This is why the grizzly bears come to Knight Inlet’s Glendale River in the fall. The metal posts are from the weir, which controls the water level in the man made spawning channel. If you look closely you can see the legs and nose of a grizzly trying to make a selection.
When you book an extra day at our lodge on Knight Inlet it comes with a trip to the Kakweikan River. This is a remote river, about forty-five minutes from the lodge. Few people that are not our guests visit this area. It has fantastic scenery, occasionally grizzly bears and river fishing if your are interested. The day is spent with Trapper Rick who has earned his living on the river for better than twenty years. Photo byPeter Palstring 6-6
Resident orca spend their summers in the area between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland and are likely to be found near Robson Bight which is part of the Johnstone Strait. A good orca photo will try to capture the bulk of the orca out of the water with their eye patch showing. Success! Wildlife normally viewed on a “whale watching tour” included orca, humpback whales, stellar sealions, seals, eagles, a variety of ducks and frequently black bears. Photos by
Peter Palstring 4-6
A common question on a grizzly tour is ” Is that a male or female grizzly bear?” If it has cubs or if it is a really large bear not to hard to answer. If not you need a grizzly to do what this one is doing on the beach: females urinate backward and males forward. Other than that often your guess is as good as mine unless it is a bear we see frequently and are able to identify. As the grizzly viewing part of the tour comes to an end it is time to head back to the lodge. Still on the look out for wildlife on the shore, in the air or coming out of the water. Photos by
Peter Palstring 3-6
Some of the Knight Inlet grizzlies are bigger than others and this is an example of a healthy grizzly bear. The good sized hump, belly a little closer to the ground (a fall belly rather than a June belly) and a good set of claws all indicate a larger bear. Grizzlies in the estuary accept our watching as long as we remain outside their comfort zone they pay little attention to our “annoying” picture taking. Photos by
Peter Palstring 2-6
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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