Grizzly Bear and Wildlife Viewing Blog: Monthly Archives: April 2013

Grizzly Bear Bath

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Some days the grizzly bear watching on July and early August are quite warm it is unlikely this was a “bath” rather think back on a hot day that you may have experienced and add a heavy fur coat. That is the likely reason mother and cub are in the water. They are in the Glendale River estuary which is a mixture of fresh and salt water so their coast will not contain allot of salt when dry. The sedge grass along the shore is the main reason for the grizzly bears to be in the area as the salmon to not appear until late August.

Safari Race?

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On the grizzly bear tours and whale watching safari, boats form the lodge often travel together.  This day Glen and I encountered a pod of white-sided dolphins who decided to play with the boats.  Glen managed a great photo of my guests not believing what they are seeing.

Humpback Whale Watching Safari

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Luwen & Liwen on a visit from Singapore had several great days of viewing grizzly bears and whales. This days whale watching in the area of BC’s Johnstone strait included a humpback whale “lunge feeding” just astern of our boat.  The idea is to locate a ball of herring from the bird activity on the water and then to move into the proximity of the herring ball and wait for the whales to feed. 

Grizzly Bears??

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Again photos from Grant and Judith Fuller of Bangor NSW Australia.  No these are not grizzly bears even if one appears to have a brown tinge to its fur, just two good-sized black bears.  Whether on a whale safari or a grizzly bear tour we are constantly looking for black bears and other wildlife while we scan the shore from the boat.  On your first evening in the lodge we do a black bear tour for about and hour and a half if the tide is low enough.  Low tide is required, as it is hard to find bears on the beach if there is no beach.

 

Wildlife Viewing on Knight Inlet

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The morning run up Knight Inlet on the grizzly bear tour is always interesting.  It is a spectacular view, the lodge is located approximately 20 miles from the mouth, and the grizzly viewing area starts another 25 miles up the inlet, which is about 90 miles long. Eagles are abundant on the morning run this one being in the Glendale estuary the primary grizzly bear viewing area.  Eagles are not always in trees it is not uncommon to watch them pick up a fish from the water and then land on shore to eat the “catch of the day”. Grant and Judith Fuller of Bangor NSW Australia provided the photos of the inlet and bald eagle.

Wilderness Tour – Classy Lunch

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On our whale watching safari we try to eat lunch at an interesting location normally in the area of the sea lions or humpback whales in the waters off Telegrahp Cove on Vancouver Island. “There is nothing like French champagne to celebrate these three marvelous days in August, plenty of dolphins, orcas, grizzly, salmons, black bears, seals, great friendship and with particular thanks to our two outstanding guides.” (Note the champagne was brought from France for your picnic lunch in the boat.) Nicole et Jean Martin-Dondoz of Marseille France provide pictures and comments.

Whale Watching Safari

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Harold Bailey from the UK who was with us the first week of September, provided the comment and picture “I feel lucky tonight”.  Whale watching safari trips from the lodge include more than humpback whales and orca.  The water-ways between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland abound in marine based wildlife: eagles, large variety of ducks and water fowl, white-sided dolphins, dall’s porpoise, harbour porpoise, harbour seals and of course stellar sea lions. A safari trip without viewing a majority of these is not considered a good day. 

Bears of Knight Inlet

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Every tour from the lodge involves wildlife viewing in this case a rather large black bear.  This viewing was on a morning grizzly bear trip up Knight Inlet.  We leave the lodge about eight o’clock and it takes a little over an hour to reach the grizzly watching area but along the way we frequently see black bears.  This one enjoying breakfast on the beach, turning over rocks, eating barnacles or muscles, small crabs or anything that moves, as well as seaweed.  This is a good-sized bear and notice the white patch on the chest it is common.  “OK so we can’t all be grizzlies!”  was Harold Bailey’s comment for the photo he provided from his UK was the first week of September. 

Grizzly Bears and Scenery

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The extra day at the lodge includes a visit a very scenic and very wild area on a pristine river. The day will give you an opportunity to do a little wilderness fishing if you are so inclined, a little hiking and always a chance to see a grizzly bear. The view from the deck of “Trapper Rick’s” cabin is stunning. Not all the trails are this clear but they are an easy walk and always scenic. The river is always changing. Every corner presents another picture.

 

 

Grizzly Bear Alert!

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A day of grizzly bear viewing from our lodge requires a run up BC’s Knight Inlet to a salmon spawning river that attracks bears from the surrounding area. This grizzly seems to have its eye on us as it leaves the river and comes toward the viewing stand. Wildlife viewing, as you know is not a zoo but most of time the results are outstanding.