Grizzly bears thrive here and the viewing opportunities are spectacular. We have operated our Grizzly Bear Lodge for decades and know the prime spots for bear watching. The ultimate grizzly bear photo opportunities.
This black bear mother was spotted on the way to our day’s whale watching tour. It is a good area to find black bears especially if there is a low tide in the morning. This nursing mother (look closely at the photo) was on the beach alone that means she must have left her cub sleeping in the bush the above high water mark. We know she has one cub because we had seen them in this area on the previous day.
Bald eagles are a common sight in our tour area. As one of our guides says to his guests: “I will point out the first ten eagles and after that you are on your own.” This does not mean we don’t stop to get a good photo but that means when the eagle is a little lower down in a tree and not a white spot on the top of a tree. The waiting aspect of the photo is because that is what eagle do. They wait for a salmon on the surface or a herring ball to form to provide a “chance” for a meal.
The dark raccoon eyes and the upright poise made me think of the Meerkat of South Africa. This cub, one of three, was passing by the viewing platform we use in Knight Inlet when one of the guests made a noise when a bench was bumped. The others kept moving but this one stopped and looked in our direction for a minute or so before moving to catch up with it’s family. The viewing platforms are raised about three meters (yards) above ground level and grizzly bear’s frequently glance our direction as it is not normal for them to have something above them.
It is September 1st and these grizzly bears are looking like they need a good meal. And they do because not many salmon have arrived in the river. A late arrival of salmon to Knight Inlet’s Glendale River means that the bears have less time to fatten for hibernation. By early October the grizzlies were in better shape but it will still be an interesting winter for some of the younger bears and only next spring will we may see the result of a poorer salmon run.
These grizzly bear cubs have decided that comfort is in numbers and body heat is conserved in a huddle. Yes these cubs are from the same mother and one is very small. Unfortunately it did not survive to the end of our viewing season which was mid October. Our guest are frequently reminded that this is not a zoo rather we are viewing wildlife in their natural habitat and nature is not forgiving.
For some reason grizzly bear cubs will try to avoid getting wet. In the spring when the cubs are on the beach and are required to enter the water it is often necessary for the mother to go ahead and leave them behind to force then to swim to join her further along the beach’s of Knight Inlet. In this case it is early September and the cubs still prefer to stay dry. It may be that their body fat level is not enough to overcome the cold water and this thought is reinforce by tomorrow’s post….
Spending the hours we do in the boat on our tours from the lodge we frequently see bald eagles on the shore eating their catch. In this case the catch is a pink salmon we saw it pick from the water a few minutes earlier. Until the salmon arrive in the rivers the eagles are more concentrated in the Johnstone Strait area where there is an abundance of herring which are a little easier to catch than salmon. If you have time to Google “Eagle Myths – State of Alaska” you will find one of the best article I have read on a bald eagles lifting powers “Eagle Flight and Other Myths Eagles Don’t Eat Children or Pets By Riley Woodford”. Short version: “best estimates put the lifting power of an eagle at four or five pounds.” The full article is definitely worth the time.
This could be this two-year-old grizzly bear cub’s first salmon. It was the first day that we noticed it had much interest in fishing. Prior to this it relied on it’s mother to provide the food. Time to become an active member of the family and obtain it’s own meals. There is a good chance that this is the last “fishing season” with mother and therefore the last chance to pick up the necessary techniques to survive on it’s own. Females will rear their cubs for 2-3 years. When a female grizzly bear leaves her mother, they often set up their home range in Knight Inlet quite close to their mother’s home range. Males will typically range further, but may also remain close by.
On Grizzly Bear Lodge’s wildlife tours during the hot days of July and August we frequently see grizzly bears in the water. The water in Knight Inlet’s Glendale estuary is a mixture of salt and fresh water which the grizzly bears often drink when the tide is going out. On a rising tide the surface water contains more salt so less drinking. It is better to have the grizzlies wading and swimming and cooling off in the water than moving into the shade away from our viewing.
The grizzly bear claws are incredibly long, thick and powerful. The nails themselves can be 5 to 6 inches long. They use them to do more digging than any other bear species, digging dens, uprooting shrubs, shredding logs and stumps in search of insects and tubers, and turning over rocks on the beach. Also used to catch and hold salmon while they eat. This over head view is of a grizzly as it walks beneath the viewing stands on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River where we spend our viewing time after August 24th.
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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