Grizzly Bear and Wildlife Viewing Blog: Yearly Archives: 2015

Waiting for? 1 of 2

Humpback whale missed

As a guide and blogger for the camp I try to get interesting shots that give me something to talk about. In this case it is a guest ready for a photo. What is so interesting about seagulls? For a guide the gulls are one of the most important sites on a whale watching tour. Herring are one of the main foods for humpback whales. Ducks feeding on herring force them into a tight ball that may vary in size from basketball to boat size. As the ball rotates it tends to move toward the surface, which in turn attracts the gulls to feed. It also attracts humpbacks that lunge up and try to take the ball in one mouth full. Tomorrow….

 

 

Days almost over

dinner

The table is set with salads, fresh homemade bread and wine. Dinning at Grizzly Bear Lodge is a “family affair” in that it is good food that the guests rave about and guests and staff share the same table leading to lively conversations. A guide rule is “what happens in the boat stays in the boat unless the guest open the topic”. The dining part of dinner may be completed in an hour but the conversation around the table last for several hours.  At times (often after nine o’clock) we have to ask the guest to move into the living room so we can set the table for breakfast.

 

 

 

Good Morning 2 of 2

breakfast

After the photos comes breakfast. Breakfast consists of: likely the most important thing  – coffee and boilded water for tea – then home made muffins and bread, cereals both cold and hot (in a package), fruit (fresh and in bowels to be added to cereal), yogurt, juices and then more coffee. The each boat  has a great picnic lunch but guests often take a muffin or fruit for a morning snack.

 

 

Good Morning 1 of 2

sunrise

In the morning we always have a sunrise from the front deck it is just that most mornings the low-lying marine clouds make it hard to see.  This cloud cover is gone before noon providing good light for photos. This photo was a quick snap from my camera as coffee was just being served and guests were on the deck needing room from their own “photo ops”.

 

 

Grizzly Encounter 4 of 4

Grizzly mother

At this point the mother and cub are not more than fifteen to twenty meters (fifty to sixty feet) from the bow of our viewing boat. One does not need a high power lens for a good picture. Back at the lodge in the evening guests share their photos from the days activities and the guest that were in my boat had great photos and memories.

 

 

Grizzly Encounter 3 of 4

Grizzly bear leavingGrizzly encounter

Once the subadult was aware of the mother and cub she became much less interested in food and more concerned about her safety. The mother and cub continued to walk along the beach as it there was not a problem and for her it was not a problem.  Very few grizzlies except for a large dominated male bear will challenge a mother grizzly…

 

 

Grizzly Encounter 2 of 4

Grizzly BearGrizzly bear

On the left the grizzly is a subadult four-year-old female working along the beach rolling rocks and looking for food. On the right a mother and cub that was grazing on the sedge grass until she became aware of the other bear…

 

 

 

Grizzly Encounter 1 of 4

Grizzly Bears

 

The first thing to note in this series of posted photos is that the camera used is a Pentax Optio Wpi 6MP and 3X Optical Zoom. It does not have a lens that makes the grizzlies appear to be sitting on the bow of the boat we are using. We are just off the beach and grizzlies have appeared on the left and right of our location and the hope is that they will meet in the middle…

Bald Eagle Soaring

Bald Eagle

Depending on the time of the season bald eagle may or not be abundant. By late August through October the most of the eagles have moved away from their ocean feeding grounds to the rivers that are full of spawning salmon. Birds of prey find it much easier to feed on dying or dead salmon than to catch live food (herring or small salmon) and they use fewer calories. Fortunately our grizzly bear viewing tours are on such a river so eagles are available for good photos all season.