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.
Yes that is the spotlight on the bow of our boat. The goal was the bald eagle flying our way that was about to come down on to the herring ball where the ducks are located. The eagle was a little slow as the humpback came up for lunch. When photographing eagles, orca, whales, seal, sea lions, dolphins or any other “wildlife” it is best to adopt the boy scout motto and “Be prepared.”.
Always a challenge to get a good picture of an eagle coming down to pick a fish out of the water. Even rarer to get a picture of a successful eagle with a small fish in it’s claws. Glen (one to the guides at Grizzly Bear Lodge) has developed that skill to a high level and provides another good photo.
Phalaropes are the only shorebirds that regularly swim in deep water. Every year in late summer, migrating Wilson’s Phalaropes put on an amazing show as enormous flocks pass through our area. There they spin round and round in the nutrient-rich waters, creating whirlpools that stir up invertebrates that will fuel their migration to South America. The flocks of birds dart about as if following a choreographed programmed flight. And yes many of the “birders” that visit Grizzly Bear Lodge want pictures.
The most popular theory is that orca eye-spots protect their actual eyes by providing a false target (prey animals will often attack the eyes of their predators). But then if they did not have the eye patch it wouldn’t it be harder to find the eyes? Some scientists believe that the eye-spots might help other orca recognize body orientation in dark or murky water. The reason is not the important part but the fact that lodge guests want pictures of the orca’s eye spot as they surface is important. It is harder than one might expect as orca do not give much of a warning when they plan to surface.
The herring ball mentioned in the May 14th is an ideal place for bald eagles to feed. The summer of 2015 on the BC coast was a summer with an abundance to eagles. This photo was one chosen from a group that had over thirty eagles feeding in one area. Two of the eagles without the white heads (means they were born this summer) are learning to pick herring out of the water. They follow one of their parents on a diving run and copy their technique hoping for success.
Even used Thesaurus.com to try and find a better word than herding but I could not because that is what these duck are doing to the herring. It is a little hard to see in this photo but the dark shapes with white patches are common murres under water feeding on a school of herring. The herrings defense is to form a ball that revolves within itself. We are next to this herring ball on a whale watching tour because there are NO humpback whales close. If they were close we would be back from the herring ball because they like to lunge feed and you do not want to be to close if that is happening. Check May 9th post.
Dall’s porpoises are speed demons reaching speeds up to 55 km/hr. They suddenly appear out of nowhere and disappear the same way. Although they ride in both bow and stern wakes of boats, they seldom stay for very long. Next to impossible to get a photo if you are moving but frequently if the boat stops suddenly while they are playing they will come to investigate and it is possible to get “under water” photos. The white in the corner of the photo is the edge of our boat.
A sea lion haul-out is an interesting place to visit but you would not choose it as a good location for a picnic lunch. First is the constant roar. Scientist say roaring is a way that they can protect their territory when they feel threatened. This is often enough to get both humans and other animals to leave them alone. There are many sites on “YouTube” that give you an idea of the volume of the roar but nearly all of them are for “one” seal lion whereas most of the time we are viewing thirty or forty sea lions. Second is the smell. Enough said.
I have been guiding whale watching and grizzly bear trips at the lodge for over fifteen years and I still am impressed when a humpback whale is feeding less than 20 meters (60 feet) from the boat. As majestic as the killer whale is on the water the humpbacks with all their lobtailing and feeding are slowing becoming a favourite of our guests.
There were four or five orca close to the stern of the boat but I only managed to catch one in the photo. Some times the grass is green on the other side of the fence.
Just like that our season has come to an end. I would like to thank all of our wonderful guests and staff who made this year a huge success. I am happy to stay that all of our team is planning to return next season. We are actively taking bookings, with dates starting June 1 2025. Hope to see many of you next season.
The wildlife viewing this season was awesome. A couple highlights that come to mind was the shear number of salmon in our local rivers, as well as the abundance of Resident Orca. With salmon returns being so strong this year, we were happy to see bears in excellent condition. By the end of our season most of the bears had packed on a lot of weight and were getting very “picky” about what parts of the salmon they would eat. Hopefully this will translate into more cubs being born this winter. Another positive was the weather conditions. We had enough rain to keep our fire risks low and it made for some excellent wild berries. The bears took full advantage of this, with the berry season extending far past its normal conclusion. This did mean that we had to work hard to find bears during our summer season, (as they were often feeding on the berries deep into the forest), but moving forward it is excellent that they had such an abundant food supply. The Humpbacks also didn’t disappoint, with great numbers and a few new calves returning with their mothers to feed. After a slower year for resident Orca sightings, this season was one of the best that I can remember. In fact as Im writing this the A62 and A23’s are still being spotted in the area by dedicated biologists. Strong numbers of Chinook and Chum salmon are providing them with a steady food source. There are a lot of positive signs and we are hopeful that 2025 will be another great season.
Over the winter and spring we will be doing some repairs and maintenance. We plan on having a new cedar front deck built in time for the 2025 season, as well as new ceilings and paint in parts of the lodge and rooms. Theres always projects on the go.
Felix, Julien, Ryan, Zack and Myself all look forward to welcoming guest in June. See everyone soon.
Angus Reid
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