The interesting aspect of this photo taken on a whale watching safari is that Glen managed to catch a seagull with two herring in its mouth. Also interesting is the importance of finding a herring ball while whale watching because this leads to really interesting photo as tomorrow’s post will show…
Interesting in that the only place the photo could have been taken was from the viewing stands we use on our grizzly bear tours. The slightly downward angle with the bushes in the back ground means Glen was about 3.5 meters (yards) in the air. Like the posting from the 15th there are always interesting subjects when one tires or wants a change from grizzlies and a heron is a change.
No it is not “Photo Shop” or any other modification program it is just a little morning fog. Fortunately the fog is normally gone before noon. For some reason this has become one of my favourite photos taken by Glen one of my fellow guides. I think it is because of the perfect blend of the photo on the page that there are no borders and the killer whale actually seems to be on the screen.
Glen (guide) thought it looked like a “shower cap” I choose a “diva crown”. Glen took the photo and I’m doing the blog so not sure who gets to name the photo? Either way it was a first for both of us and we have each been at the lodge for about fifteen years. BC’s Glendale River that flows into Knight Inlet becomes quite turbulent after a heavy rain and produces natural foam that adorns this grizzly bear’s head.
Heading off the beach to the top of the tidal zone in search of berries. Climbing over barnacle and seaweed covered rocks is avoided by using a strategy placed log.
Not hard to tell that this mother has a cub that needs to be nursed. We watched this mother and her cub eating berries at the top of the beach for about a half-hour, on one of the whale watching trips, before the cub moved into the bush and the mother on to the beach. The cub likely wanted to nurse but the mother was after more food while the tide was still low enough for her to turn over rocks.
This is a closer visit from orca. The white in the bottom of the photo is the stern corner of our boat, which puts the orca about five meters (yards) and closing. Sometimes the best way to watch wildlife is to stop and let them watch. Killer whales are members of the dolphin family and are curious. It is not uncommon to have them go off course and swim near the boat.
Finding a pod of orca / killer whales on a days whale watching always adds to the excitement of the day. They are majestic as we keep pace as they travel the waters of BC’s Johnstone Strait. Nothing but a closer visit is as interesting…
This past summer was excellent for the number of eagles feeding on the schools of herring and for the number of days we viewed the activity on the wildlife safaris. The larger the schools of herring in our viewing area mean many more humpback whales, more salmon to attract killer whales and more eagles feeding. The base of marine activity is the abundance of herring.
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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