Grizzly Watching

Grizzly bears like people have a comfort zone and if you move into that zone they let you know. First you get the “look” which may be followed with what appears to be a yawn. If you do not withdraw you might hear a clicking of teeth. As guides we have the “Leave them the way you find them rule.” We want to be able to return day after day to view bears and having them leave the beach is not good.

Also along the shore are two more sub-adult grizzlies siblings. These siblings will stay together for four or five years. If one is female they will separate when she first comes into season. This two bears are working on another source of protein – mussels. As the photo shows the grizzlies use their claws to scarp the mussels off the rocks and eat them with the shells. When the tide is higher they have to be content grazing on the sedge grass.

Grizzly bear cubs are much more curious than their mothers. This cub has noticed our boat even though we try to be quite the boat is made of aluminium and can be noisy. Mother is food orientated and has been in the estuary a number of years to know we are not a threat. Her and the cubs only threat is the male grizzlies and they come from the tree line and not the water.

The advantage of the spring tours are the first year cubs. Grizzly bear cubs are born in the den in January or February so these cubs on the beach are five months old. They change quickly from he cuddly “teddy bears” to miniatures of their mother. Although still nursing they are also eating solid foods and rely on their mother to turn over he larger rocks.

Peder, Ann and family’s day with the grizzly bears requires an hour and fifteen minute boat ride up Knight Inlet to Glendale Cove. On the way we look for black bears, bald eagles and on occasion encounter humpback whales, killer whales or pacific whit-sided dolphins. Once we arrive in the river estuary we tie to a dock and transfer into a 5.5 meter (18 ft.) flat bottom skiff that permits us to move quietly along the shore and up the river as the tide rises. In July the bears forage the beach turning over rocks looking for “protein”. As tomorrow’s post shows grizzlies often have company…