The Bald Eagle is a very prominent bird in our area. It takes them approximately 5 years to get their white head and white tail feathers. Before that they are a drab brown colour and often look larger then their adult counterparts because of their “poofy plumage.” The eagles mate for life and it is very hard to tell male from female, although the female is usually larger. We see them on all our tours both in Johnstone Strait and Knight Inlet.
This is a picture of the Humpback Whale known as Guardian breeching in Queen Charlotte Strait. What you can’t tell from the picture is that there is a group of Pacific White Sided Dolphins harassing her. Both dolphins and Sea Lions have been know to pester Humpbacks and Resident (fish eating) Orca. Why they do this is still up for debate. She did several breeches and tail slaps in an effort to shake the annoying dolphins.
Grizzly Bears aren’t the only mammals that we encounter in the river estuary. Blacktail Deer are also commonly sighted as they too like to feed on the protein rich Sedge Grass.
Thanks to Phil for this great photo of a Grizzly Bear shaking off in the river.
Guests often ask me what a bear does all day. Well for the most part it is quite simple. They eat, then they sleep, then they eat again. Bears often have what are called day beds. These are areas near their food source where they routinely curl up for a nap. These bed areas move as the bears move in search of food. These two sub-adult grizzlies are content to use the overhanging logs for a nap.
This is a grizzly cub taken from the viewing platform up Knight Inlet. This cub appears to be posing for the camera.
Thanks to Warren for this picture of a black bear cub standing. Bears are curious animals and rely on their acute sense of smell. Often bears will stand up to get a better look and more importantly a better sniff of what’s around them.
Thanks to Julie for giving us this three part picture of a bald eagle taking flight. They truly are a beautiful bird and we are lucky to have such a healthy population in our area. Guides often joke “we only point out the first twenty”
In the spring and early summer all of our Grizzly Bear watching is done by boat in Knight Inlet. Most of Knight Inlet is very steep, but where the rivers enter you often have lower sloped, shallow estuaries which are rich in food. These are the areas that the Grizzly Bears tend to congregate in.
As a guide at Sailcone’s Grizzly Bear Lodge we are always keeping our eyes open for Black Bears feeding along the beach. This is especially common at low tide when the mussel and barnacle covered rocks are exposed. This particular bear has wandered down a log and is feeding on small mussels.
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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