The Grizzly Bears aren’t the only ones who enjoy the abundant salmon run. Birds such as eagles, Great Blue Herons, Gulls, Kingfishers and Mergansers are often seen in the river areas. What isn’t eaten by the animals is flushed into the estuary, providing food for other marine creatures such as crabs, sculpins, cod and Halibut. Finally the rotten fish is distributed into the forest by Bears and other animals providing natural fertilization to the forest floor. These wild salmon truly are the backbone of our coastal ecosystem.
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.
Rock Rolling Spring Grizzly
In the spring time before the berries begin to ripen and the salmon start to trickle in the bears feed on sedge grass and the available seafood at low tide. The intertidal areas of our rocky coastal beaches are rich in life. “Rock Rolling” is a favourite activity of both coastal Black and Grizzly Bears. Under these rocks there are often shore crab hiding which are a favourite of the bears.
Extra Day Grizzly Viewing vs Platform Viewing
After August 25 we view the grizzly bears in Knight Inlet from elevated viewing platforms. This is usually an extremely productive spot and because of the platforms guests are often able to get reasonably close to the bears. On a 4 night trip we also explore another river system by truck and on foot. We stick together as a group and with a little work and strategy are often able to find these familiar Grizzlies feeding along the river. Platforms are great for viewing bears, but nothing compares with finding a bear on foot in a safe environment and viewing him at “his level”. The first picture shows a bear on the extra day trip (taken by Felix Rome) and the second is a bear underneath the Knight Inlet viewing platform.
Grizzly Bears are “Fussy Eaters”
The coastal grizzly bears rely on salmon to put on the pounds required for hibernation. In the height on salmon season a adult Grizzly Bear can consume over 20,000 calories per day. Early in the season the bears are not particular and will eat whatever they can catch or steal. As the season progresses, however some of the better fed bears will become particular and selectively eat the best bits. The roe (salmon eggs) are the most nutrient rich portion of the fish. This bear is extracting the eggs and leaving the rest of the fish for hungrier bears or birds to finish up at a later time.
Still Evening Scene
This summer we were fortunate to have a photography student stay with us at the lodge. He spent a lot of time at our wild river where we conduct our extra day trip. He was Trapper Rick’s assistant helping him search for Grizzly Bears looking for salmon along the river. Felix’s accommodation there may have been basic (just a tent), but he definitely had a million dollar view. You can see some of his pics here felixrome.smugmug.com/ and we will be featuring many of them on the blog.
Bald Eagle Fishing
Bald eagles like grizzly bears are pretty good at catching a meal. This bald eagle manages to pick up a small salmon which will keep it’s young happy for a little while until they start to squawk again. Always hungry and never satisfied.
View from Grizzly Bear Platform 5 of 5
Date on photo 9/3/2015 11:05 AM Sorry that today’s and the last three posting “Date on photos” are not in time sequence but it makes for a better flow in blogging. But it was an excellent day grizzly bear watching and I quite counting the number of bears when I reached twenty. This is the back side of the stands that face the natural river and the area from which most of the bears arrive to fish near the platforms.
View from Grizzly Bear Platform 4 of 5
Date on photo 9/3/2015 10:47 AM. This view is from the end of the platform that faces part of the natural river and the entrance to the pool containing all the salmon. Often bears that are walking up river reach the pool to find that it may contain a large male they do not wish to confront. They by pass the lower pool and walk under the platform to move further up the pool before entering the water again. And for some reason the guests do not mind.
View from Grizzly Bear Platform 3 of 5
Date on photo 9/3/2015 11:40 AM These grizzly bears are about nine meters (yards) below the front of the platform. If you have any kind of a telephoto lens you will be able to tell the colour of their eyes.
View from Grizzly Bear Platform 2 of 5
Date on photo 9/3/2015 11:20 AM View one is looking to the right toward the entrance to the spawning channel and the weir which maintains the water level. I count seven grizzlies. But then I know that there is one close to the river bank where the rocks and white water are just below the grizzly standing at the weir. Some of these are “binocular bears” but the ones in tomorrow’s post are not….
