On the extra day in camp we cross Knight Inlet through Thompson Sound to the Kakweikan River and spend a day with Trapper Rick. This river is located on the BC mainland and we travel by road to Rick’s cabin. On the way to Rick’s we occasionally view Grizzly Bears on the road. We followed this grizzly bear down the road for five or six minutes and he stayed on the road until we reached the river. He made no attempt to head for the bush rather we were ignored until he got to HIS destination which also happened to be ours. If time permits and you have the interest river fishing can be enjoyed and in August catching is almost a sure thing. Photos byBruce & Carole Cripps 9-11
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.
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