The extra day in camp requires a trip across Knight Inlet through Thompson Sound to the Kakweikan River. This river located on the BC mainland is accessible only by boat and is the home base for Trapper Rick. From Rick’s dock we travel by truck to his cabin over a logging road that does have some traffic but that traffic in created by grizzly bears. We followed this bear down the road for several minutes until it reached its destination and turned into the forest. The roads are a main highway for the bears as travel is easier then forest trails so we are patient and hope for traffic congestion.
Sea Otter Sightings

The last 3 years we have been starting to view sea otters in our area more regularly. They are still often a distance away, but the sightings are increasing with some “rafts” of them developing in areas near the western portion of our whale watching trips. These animals were hunted heavily for their fur and were completely wiped out of British Columbia waters. Re-introduction occurred from Alaskan otters in the 1960’s. They have long been protected and their numbers have been steadily increasing along the exposed BC coast and are now moving back into inside waters. They are unique in that they don’t have the insulating blubber that other marine mammals use to keep warm. As a result they have dense (over 1 million hairs per square inch) fur and feed heavily. They are important in balancing the eco-system. They eat a lot of sea urchins, which eat a lot of kelp. Kelp is extremely important as it provides cover for juvenile fish and is where the herring spawn in the early spring. With the increase in these otters we are seeing a greater abundance and healthier kelp forests.
Visit our Blog