All posts by Lodge Guide

Guest comfort zone

Grizzly bear on a river

On this day we were moving up Knight Inlet’s Glendale River in the lodge’s flat bottom skiff. As normal your guide is in the water pulling the skiff quietly when some grizzlies appeared walking down river. We moved to the opposite side of the river leaving the wide gravel bar to the bears so they would have good passage. Rule one is if the bears look at you look down so not to be a challenge; two no sudden moves or load noises. Mostly common sense and yes pictures are OK. Distance to the grizzlies 15 to 20 meters (yards) and it is safe. One guest mentioned that this was close to the edge of his “comfort zone” but the key thing that you need to remember is the guides of Grizzly Bear Lodge have each been doing this for more than fifteen years and more important is that they also have families they want to see again.

 

Time for a Grizzly Bear Tour

Tour to go

Mornings on the water can be a little cool so many guest wear the “floater suite” provided by Grizzly Bear Lodge. If you don’t wear them they must be in the boat as they are your lifejackets. If you are acclimatized to the West Coast the suits are not necessary as this guest demonstrates. On most days, by noon, the suits are in the front of the boat. Departure from the lodge is by 7:30 or 8:00     depending on the time of the year and this is after a 6:30 or 7:00 wake up call and a good breakfast. A picnic lunch is a must as we normally return between 3:30 and 4:30 depending on the tour. The only tight schedule is the fall trips to the grizzly bears when we use the viewing stands and we must be in the stands by 10:00 all other trips are flexible.

 

 

River Scavengers

Bald eagle

The bald eagle is a majestic bird and it is exciting to watch them dive and pick food out of the water.  But like all wildlife a free meal is a free meal and an eagle makes no excuses for being a scavenger. If an eagle can grab a leftover salmon carcass and get a free meal they are the first in line before the seagulls, crows and ravens. This bald eagle was overhead eating a salmon while we moved up the river in search of more grizzly bears.

 

Grizzly Bear Cubs Alone? 2 of 2

Grizzly Bear and cubs

Not a big surprise that after crossing the river the cubs climbed onto the log and the mother appeared from the other side of the log for a happy reunion. As I have said in other post the cubs at times are not that fond of getting wet. Sometime it is necessary for the mother to go ahead and disappear from sight so that the cubs will follow. We just happened to arrive when the cubs were reluctantly crossing the river to catch up with mom.

 

 

Grizzly Bear Cubs Alone? 1 of 2

Grizzly Bear Cubs

The grizzly bear tours from Grizzly Bear Lodge prior to August 25th are to the area of Knight Inlet’s Glendale Cove. After and hour and fifteen minute boat ride we transfer to a 5.5 meter (yard) skiff and explore the river estuary and travel up the river as the tide rises. On this day we came around a bend in the river to find three grizzly cubs crossing the river with no mother in sight. You need to know that while in the river your guide in normally pulling the skiff through the water so our approach is very quite and the mother grizzly was not aware of our presence. Tomorrow’s post reveals the mother’s arrival.

 

Humpback Whale Lunge Feed 2 of 2

Humpback lunge feeding

The joy of being able to spend time with the humpback whales in the viewing area used by Grizzly Bear Lodge is the variety of experiences that happen each tour. Aside from watching the whales lunge feed in the dramatic photo form yesterday’s post to the more sedate lunge in today’s post is the variety of other wildlife. Wildlife such as orca / killer whales, Stellar sealions, harbour seals, porpoise, dolphins, bald eagles, variety of sea birds and frequently black bears.

 

 

Humpback Whale Lunge Feed 1 of 2

Humpback whale lunge

At first glance it is hard to make sense of this picture. Sure it is something coming out of the water and that does look like a large pectoral fin but what is happening. A humpback whale (not too far from the boat) is making a sideways lunge through a ball of herring and turning at the same time. Tomorrow’s photo is more sedate

 

Black Bear Grazing

Black Bear on shore

The common expression heard around Grizzly Bear Lodge is “Black bear are where you find them.”  That is to say that from the time the boat leaves the dock in the morning until it returns your guide in constantly looking for black bears. The first evening at the lodge is an hour and half tour to familiarize you with the boat and your guide and to look for black bear. And on all tours for whales, grizzly bears or to Trapper Rick’s black bears are on the agenda. Black bears come to the shore for a change of diet from berries and to get some protein. This bear has found the ideal location as the logs are covered with muscles and barnacles, which are devoured shell and all.

 

Killer Whales Approaching

Killer Whale Coming

This is not the classic photo of an orca /killer whales. The classic photo would show the orca from a side view with its head far enough out of the water to get a good view of the white eye patch. But this is a much more interesting photo because it means that pretty soon there are going to be orca very close to and under the boat. From my experience of guiding whale watching tours the guests prefer the second.

 

Grizzly Bear Identification

Grizzly Bear Head

 

This mother of triplets is easy to identify and not because of the triplets as there were several sets of triplets this summer and even one family with four cubs. Hear distinctive feature is the almost bald patch that extends back from her eyes. In this photo she has just taken a break from fishing below the viewing platform. She is followed by one of her cubs (nose by her left leg) and has decided to graze on the grass on the bank (some still in her mouth). It is not uncommon to have a salad break after eating salmon all morning.