Grizzly bear watchers from the viewing stands on the Glendale River often see a number of bears together in a small area. The abundance of easily caught salmon means that it is not necessary to fight for the best fishing hole. The grizzlies are more tolerant of each other as this photo shows to different mothers with their cubs sharing the same set of rapids. They may keep as eye on each other but rarely are protective of their “spot”.
The grizzly bear population of the viewing area in Knight Inlet is very healthy and has been growing over the years. Our lodge, Grizzly Bear Lodge, is located 40 km (26 m) from the main viewing river in Knight Inlet. Six years ago a grizzly bear in the area of the lodge was unheard of and now there are grizzlies on the lodge’s island several times a year. It is a small island so the bears come and go within a day but are frequently seen in the area. This bear was seen in the spring in a small bay not for from Minstrel Island on one of the evening black bear tours.
The head on lunge of a humpback whale coming up through a school of herring produces a very impressive photo. This is a definite “Click on to enlarge” to get the detail of the herring in the air and the baleen in the whales mouth. The area of the whale watching tours from the lodge in Knight Inlet has become the summer home of eighteen or more humpback whales. This increased number of whales on the day tours means many more photos such as this one.
Grizzly bear tours in the fall, after August 24th, use the viewing platforms on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River. This is an hour and quarter boat ride from the lodge and then a fifteen-minute van ride along the river to the viewing area. The platforms are located near the entrance to a man-made spawning channel that has a holding area for the salmon before they enter the channel. This holding area is the main attractions for the grizzly bears because of the abundance of easily caught salmon. In this case the grizzly decided to just sit and wait to see what might swim by to provide the next meal. Not all fishing grizzlies are aggressive or action bears.
The whale watching trips from the lodge on BC’s Minstrel Island travel about fifty minutes to Johnstone Strait and along the shore of Vancouver Island to find orca. The resident (fish eating) orca spend their summers working this area in search of the larger spring salmon. The whale watching guidelines require that we remain a hundred meters (yards) from the orca so if they are coming up the straits the boats will line up parallel to the line of travel for a good view. Engines off we wait for the orca to pass but at times they will do a ninety-degree turn and pass between waiting boats or in this case start to feed on salmon.
The grizzly bear trips from the lodge travel up Knight Inlet to the Glendale River estuary. The bears come to this area in the spring because of the protein rich sedge grass, which keeps them going until the salmon arrive in late August. The grazing rights are shared with British Columbia’s black tailed deer. The upper beach along the shore of the river estuary is more or less rock free which gives the deer an advantage for a quick escape. The grizzly have come to accept their grazing partners and realize the chance of catching a deer is not worth the calories wasted.
On the first evening in Grizzly Bear Lodge guests go on an hour plus wildlife tour looking for black bear, bald eagles, seals etc. When this bear was first spotted we thought it might be reaching for a drink of water because we were in a bay with a stream and fresh water tends to float on salt water. We were proven wrong as the bear was after the mussels closer to the water. This is part of “the grass is always greener” theory as there were many mussels further up the beach.
This photo was taken on July 12 meaning that this grizzly bear cub was five months old and is already rolling rocks on the beach. Grizzly bear cubs will nurse for up to three years their mother’s milk being more than 30% fat. Depending on when a grizzly mother bear wants to wean her cubs, a decision often made when she decides it’s time to mate again, she will keep producing milk for up to three years. However, grizzly cubs begin eating solid food from an early age and can very quickly become not dependent on mama’s milk. Also notice the hind leg of the mother grizzly is almost furless likely a result of rubbing in the den. It fur did grow back over the summer.
Bald Eagles are frequently sighted in our area. At times they can be seen in large numbers. This is usually where food supplies are high. For example this could be in areas with high concentrations of baitfish or along the rivers in the fall when the salmon are spawning. They are not migratory, but do move around with the food supply. As mentioned earlier when the salmon are spawning we often see many along the rivers, while there will be fewer along the coastline. With little need for camouflage their white head and tail feathers can be spotted easily. The female is slightly larger and her white head extends down a bit farther onto the body, but it is subtle. It takes these birds 4.5 – 5 years to acquire this unique plumage. As juveniles they are a brown colour. With exceptional eyesight and the ability to view 270 degrees they are understandably often seen in high perches and in trees near points and passageways.
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