The key to a successful fisher is to keep trying. The first photo shows a close call for the salmon but to be sure bears do not stop and this fish did not escape. The time to fatten on the fish in the river around our viewing stands is limited from late August to late October so persistence is the key to a good hibernation.
As the blog writer and guide I have frequently mentioned that the best strategy in whale watching is to do nothing. Doing nothing means once the whales are located it is often best to sit in a quite boat and let the whales carry on with their natural activity without the noise of boats moving around. This is especially effective if you are the only boat in the area. Besides providing the guests with opportunities for great photos it gives me time to play with my Pentax Optio (6mp 3Xoptical zoom) and get a shot like the one posted. If I am able to do this with a “point and shoot” imagine what guests are able to do with the cameras they normally have.
The area behind the viewing stand that we use on the Glendale River is a traveling route for grizzly bears. It is easier to walk the riverbed and possibly pick up the occasional salmon than through the thicker bush. As can be seen by the vegetation on this bear’s coat it is using the river as a road rather than a fishing area. Also the size of this grizzlies belly it is a pretty good indication that it can catch salmon when it is hungry.
Great photo of a pod of pacific white-side dolphins which frequent the waters of British Columbia’s coast. The average pod size for pacific white-sided dolphins is 10-100, but they can be found gathered in pods of thousands of individuals. These dolphins commonly leap (breach) and somersault and may also ride the bow and stern waves created by boats. This photo shows the dolphins surging forward as a pod as they search for food (herring) along the shore. While engaged in this activity they travel at about nine miles an hour but have clocked speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.
A male killer whale’s dorsal fin can grow to as much as two meters (6 feet) tall. Despite the fact that the dorsal fin is very straight, it is primarily made of cartilage. Orcas travel in deep water and this water provides pressure to the fin, keeping the tissues inside healthy and straight. This photo shows the difference in size between and adult male and female orca’s dorsal fin.
Guests in the lodge often ask about wolves. The wolves located along the coast are referred to as Rainforest Wolves that take to the sea, swimming among forested islands to feed themselves. These wolves make more than 75% of their living from marine resources like salmon, beached whales and seals. The most common question is how often do you see wolves and the answer is rarely, I have guided for Grizzly Bear Lodge nine seasons full time and also spent several weeks every summer in Knight Inlet for more than twenty-five years and had seen wolves twice until this year. This year I had two good views of wolves and Angus and Ed three more. This picture taken by Angus was at the mouth of the Glendale River on a grizzly bear tour where along with the guests the wolf was watched for more than fifteen minutes. Truly a rare sight.
On the other side of the stands grizzly bears travel up and down the river and often stop to fish. It is also their approach around the end of the finger into the holding pool. In this case a mother with this years cubs spends some time fishing, teaching and feeding in the natural river.
This picture was taken from the viewing stands on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River. We are able to use the stands, which are located at the mouth of the man made spawning channel after the 24th of August. The stand we use is at the end of a finger of land that has the natural river on one side and the holding pool for the spawning area on the other side. This photo taken between the shoulders of two guests shows a grizzly bear walking along the edge of the holding pool toward the stand. The vehicle we use is up the bank about five meters (fifteen feet) from the bear, which is about ten meters from the stand.
Steller sea lions are the largest eared seals in the world. They are sexual dimorphic, meaning the males are noticeably larger than the females. A distinguishing characteristic of male Steller sea lions is their thick mane of coarse hair. Males can weigh up to 1,120 kilograms (2,500 pounds); whereas; females weigh up to 350 kilograms (770 pounds). Pups range from 16 to 22.5 kilograms (35 to 50 pounds). Males can reach lengths up to 3 to 3.4 meters (10 to 11 feet), while females reach 2.3 to 2.9 meters (7.5 to 9.5 feet). The coloring of the adult Steller sea lions ranges from light blonde to reddish brown, with slightly darker coloration of the chest and stomach. The stellar sealions can be found in our viewing areas all year but are more abundant in the spring and fall when they are travelling between Alaska and California. They spend time in the area to rest and feed while moving between the two areas.
“When spyhopping, the whale rises and holds position partially out of the water, often exposing its entire rostrum and head, and is visually akin to a human treading water. Spyhopping is controlled and slow, and can last for minutes at a time if the whale is sufficiently inquisitive about whatever (or whomever) it is viewing.
Generally, the whale does not appear to swim to maintain its “elevated” position while spyhopping, instead relying on exceptional buoyancy control and positioning with pectoral fins. Typically the whale’s eyes will be slightly above or below the surface of the water, enabling it to see whatever is nearby on the surface.
Spyhopping often occurs during a “mugging” situation, where the focus of a whale’s attention is on a boat rather than on other nearby whales. Spyhopping among orcas may be to view prey species. For this a spyhop may be more useful than a breach, because the view is held steady for a longer period of time.” From Wikipedia
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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