KEY POINTS:
An eagle-eyed member of our party spots him from the boat first. A grizzly bear, ambling out from the bush close to the water's edge.
He gives the area a cursory glance, sniffs the air and flops on to the warm sand for a few minutes' peace and quiet.
Our skipper does a quick U-turn, drops the engine and manoeuvres the boat as close to shore as possible. The photo session begins. The magnificent beast gives us about five minutes of his time before deciding he's had enough sunbathing and lollops off.
We can't wipe the smiles from our faces as we head home.
We've been on a grizzly-watching tour from Sonora Island, one of the pristine Discovery Islands that are sandwiched between Vancouver Island and the Canadian mainland.
The tour starts at the mouth of the mainland's Orford River at the southernmost tip of the Great Bear Rainforest; seven million hectares of spectacular inlets etched by glaciers and untouched old growth forest.
Our Homalco First Nations guide Dave tells us about 50 grizzlies live in this section of the moss-covered rainforest area bordering the river. Twice a year they congregate along the water's edge to take their fill of the abundant salmon that run up the river.
Dave takes us to a number of watchtowers dotted along the river, which meanders through the forest. From some of the 3m towers we can see enormous footprints on the mudflats, signs that the grizzlies are indeed there.
By the end of our tour we've seen the rear-ends of three as they disappear back into the forest.
Dave is furious on our behalf because, just as we start our trip, a helicopter swoops over the area, scaring off the mighty beasts. Despite their size, they're timid and don't like unexpected noise and interference.
So the unscheduled sighting as we leave more than makes up for it. As we creep up on him from the safety of our boat and marvel at his majesty, we give silent thanks to Dave's companion Travis. The rifle-toting Travis had escorted us throughout our tour, keeping an eye out for any stray grizzlies that may fancy the taste of some human flesh for a change.
The size of this beast leaves us in no doubt who would come off second best if a grizzly charged.
As we settle in for our 45-minute journey home, happy our mission is accomplished, our skipper receives a radio report that a couple of humpback whales are cavorting only a slight detour away.
Grizzlies and humpbacks in one day? A couple of days earlier we'd been lucky enough to witness three pods of orca - about 40 in total - hear them chattering and watch them dancing and splashing in and out of the waves.
It seems too good to be true that we can have a second chance, but here are the humpbacks, water spraying from their spouts as they rise and fall gracefully in perfect synchrony. It's almost wildlife overload, but we cope.
Our home for three days is the wilderness resort lodge, Sonora, a sprawling, welcoming complex on an eye-watering scale of luxury and comfort.
The resort, nestled along the island's secluded coastline, is a 50-minute flight by seaplane or helicopter from Vancouver. This wildlife heaven is surrounded by towering trees with picture-postcard views of soaring mountains from every vantage point.
The waters surrounding the island rage and swirl like a furious-flowing river, the result of spectacular tidal rapids that are peculiar to this neck of the British Columbian woods.
So on our journey home to the lodge we speed across waters running about 20km/h, and through rapids, whirlpools and overfalls that made Central Otago's Shotover River look like a millpond.
Our skipper tells us to keep an eye on the shoreline for otters and cougars - the grizzly's only predator - but if they're there, they're well hidden.
Bald eagles perched high in the trees launch gracefully from their nests to arc overhead and dive for food. Seals snooze along the shoreline or cavort playfully alongside our boat, popping their heads above the waterline to swim gracefully beside us.
The seals are a wonderful source of free entertainment at Sonora. Scores of them have taken up residence outside my room and spend hours diving in and out of the water in search of salmon.
They have better luck than I after a morning salmon fishing. I reeled in one - a 15-pounder, according to Herb our guide - but it was a coho, a protected species, so it had to be released back into the water. And I didn't even have a chance of a photo.
It will always be the one that got away, unlike the grizzlies that are tucked up safe and sound on my camera. A once-in-a-lifetime treat.
Patrice Gaffaney travelled to Canada courtesy of Air New Zealand and Tourism British Columbia. Air NZ flies direct from Auckland to Vancouver twice a week.
