A grizzly bear’s normal claw length is 3 to 4 inches long; it is curved and the sharp claws helps it to dig for its food. In early spring the bears use these claws to dig up the root bulb of the skunk cabbage, one of their favourite foods. As the season progresses the claws allow grizzlies to get a good hold on the beach rock they turn over in search of crab, clams, amphipods and other tiny invertebrates. Claws are also used to scrape mussels and barnacles off the beach logs and rocks. And as this photo, by UK’s Janis Worsley, shows the claws permit the bears to hold the salmon in position while also opening the belly to expose the fat rich eggs. Views such as this are common in the fall as viewing takes place from the stands on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River. The stands overlook the spawning channel and tens of thousands of pink salmon that come to spawn. It is a grizzly bear buffet and the main and only course is salmon.
Steller sealions have become common on whale watching tours. With the abundance of herring in the area of the day trips the sealions have started to stay all summer rather than just in the spring and fall on their coastal migration. Several dozen of these large males frequent the small island in Weynton Pass across from Vancouver Island’s Telegraph Cove.
