Grizzly Waiting for Lunch

Grizzly bear waiting

This was the before photo for the  Nov. 7th posting. Not all grizzly bears are good salmon catchers but this one had the patience to wait and save energy until a fish came close. The photo was taken from the viewing stands that we use after August 24th.

 

 

Steller Sea Lions

sea lions AKA Steller sea lion, Steller’s sea lion, northern sea lion are in are viewing area all year around but much more abundant in late May to early June on their way North and again in late August through September when returning south. These male Steller sea lions average a nose-to-tail length of 3 m (9 ft.) and weigh about 700 kg (1500 lbs.). When dry, Steller sea lions are a tan to golden-brown color and darken to a chocolate brown on their flippers and underside. They appear dark brown or black when wet.

 

 

Resident Killer Whales

Killer paradeLooks like a good photo of some resident killer whales until you look closely and realize that all the dorsal fins are not going in the same direction. Resident orcas are the ones that eat salmon.  This was an occasion when they stopped travelling and started to feed.  From this point on they stayed in the ripe tide off Craycroft Point and fed on salmon for over an hour. We turned off our engine and sat in the ripe while the orca fed all around the boat.

 

 

 

Fall Grizzly Bear Fishing

Grizzly bear DiningThis is the more “expected photo” of a grizzly bear than yesterdays posting. In late August once the salmon have arrived in the rivers of Knight Inlet the grizzlies have access to their preferred food – salmon. This is the food that provides the necessary calories for the bears to add the layer of fat need for them to survive hibernation.

 

 

Spring Grizzly Bear Grazing

Grizzly bear grazing“Bears are omnivores that have relatively unspecialized digestive systems similar to those of carnivores. The primary difference is that bears have an elongated digestive tract, an adaptation that allows bears more efficient digestion of vegetation than other carnivores (Herrero 1985). Unlike ruminants, bears do not have a cecum and can only poorly digest the structural components of plants (Mealey 1975). To compensate for inefficient digestion of cellulose, bears maximize the quality of vegetal food items ingested, typically foraging for plants in phenological stages of highest nutrient availability and digestibility (Herrero 1985).” From Yellowstone
National Park website. Its fun to quote sites that give scientific facts for: – grizzlies eat anything and in the spring sedge grass is consumed in great amounts because they are not cows and have a hard time digesting the high protein sedge grass. But it is still strange seeing such a large animal with a fierce reputation eating grass.

 

 

Evening Black Bear Tour 2 0f 2

black bear tourYes this is an evening black bear tour and this is a mother grizzly bear with two first year cubs. This bear spent most of the summer in an area that was less then a twenty minute boat ride from the lodge. Some mornings she was observed on the way to the whales and other evening on a black bear tour. This evening we followed them along the shore for close to an hour which extended our evening tour so we got back just before dark. Our lodge does not have a tight schedule requiring us to be back at the lodge at a set time so if we find something worth watching, we watch.

 

 

Evening Black Bear Tour 1 0f 2

black bear and cub

 

The first evening at the Grizzly Bear Lodge includes a black bear tour in the local area around the lodge. For the 2015 season it has been harder to find black bears on the evening tour that grizzly bears on the day trip up Knight Inlet. Most guests were able to view black bears some time on their visit as your guide is constantly watching the shore on the whale watching day, grizzly bear trip and the day at the wild river. The above photo was on a whale-watching trip. We spent forty-five or so minutes with this mother and cubs she pass through several small bays rolling rocks and at the edge of the forest eating salal berries.

Best Series of Photos 3 of 3

orca tailorca tailHowever as the last photo shows that this is a killer whale (orca) not a humpback whale. Killer whales are identifies by their dorsal fin and the accompanying saddle patch. This last photo was actually the first is the series but if I had posted them in the correct order there would be nothing to write.

 

 

 

 

Best Series of Photos 1 of 3

Killer WhaleKiller whale divingApril and Rob of Cairns Australia visited Grizzly Bear Lodge in the summer of 2011 and took a series of photos which has always been one of my favourities. Photos of tails is one of the main identification tools for whales…