The Great Bear Sea runs along BC’s central and north coasts, stretching from Campbell River up to the southern edge of Alaska. It hugs the shores of the Great Bear Rainforest and is also known as the Northern Shelf Bioregion. But, most folks just call it what it is: home.

This isn’t just a pretty patch of ocean. It’s one of the richest marine zones on the planet.

￼ Halibut, herring, rockfish, lingcod, sablefish, salmon

￼ Octopus, abalone, clams, nudibranchs, chitons

￼ Orcas, humpbacks, fin whales, white-sided dolphins

￼ Kelp forests, eelgrass beds, glass sponge reefs, deep-sea corals

From spawning grounds to whale highways, the Great Bear Sea supports everything from the tiniest invertebrates to BC’s biggest economies. And it’s been doing that for thousands of years. It's been feeding communities, shaping cultures, and anchoring coastal livelihoods.

But none of that’s guaranteed to last.

Industrial overfishing, trawl damage, and pollution are taking their toll. When corporate extraction runs ahead of local knowledge, we all lose.

That’s where Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) come in. They’re not about shutting down the ocean. They’re about giving it the chance to breathe, rebuild, and provide... long into the future.

￼ If we want a future with halibut, herring, and humpbacks…

If we want the next generation to work these waters and feed their families from them…

Then we need to protect what makes this coast strong.

So, where exactly is the Great Bear Sea? If you’ve ever stood on a dock in Prince Rupert, watched the tide roll in off Bella Bella, or heard the blow of a humpback echo through the inlets near Hartley Bay, you’ve already met it.