Working in the remote regions of the Great Bear Rainforest requires access by boat. Our 67′ vessel Achiever serves as a research platform for many of our projects, however the marine team -who undertake marine mammal and seabird surveys- spend up to 4 months a year on board. In 2007, the crew surveyed the stormy waters off BC’s central and north coast until December, in order to expand our understanding of abundance and distribution patterns of animals throughout the year. This experience gave them insight into the risks associated with allowing oil tankers weekly winter passage through this shallow, rocky coastline.