On your first evening at Grizzly Bear Lodge we go on a tour in search of black bears. This evening run is not always successful but we are always looking for black bears on the beach while running up Knight Inlet to the grizzly viewing area or on the way to Johnstone Strait to whale watch. The saying goes that “black bears are where you find them” meaning there is no set location for viewing as there is with the grizzlies. And sometime they are not always black…
Whale Watching
We’re not all about the bears, whales are abundant here too!
Killer whales and humpback whales are often seen during our wildlife tours. There are resident whales and transient whales that can be seen feeding and playing in our waters.
Seals and Sea Lions 20 of 20
Just to keep the cameras working there is an abundance of harbour seals in the area and Steller sea lions that migrate between California and Alaska stop in the spring and fall. Looking back over the past twenty days of blogging I would say that Peder, Ann and family have had a busy three days and managed to reduce the size of their “bucket list”. Thanks again for the many great photos.
Lost Deer 19 of 20
It was a small island about two hectares in size. We could not see any grass but there was lots of moss and lichens. The deer came down a steep rock face to eat the seaweed on the shore. Over the summer I saw several different deer on this little island and was never able to determine the attraction as they had to swim from a larger island that was over a mile long that had lots opportunity for grazing.
Bald Eagle Feeding 18 of 20
As a guide I am always looking for seagull and duck activity to help locate a herring ball because herring balls attract whales and eagles. For this photo the ducks were feeding on herring and forcing them into a ball and near the surface providing a perfect opportunity for the bald eagle to feed. Experience and luck will put the guests in the right position but is is the skill of the photographer that produces the photo.
Bald Eagle on High 17 of 20
Another good photo of a bald eagle overhead surveying the area looking for “the catch of the day”. It is common to see thirty of forty eagles sitting in trees or flying overhead but what is hard to do is to get tomorrows photo….
Humpback Lobtailing 16 of 20
Lobtailing is when a whale lifts its fluke (tail fin) out of the water and brings it down forcefully to slap the surface of the water with a big splash and loud report. Lobtailing is most likely a form of non-verbal communication, like breaching or pectoral fin slapping, and can be used to call attention to an individual, to impress a potential mate or intimidate a foe. This whale behaviour is becoming more common as more humpbacks spend their summers in our area feeding on the abundance of herring. But it is still hard to get a good photo.
Humpback Whales Diving Sequence 2 of 2 (15 of 20)
Humpback whales can be identified using photos of the underside of the flukes. Each whale has unique features, including the overall shape of the flukes, the shape of the trailing edge, any scars, and natural pigmentation. This whales is “Guardian” and it spends much of the summer in our viewing area of the Johnstone Straits adjacent to Vancouver Island..
Humpback Whales Diving Sequence 1 of 2 (14 of 20)
The number of humpback whales in our viewing area has been increasing over the past ten years from one or two on a whale watching trip to more than a dozen each trip. It is still not easy to get an excellent sequence of photos showing a whale diving however Peder and Ann succeeded again. Even the ducks in the water seem to be enjoying the site. Additional photos tomorrow…
Pacific White-sided Dolphins
As a guide my favourite activity is to be with a pod of pacific white-sided dolphins while on tours. These dolphins are often in association with another species. In British Columbia’s inshore waters they are seen with resident killer whales, Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoise and humpback whales. Dolphins love to play as you will notice in the above photo the churned water and what looks like rain is just dolphins at play. After spending time with dolphins it is not uncommon to have guest say “that made the day”.
Bald Eagle Catching Bottom Fish
Another great photo by Glen 
one of Grizzly Bear Lodge’s guides. And how do I know that the eagle is picking up a bottom fish because I can see it in the water just in front of the eagle’s talons. Bottom fish have an “orange” colour so this is one that was left behind by a sports fisher and floated to the surface.
