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.

Herring / Bait Balls

Herring Ball

By definition: A bait ball, or baitball, occurs when small fish swarm in a tightly packed spherical formation about a common center. It is a last-ditch defensive measure adopted by small schooling fish when they are threatened by predators. Herring are the reason we have successful marine wildlife tours. Herring balls are the food source of humpback whales, dolphins, porpoise, ducks, eagles and salmon. The salmon in turn bring the killer whales into the area every summer. The above picture is what your guide hopes to find and then parks the boat within camera range and waits for the humpback whales to lunge feed through the herring. If it is possible to find a bait ball in an area away form the whales it is possible to move very close (as in the picture below) to see the herring. The bait balls vary in size from basketball size to boat size.

herring ball close

 

 

 

 

Steller Sea Lion Breaching

SeaLion Porpoising

Over the years it is not uncommon to watch Steller sea lions play with humpback whales but the behaviour exhibited in this picture was new. We were following a pod of dolphins when this sea lion came up on the other side of the boat breaching or porpoising like the dolphins. It was not just a one-time breach rather it followed the boat for at least a kilometer (mile) with continuous breaches. Another marvel of nature that is hard to explain.

 

 

Dolphin Feeding

Dolphins feeding

Compare this photo to the one in the September 12th posting to see they are the same type of dolphins – Pacific Whitesided Dolphins. In the 12th posting they are playing beside the boat but today they are working / feeding. The dolphins often work in pods to corral the herring and then take turns feeding but on this day it was a solo act.

 

 

Immature Bald Eagle

Bald eagle

Adult plumage develops when a bald eagle become sexually mature; it takes five years for a bald eagle to attain solid white head and tail feathers. For the first five years they gradually change; the beak turns from black to yellow, the eyes from brown to pale yellow, body feathers from mottled to dark brown, and head and tail feathers from mottled to solid white. This eagle is close to maturity if you compare it to September 11th posting it’s head is not full white, the beak is not bright yellow or the eyes pale yellow.

 

 

First Year Grizzly Cub

Grizzly bear Cub

This photo was taken in early June in the Glendale River estuary of Knight Inlet. By the size of this cub it was likely born in late February making it a little over four months old. The advantage of the early season tours from our Lodge is the cubs are small about 10 kg (22 lbs.) when they first appear on the beach in late May but can easily triple that weight by July. No this cub was not alone it’s mother was about 5 meters (yards) away and it was very aware of our boat which changes after a month and they ignore us knowing there is no danger from the water.

 

 

Spyhopping Orcas

Orca spyhopping

When spyhopping, killer whale rises and holds position partially out of the water, exposing its head, this is visually akin to a human treading water. Spyhopping is controlled and slow, and can last for minutes at a time if the orca is sufficiently inquisitive about whatever (or whomever) it is viewing. Spyhopping often occurs during a “mugging” situation, where the focus of attention is on a boat rather than on other nearby whales. Generally, the killer whale does not appear to swim to maintain its “elevated” position while spyhopping, instead relying on exceptional buoyancy control and positioning with pectoral fins.

 

 

Classic Grizzly Bear Pose

Griz Eating

Not quite as good as the famous photo that you see in every advertisement of lodges in Alaska with the grizzly catching the salmon in mid-air as it leaps up the falls. But that one is a once in a lifetime photo whereas the chance of getting a photo like this one at our lodge has a much higher probability. The number of grizzlies (45 plus) that are concentrated in the viewing area of Knight Inlet’s Glendale River and the volume of salmon coming to spawn dramatically increases the opportunities of photos of grizzlies catching salmon.

 

 

Juvenile fisher

Grizzly caught Salmon

The viewing platform used by Grizzly Bear Lodge after August 24th has water on three sides the forth side being the land access. This provides a natural setting for pictures and it also means that grizzlies are often fishing on more than one side. In the case of this photo the bear was in the natural river where many of the younger bears fish if there is a mother with cubs in the area that leads into the man made spawning channel. The mothers with first year cubs are very protective and young bears know it is not wise to “push their luck”.

 

 

What Kind of Bear? 3 of 3

Large Black Bear

Also from the National Wildlife Federation website: “Black bears have longer and less rounded ears and a more straight profile from forehead to nose. Black bears have relatively short claws, which enable them to climb trees. Not all black bears are black—their fur can range in color from pure white to a cinnamon color to very dark brown or black.” So checking the photo of the first post for ears, claws and hump it is a brown black. The bear has only been seen once but we do keep looking.

 

 

What Kind of Bear? 2 of 3

boss grizzly

The National Wildlife Federation website states:  “Grizzly bears are large and range in color from very light tan (almost white) to dark brown. They have a dished face, short, rounded ears and a large shoulder hump The hump is where a mass of muscles attach to the bear’s backbone and give the bear additional strength for digging. They have very long claws on their front feet that also give them extra ability to dig after food and to dig their dens.” And is a good description of the bear in this photo but does it match yesterdays post.