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.

For The Birds Pt4

Here are a few more common birds in the estuary and Knight Inlet area.  The Merganser, Common Loon and Surf Scooter.  The Surf Scooter often arrive in mid September in large numbers.  The male’s are quite striking.  The cruise the rocky cliffs of Knight Inlet eating large numbers of mussels.

For The Brids Pt3

These are a few birds that we see often in the estuary and main river while we are looking for Grizzly Bears.  The American Dipper, Cedar Waxwing and Belted Kingfisher.  The Kingfisher is particularly common and can be heard and seen in many areas including right by the lodge.


For The Birds Pt2

The Great Blue Heron is another bird that we see commonly on out tours.  Like the eagle they are opportunistic feeders and are quite proficient at catching small fish.  In the ocean they will often sit on kelp or logs and look for unsuspecting fish.  In the rivers they hunt for fry (young salmon) and other small fish such as stickleback.  Thanks to Felix for the great picture.

great blue heron

For The Birds Pt1

The Bald Eagle is a very prominent bird in our area.  It takes them approximately 5 years to get their white head and white tail feathers.  Before that they are a drab brown colour and often look larger then their adult counterparts because of their “poofy plumage.”  The eagles mate for life and it is very hard to tell male from female, although the female is usually larger.  We see them on all our tours both in Johnstone Strait and Knight Inlet.

Grizzlies Snoozing

Guests often ask me what a bear does all day.  Well for the most part it is quite simple.  They eat, then they sleep, then they eat again.  Bears often have what are called day beds.  These are areas near their food source where they routinely curl up for a nap.  These bed areas move as the bears move in search of food.  These two sub-adult grizzlies are content to use the overhanging logs for a nap.

Black Bear Cub Standing

Thanks to Warren for this picture of a black bear cub standing.  Bears are curious animals and rely on their acute sense of smell.  Often bears will stand up to get a better look and more importantly a better sniff of what’s around them.

black bear

Glendale River Estuary Grizzly Viewing

In the spring and early summer all of our Grizzly Bear watching is done by boat in Knight Inlet.  Most of Knight Inlet is very steep, but where the rivers enter you often have lower sloped, shallow estuaries which are rich in food.  These are the areas that the Grizzly Bears tend to congregate in.

Black Bear Feeding

As a guide at Sailcone’s Grizzly Bear Lodge we are always keeping our eyes open for Black Bears feeding along the beach.  This is especially common at low tide when the mussel and barnacle covered rocks are exposed.  This particular bear has wandered down a log and is feeding on small mussels.

black bear