Grizzly Bear and Wildlife Viewing Blog: Monthly Archives: August 2015

Excitment coming

Killer Whale approachiing

If you have just taken a photo like the one above you know that the next photos will be allot more exciting as the orca / killer whales come closer. The whales watching guidelines specify that we must be 100 meters (yards) from the orca that is to prevent running to close along side the pods or leap frogging to get in front of a traveling pod of orca. However the orcas are not aware of the guidelines and will often turn and approach a boat that is sitting quietly. If you have scanned through the blog postings you will notice many photos of orca close to and even passing under your boat that does not mean it happens every tour but the percentages are high that your will get your “bucket list” photo.

 

 

Black Bear are shore bears

Black Bear

As I have said before “Black bears are where you find them” and they are found on all the trips that leave the Lodge. On grizzly bear tours running up Knight Inlet, whale watching safari to the Johnstone Strait or on the extra day to trapper Rick’s.  Black bears are frequently along the shore searching for food. This bear was on an actual black bear tour we take on the evening that you arrive at the lodge. We travel through the local area for about an hour and a half looking for black bears, eagles, seals and other marine wildlife.

 

 

The triplets again

Grizzly bear family

These are the same cubs of yesterdays post but three months has passed and we are now up the river looking down from the viewing platform mentioned in the August 13th post.  The mother has a little darker coat, which we have noticed seems to come after eating salmon for a month or more. They are sitting on a bank above the river watching a sub-adult grizzly fishing and soon move down to join the hunt. Other younger grizzlies will give a mother room on the river because they are a force you do not want to “upset”.

 

 

Mother with triplets

Mother grizzly with cubs

If you look closely you will see the third cub following mother along the shore of the Glendale River estuary. In the spring until August 25th we cruise along the shore of the Glendale estuary as well as up the river as the tide rises in search of grizzlies. It is always interesting to watch the mother walk into the water and swim for a short distance because the cubs will climb over almost anything on shore to avoid going into the water. They are good swimmers at this age but have not learned to enjoy the water however later in the season when they are chasing salmon in the river they seem more at home.

 

 

Curious 3 of 3

Seine Fishing

Even the mammals (including me) that are in my boat are curious. This occurred on one of the native “food fish” days. This commercial seiner had let out its net and was retrieving it when we pulled along side to watch. They use a large scoop net on a hoist that they lower into the water to bail the salmon from the larger seine net. This was ok for a food fish in that they got 7 or 8 scoops which is close to three hundred salmon but would have been poor if they were commercial or “money” fishing.

Commericial fishing

 

 

 

 

Curious 2 of 3

Killer Whale Visiting

Yes that is the edge of the boat in the lower right corner of the photograph. And this is another curious mammal an orca or killer whale. The whale watching guidelines require that we stay 100 meters (yards) from the orca and we were until this female came over to the boat and swam around and under us several times. We were fortunate that the warden (whale watching police that enforces the guidelines) was not far from our boat at the time of the occurrence and had not just arrived to see it happen. We talked with the warden after and both agree that we must have stopped over a school of salmon and this orca was fishing.

 

Curious 1 of 3

Steller Sea Lions

Most marine wildlife is curious but the key is to be sitting / drifting quietly. This viewing area has a fast tidal current that allows us to drift past a number (25 to 150) Steller sealions at a haulout on a small rocky island. The many young sea lions in the water will come and play around and under the boat and given time will approach quite close.

 

Mother and cub

Grizzly and cub

The photo from yesterday and today’s post were both taken after August 25th, which is the date we start using the viewing platform on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River. The platform is about 4 by 7 meters (yards) square and 3.5 meters high thus the slightly downward angle to the pictures. The platform, on one side, overlooks a large holding area used by the salmon before they enter a man made spawning channel as well as the natural river on two sides. These two grizzlies are on the third side, which is the road we use to get to the platform they had come up from the holding area and walked along the edge of the stand to move over to the river. Note that the cub is even in step with its mother.

 

 

Where does this Grizzly fish?

Boss grizzly bear

The answer to “Where does this Grizzly fish?” is anywhere it wants. When the large males grizzlies come to the fishing ponds on the Glendale River in the fall they are dominant. Other grizzlies move out of their way and even off the river. As a guide it is nice for the guests to see the large males but it will limit the number of bears that appear on that day so it is even nicer when these bears move on to another area of the river. Once they move the mothers and cubs come to fish and this is more entertaining than one large grizzly.

 

 

Spin-fishing with Trapper Rick

River Fishing

On that extra day’s stay at the Lodge we visit Rick on the Kakweikan River. Travelling over old logging roads to a river crossing we then have a short hike to Rick’s cabin, which overlooks a set of falls. At the falls there are salmon that leap the falls or use the fish ladder to bypass the falls. The salmon gather below the falls and at the peak of the run grizzly bears come to feed. This is an opportunity to fish on the river and catch pink or coho salmon as well as trout. Many guest say they have no interest in fishing but once they see the pristine river full of salmon they say they will try for a few minutes which turns into an hour or more. We have the time and the day is yours so enjoy it.