I (one of the guides at the lodge) have signed off the blog for awhile, to go to work where the Internet reception makes it hard to upload pictures. I leave you with a few comments. The majority of the pictures used in the blog were taken with a Pentax Optio 6MP 3X Optical Zoom (a good, but small pocket digital) the pictures attributed to Glen came from a much better camera and of course the guest pictures are from a variety of cameras.
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.
Nursing Grizzly Bear
Not hard to tell that this is a nursing mother. The same mother in the July 1st posting and she has three cubs. This grizzly and her cubs were frequently fishing next to the viewing stands. There are three viewing times on the Glendale River set by government agencies and we are one of two lodges that has permission to use this area. Our time is between ten and noon daily. The scheduled use of the stands brings a routine for the bears and that means that many of the big males leave these times for the mothers, cubs and sub-adult bears. We do see a few large males but even though this is great for the guests if a large male is fishing most other bears remain in the bush until it leaves. As a guide I prefer ten or twelve grizzlies to one large male.
View from the Lodge
Grizzly Bear Lodge is located on Minstrel Island not far from the mouth of Knight Inlet. There is no other permanent human residence on the island but we do share with blacktail deer, one or two black bears, on occasion a grizzly will visit for a day or two and once we saw a wolf. The sunrise from the front deck does happen every day but many days it is obscured by a cloud cover. Knight Inlet is one of the longest on the BC Coast at 125 kilometers (80 miles) in length and because of its size has a microclimate that often becomes overcast in the evening. The good news is that normally by eleven o’clock the sun appears. As nice as it is to have the sun it does make it harder for good pictures when you are getting the reflection off the water.
Humpback Whales Feeding
The humpback whales that migrate between Hawaii and Alaska have started to find that there is an abundance of food (herring) in the waters at the mouth of Knight Inlet. Our lodge in located on Knight Inlet 32 Kilometer (20 miles) from this area and it has become the center for humpback viewing. Five or six years ago a good day with humpbacks was four or five while now an average day is a dozen. With more whales comes more competition for the food so now it is common to have several whales lunge feeding on the same school of herring and this makes your guide happy because you are happy.
Grizzlies waiting for?
Mid-august and we are slowly moving up the river in a 5.5 meter (yard) skiff as the tide rises. We arrived from the Lodge after an hour and fifteen minute ride up scenic Knight Inlet where, on this day, we spent time watching a black bear and several bald eagles fishing. On arrival we tied to the floating dock and transferred to the skiff and cruised the shore before entering the river as the tide rose. As you can see from the photo these grizzlies are not interested in the action behind them they are focused on the salmon in the river.
Grizzly cub staying close
First year grizzly bear cubs tend to stay close to their mother in most situations but this time it became an issue. We are in the viewing platform on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River, which we use after August 24th to watch grizzlies. This side of the platform overlooks the entrance to the spawning channel where salmon gather and wait before entering the spawning area. It is also one of the best areas to pick up salmon that have been killed or injured by other grizzlies. Because of all of this cubs often get in the way when mother is trying to fish and are sent to shore sometimes by a growl and others with a slap. This one got the growl and waited on the bank for a salmon to be delivered.
Relaxing at Trapper Rick’s
The extra day in camp is spend on a seldom visited (except by our guests) wild river with Trapper Rick. This involves an hour boat ride, traveling over old logging roads by truck, crossing the river by boat, hiking to Rick’s cabin, fishing in the river if interested, a picnic lunch, watching salmon in a fish ladder, enjoying amazing scenery, watching salmon leap the falls below the cabin, and on most days watching grizzlies catching salmon. Not to forget conversations with Rick who has lived with the grizzlies for more than twenty years on this river.
Grizzly Cub Trying For The Shore
Once these first year grizzly bear cubs do catch a salmon they need to eat it on the riverbank. The pool they are fishing has many salmon that died of the heat this summer. The water level in the river and spawning channel was very low and the temperature high. This meant the oxygen level in the water was too low for the salmon and several thousand died. Bad for the salmon but good for the bears as they were able to pick up salmon from the bottom and take them to shore. The only problem for this cubs was that it’s sibling was in front and not moving out of the way.
Waiting for a rising tide
Prior to August 25th grizzly bears tours are in the Glendale River and its estuary. We use a flat bottom skiff to move up river with the incoming tide. Frequently the first sighting of grizzly bears is from a distance, which requires a telephoto lens for good pictures. Today’s posting is an example of that first sighting of four grizzlies which became close-up photos once the tide rose a little more. The first view of a grizzly is the most exciting and from talking with guests over the years it is often more memorable than the closer encounters. For the closer encounter just scroll through the previous postings.
Good Timing Photo
Pacific whitesided dolphin love to play in the wake of the boat or to ride the bow wave. The most reliable way to obtain photos when you are traveling with a pod of several hundred is to point and click as many times as possible. Once you return to the lodge you can delete all the pictures of sky and water and you may have one or two keepers. The best way to enjoy the dolphins is to put down your camera and buy one of the photos that Glen, one of the guides, has for sale. This running with the dolphins can happen on any of the day trips whether to view grizzly bears, whales or a visit to the wild river on the extra day in camp.
