This photo is the reason that Grizzly Bear Lodge exists. If there were no fish in Knight Inlet’s Glendale River there would be no reason for the grizzlies to come to the area and therefore no need for the lodge to serve the guests to view the bears. Also the lack of salmon along the coast means the killer whales and fishermen would move to an area of plentiful food. This is the view from the grizzly bear viewing platform we use on the Glendale River.
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