On the extra day in camp we cross Knight Inlet through Thompson Sound to the Kakweikan River and spend a day with Trapper Rick. This river is located on the BC mainland and we travel by road to Rick’s cabin. On the way to Rick’s we occasionally view Grizzly Bears on the road. We followed this grizzly bear down the road for five or six minutes and he stayed on the road until we reached the river. He made no attempt to head for the bush rather we were ignored until he got to HIS destination which also happened to be ours. If time permits and you have the interest river fishing can be enjoyed and in August catching is almost a sure thing. Photos byBruce & Carole Cripps 9-11
Grizzly Bear and Wildlife Viewing Blog: Monthly Archives: January 2013
A large Grizzly Bear on a tour from lodge
The morning grizzly bear viewing tour up Knight Inlet is always more memorable after an encounter with a Big grizzly. Guests like to compare the size of the bears they view on their day trips however a truly big grizzly bear will tend to keep other bears away until they have had a good feed. So maybe size is not a good thing. Is this one eating grass it is possible even though this picture was taken in September bears are still eating grass and berries along with salmon. Salmon along the BC coast and notably Knight Inlet arrive at the rivers in mid August and remain until late October.Bruce comments “Although prior to our visit we had read about the thousands of salmon that congregated up river at the end of “The Salmon Run”, the wall-to-wall density of the fish was an amazing sight.”Photos by Bruce & Carole Cripps 8-11
Grizzly bears at play
The grizzly bears we view on Knight Inlet are different than the Alaskan grizzly, as they are well fed and or not competing for food. It is estimated that there are over forty bears on the Glendale and enough food that serious fights are rare. Unlike their northern cousins Knight Inlet grizzly bears do not have open wounds or scares from previous years fights. Because of this it viewing “play fighting” on a regular bases is quite common.“We felt so privileged to be able to experience the bears up close in their own environment and Grizzly Bear Lodge’s exclusive use of the viewing stands at Glendale Cove enabled everyone in our group to get fantastic sightings.”Photos by Bruce & Carole Cripps 7-11
Grizzly Bear Tours on Knight Inlet
Your grizzly bear tour day up Knight Inlet to the viewing stands in the fall allows you an opportunity to view a variety of bear activity and behaviour. In this case this grizzly has eaten the head first, as it is high in mineral content. It appears that a better view is necessary to look for more food, possibly competition is near, or if you stand up it shows how big one is and you keep your fishing area. In this case Bruce provides the answer in his comment.“We had been watching this female grizzly bear catching the salmon on the weir for quite some time then it suddenly stood up to its full height when it picked up the scent of an approaching male!” Photos by Bruce & Carole Cripps 6-11
Knight Inlet Grizzly Bear Watching
Knight Inlet runs approximately 100 kilometers into the BC mainland and is located off the East Coast of Vancouver Island about 100 kilometers north of Campbell River. There are seven rivers running into Knight Inlet but only the Glendale River has a “man made” spawning channel which means many more salmon than some of the other rivers and therefore grizzly bears come from the surrounding area to feed on the Glendale at the base of the viewing stands we use. Even though there are lots of salmon the first step is to catch the salmon. These grizzly bears seem to have that part of their job completed. Photos byBruce & Carole Cripps 5-11
Grizzly Bear Tour – first day
Your day for grizzly bear watching you leave the lodge by 8:00 in the morning with a picnic lunch for a run up BC’s Knight Inlet to the grizzly bear viewing area of Glendale Cove. We use a boat made by Double Eagle, which means a lot to the guides as they are likely the best made boat on the BC coast. We share the tie up with a company from Telegraph Cove on Vancouver Island. It is nice to have friends around when you are in a remote area. A pause and a picture break on the floating dock before heading to the viewing stands. Photos byBruce & Carole Cripps 3-11
Lodge staff – Grizzly Bear Lodge
The staff at Grizzly Bear Lodge has all been with the lodge for more than ten years each. They shall remain nameless until you arrive. These pictures remain small to hide the true identity of the staff. The cook, ever present maintenance man / deck hand and the guides all enjoy their work and spend allot of time with the guests. Share meals and hours of conversation around the same table. We all live on Vancouver Island and have spent our live along the BC coast. Photos by
Bruce & Carole Cripps 2-11
Lodge on Knight Inlet
Grizzly Bear Lodge is located on Minstrel Island a small island part way up Knight Inlet. This is one of the largest inlets on BC’s coast and is located off the East Coast of Vancouver Island. It is a short plane ride from Campbell River.
If you return to the main website and go to “About” and then to “Guest Book” you will be able to read what past guest say about the lodge. Photos by
Bruce & Carole Cripps 1-11
