.
Our company is Heiltsuk owned and operated out of Bella Bella on Campbell Island, half way up the coast between Prince Rupert and Vancouver. Our owner, Frank Brown, grew up in Bella Bella and knows the area intimately. He and his wife and co-owner Kathy were instrumental in establishing the yearly recurring Tribal Canoe Journeys – a coast-wide gathering of traditional ocean-going canoes.
For as long as settlements have existed along the Pacific Coast, First Nations people have lived in and cared for the region’s lush ecosystems and abundant wildlife. This is the legacy we have inherited and now have the pleasure of enjoying and sharing.
We have a long history in maritime commerce and trade. According to archaeological evidence, the Heiltsuk have lived and travelled these waterways for over fourteen thousand years. The original marine transportation was by Glwa the ocean-going canoe carved from single large cedar trees. Throughout time we have adapted new modes of transportation. We never stopped using our ancestral waterways for food harvesting, commerce, trade, and social and cultural gatherings.
YuWala Marine Charters’ mission is to support and enable people in moving between places within the Central Coast for personal, social, and work purposes.
Experienced in transporting film crews throughout the Central Coast
Global News Story: Indigenous Guardians are patrolling the front lines of climate change
Hauyat is one of many traditional territories of the Heiltsuk peoples. This website provides a deep insight into Heiltsuk's connection to place, beliefs, stories, and way of life. Take an annotated virtual tour around this magical place and its 6000-year old village site. Listen to the wisdom of our Elders and explore what researchers have unveiled.
HauyatSacred Journey shares stories of the resurgence of the ocean-going canoe culture on the Northwest Pacific Coast. Heiltsuk have been instrumental in revitalizing this once crucial vessel for the benefit of many. Parts of the upcoming travelling exhibit can be viewed on touchscreens of our tours in the Qatuwalas Gathering House.
Sacred Journey ExhibitFrank and his son Saul are featured in the new IMAX Film. Showing grizzlies, coastal wolves, whales, herring roe fishery, and the all-white spirit bear — the rarest bear on earth. It provides amazing insights into the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world — a place protected by the region's First Nations for millennia.
IMAX FilmLocal and Indigenous knowledge in practice: Educational curriculum resources for various ages and grades. A unique insight into our marine society's history, culture and practises. It is one of the oldest societies in North America, carbon dating back over 14,000 years. This educational resource celebrates the reciprocal relationship between the Heiltsuk and two keystone marine species: salmon and herring. Join the Heiltsuk and other researchers studying the cycles that connect land and sea, and learn how traditional ecological knowledge can guide us into a more sustainable future.
The Harvest (Bák̓vṇx̌)
YuWala MARINE CHARTERS
302 Clatsja Drive
Box 115 Bella Bella,
BC, Canada
VOT 1ZO
We accept all major credit cards & e-transfers
Come and experience the magic.
Wildlife Photography by Ian McAllister Photography
Web design by Greencoast Media
Vectors graphics designed by iconfinder
