A rare spirit bear, also known paradoxically as the “white black bear,” was spotted during a National Geographic Expeditions small-ship trip last weekend through the Inside Passage of British Columbia, southeast of Alaska. The expedition to Alaska, British Columbia, and the San Juan Islands, is a 12-day biannual trip aboard one of two vessels: the National Geographic Sea Lion and the National Geographic Sea Bird. This incredible experience affords travelers a chance to explore the wilderness by Zodiac, by kayak, and on foot, with a team of naturalists and a National Geographic photographer.

During this most recent excursion, which just concluded this month, several whale sightings were tallied as the Sea Bird traversed northward through the islands and straights of maritime British Columbia on her way to Alaska. This landscape has been described as “an unspoiled labyrinth of tiny islands, spectacular fiords, and abundant wildlife.” This is a land where wolves can fish, deer have been known to swim, and black bears are sometimes white.