For two seasons we have been lucky to have Felix staying up the river, helping out tremendously, while working on his university projects. Many of his amazing shots can be viewed on his website.
https://felixrome.smugmug.com
Please.
This is a great site to visit to get a “guest eye view” of a trip to our lodge.
Click on this link
http://www.masey.com.au/2010/08/dream-grizzly-trip-day-one/
Also: -if you search “You Tube” using the keyword SAILCONE you can view some videos from and about the lodge.
-and on Facebook at Grizzly Bear Lodge and Safari
To view a map of the lodge’s area and the location of each day’s itinerary”
Look to the left and scroll the sidebars to “Categories” and select “Wildlife Tour Itinerary” It is possible to navigate the map using the arrows in the upper left corner and to zoom using the + or – signs as well as changing to a satellite view in the upper right corner of the map.
It is possible to navigate the map using the arrows in the upper left corner and to zoom using the + or – signs as well as changing to a satellite view in the upper right corner of the map.
Transient orcas generally form smaller and more variable social groupings than residents, roam over a larger area of the coastal waters, and their appearance in particular places is not so predictable. They feed primarily on sea mammals such as seals and sea lions. The name “killer whale” probably stems from observations of transient orcas hunting. Transients are characterized by more triangular and pointed dorsal fins than those of Residents (because they have a broader base), and their saddle patch is generally solid.
Based on differences in their lifestyles and food preferences, orcas are characterised as “resident” and “transient”. The majority of orcas that visit our area area are called “residents” because their appearance in the area each summer and fall is relatively predictable. They feed on salmon, live in close and extended family groups (matrilines and pods) and are highly social. Families can be distinguished from one another by their dialects.
And later in the day after a stop at Telegraph Cove on Vancouver Island to use a “civilized” bathroom we were visited by some humpback whales. I try and eat our picnic lunch is an area where the humpbacks are feeding and wait to see what “pops up”.
Yes we did find the killer whales and spent an hour or so with them as they moved through Blackfish Sound. The guest photos from the day were much better than mine. I know this because it is part of the day that photographs are compared once all guest return to the lodge. In my defence I am more interested in getting photo that make for a good blog posting than the ideal photo to show friends (I have enough of those).
We were working our way up Blackfish Sound looking for some killer whales reported to be in the area when we came upon a Steller sea lion. This sea lion cam within 5 meters (yards) of the back of the boat, of course I missed that photo. Sea lions are very curious and if you sit quietly in a boat they will approach quite close.
This day started with a black bear on the beach in Clio Channel behind the Grizzly Bear Lodge. It was a very obliging bear in that it did not mind us getting good photographs. My goal when watching any wildlife is “to leave it as I find it”. If you cannot do that you are disturbing the flow of nature and the economic sense is that it will not be there the next time one wants to watch.
Just like that our season has come to an end. I would like to thank all of our wonderful guests and staff who made this year a huge success. I am happy to stay that all of our team is planning to return next season. We are actively taking bookings, with dates starting June 1 2025. Hope to see many of you next season.
The wildlife viewing this season was awesome. A couple highlights that come to mind was the shear number of salmon in our local rivers, as well as the abundance of Resident Orca. With salmon returns being so strong this year, we were happy to see bears in excellent condition. By the end of our season most of the bears had packed on a lot of weight and were getting very “picky” about what parts of the salmon they would eat. Hopefully this will translate into more cubs being born this winter. Another positive was the weather conditions. We had enough rain to keep our fire risks low and it made for some excellent wild berries. The bears took full advantage of this, with the berry season extending far past its normal conclusion. This did mean that we had to work hard to find bears during our summer season, (as they were often feeding on the berries deep into the forest), but moving forward it is excellent that they had such an abundant food supply. The Humpbacks also didn’t disappoint, with great numbers and a few new calves returning with their mothers to feed. After a slower year for resident Orca sightings, this season was one of the best that I can remember. In fact as Im writing this the A62 and A23’s are still being spotted in the area by dedicated biologists. Strong numbers of Chinook and Chum salmon are providing them with a steady food source. There are a lot of positive signs and we are hopeful that 2025 will be another great season.
Over the winter and spring we will be doing some repairs and maintenance. We plan on having a new cedar front deck built in time for the 2025 season, as well as new ceilings and paint in parts of the lodge and rooms. Theres always projects on the go.
Felix, Julien, Ryan, Zack and Myself all look forward to welcoming guest in June. See everyone soon.
Angus Reid
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