Grizzly Watching

Grizzly Bears are magnificent and the biggest reason visitors choose our lodge!

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.

Bald Eagles 2 of 2

Bald eagles

Unlike the bald eagle in yesterday’s post these eagles are working for their food. It is hard to get a photo that does justice to the sight we saw in July on a whale watching safari in the Johnstone Strait area. A large herring ball had formed and the bald eagles came from the surrounding shore and started feeding. At one time there were more than twenty-five eagles in the air. The adult would dive down and pick up herring with the juvenile eagle right behind. We soon realized we were watching a training session for the young eagles.  We could not move close to the herring ball or it would disperse and it is hard to get good photo of flying birds from a distance so we took as few quick photos and enjoyed the sight.

 

Bald Eagles 1 of 2

Bald eagle bathing

The spring grizzly bear tours from the lodge are in Knight Inlet’s Glendale River estuary and the tidal portion of the river. In late summer after August 24th we use the viewing stands, which are a ten-minute drive up the river valley. If time permits and the tide is right, in the fall, we may also take a boat ride up the river. On this day a bald eagle was enjoying the sun on the riverbank. While not so much the sun as the remains of salmon that a grizzly bear had left on the bank. The carcass of the salmon is visible in the grass beneath the eagle’s tale. Many of the eagles that would normally be along the shores throughout out coastal BC move into the rivers once the salmon arrive. It becomes a free buffet that is hard to resist.

 

 

 

Grizzly Bears Up River

Grizzlies swimming

Grizzly bear tours from the lodge leave about eight o’clock in the morning and travel for an hour and a quarter up Knight Inlet. Once we reach Glendale Cove we transfer to a 5.5 meter (yard) skiff that has a shallow draft permitting us to move close to the shore and up the river. Once we are in the river your guide gets out of the boat and starts to pull it quietly up river in the shallow water. When we first see grizzlies we go to the riverbank to wait and to determine which direction the bears are moving. This was a photo I took with my small camera while waiting. When it was safe we moved up river much closer to the bears and the guests obtained some good photos but I was to busy for more of my own. When you are in the wafer it is not good to have a camera in you hands if you decide it is necessary to move the boat.

 

 

BEST GUEST BLOG

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.

Interesting Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear lodge grizzly

This grizzly bear is enjoying the berries from a back berry patch. Now that is not too interesting until you notice the metal roof in the lower right corner of the photo. This is the roof of the smokehouse that is 5 meters (yards) from the back door of Grizzly Bear Lodge and that grizzly is in our black berry patch. This became a problem and it took close to a week of very alert guides and guests until we made enough noise and believe it or not threw enough rocks to scare the bear off our island. The bear population in Knight Inlet is growing so the bear are starting to move out the inlet and even crossing Johnstone Strait to Vancouver Island. In the spring it has become more common to view grizzlies on the larger island around the lodge. There have been grizzlies on the lodge’s Minstrel Island in the past few years but the island is small and they were gone after a day.

 

Grizzly Bear Aware

Grizzly Posing

As we stand in the viewing platform overlooking the entrance to the spawning channel the grizzly bears are often only 20 to 25 meters (yards) away from the camera lens. The bears have accepted our presence and although they generally ignore the stands at times they let us know they know. This bear spent several minutes glancing our direction that is why it is important to make sure flashes are turn off and there is not sudden movement or load noises. After all we are the guests and this is their home.

 

 

Grizzly Bears On Guard

Grizzlies in river

The grizzly bears of Knight Inlet’s Glendale River spend a great deal of time in the river estuary before the salmon arrive. In the spring and early summer they are feeding on sedge grass and turning over rocks along the shore to enhance their diet. When the first few salmon start to arrive in mid-August the bears are in the lower river that we are able to access with our flat bottom shallow draft skiff. These two grizzly bears seem to be on guard looking for the few salmon that are starting to enter the river. Back to back they have the full 360 degrees cover to make sure they spot any salmon trying to get up river.

 

 

The Reason To Be?

Spawning Salmon

This photo was taken from the viewing platform on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River. The grizzly bear tours from Grizzly Bear Lodge use the platforms after August 24th on our tours. The abundance of salmon is “the reason” the grizzly bears come to the Glendale River, the reason we go to the Glendale River, the reason we have guests visiting our lodge and likely the reason that you are reading this post to learn about Grizzly Bear Lodge. I have been guiding at the lodge for fourteen years so come and join our family (staff) I am sure you will enjoy yourself.

 

 

Grizzly and cub 2 of 2

grizzly bear discipline

A little discipline became necessary, as this cub was too persistent and demanding. Although we had watched the cubs eating the mother was not ready to spend time playing and quickly put this one in it’s place so she could get back to the important task of fattening up for hibernation.

 

 

Grizzly and cub 1of 2

Grizzly Bear and cub

This grizzly bear mother had her paws full this summer as she had three cubs under her care. It was necessary to obtain enough food for herself and to be able to nurse the cubs. As the season progressed and the salmon came into the river in late August it became a little easier as the cubs were able to eat the salmon she provided and even to scavenge a few of the dead salmon along the shore. However as all “youngsters” with to much free time they want to play and this may not sit well with the parents as tomorrow’s post will show.