Grizzly Bear and Wildlife Tour Blog

We offer an exceptional fly-in lodge for Grizzly Bear Watching and Whale Watching in British Columbia.

Learn about What’s happening at the Lodge, view our British Columbia’s Wildlife Report, read our Grizzly Bear Watching Blog and Whale Watching Blog. Learn more about a Day on the River Blog, see Our Tour Guide’s Photos & Blog and  Photos from Our Guests.

Humpback Whale ID

The Humpback Whales that frequent the waters near the lodge are migratory.  Most of the whales in our area head to Hawaii in the winter to mate and have their calves.  Biologists are able to identify these whales by taking pictures of the underside of their fluke (tail).  These markings are unique and once the whale is mature will not change.  They are catalogued and separated according to region and the percentage of white and dark colours.  This whale is known as “Guardian.”  She is frequently spotted in our waters and has been returning for several years.

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.

Humpback Trying to Shake Off Dolphins

This is a picture of the Humpback Whale known as Guardian breeching in Queen Charlotte Strait.  What you can’t tell from the picture is that there is a group of Pacific White Sided Dolphins harassing her.  Both dolphins and Sea Lions have been know to pester Humpbacks and Resident (fish eating) Orca.  Why they do this is still up for debate.  She did several breeches and tail slaps in an effort to shake the annoying dolphins.

Deer In the Estuary

Grizzly Bears aren’t the only mammals that we encounter in the river estuary.  Blacktail Deer are also commonly sighted as they too like to feed on the protein rich Sedge Grass.

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.