Tag Archives: Bears

Returning from a Grizzly Bear Tour 1 of 4

Grizzly Bear on Shore

Running back to the lodge after a successful grizzly viewing trip we are constantly of the lookout for black bear. The key word is “black” and on this day it was an alert guest that spotted the “brown” spot on the beach that “lifted it’s head” as we moved past.

 

 

Returning from the grizzly viewing stands

loading for lunch

We use the viewing stands on Knight Inlet’s Glendale River after August 24th. After an hour and twenty minute ride up the inlet we tie to a float, take a skiff to shore, ride in a van, climb into the viewing stands and watch grizzly bears for two hours. The above photo is part of the return process of getting back into the skiff to return to the float for lunch. The skiff comfortably holds five or six people and even has a ramp to keep your feet dry.

 

 

 

What is the Grizzly looking at? 2 of 2

River Grizzly Bear

This picture puts it all in prospective. The guest’s head in the corner of the photo puts us across the river that is fifteen meters (yards) from the bear. Is the bear aware of our presence? Yes. Does it care? No. We have become part of the background for the grizzlies and as long as we respect their “comfort zone” there is not a problem and all the guides from the lodge have been doing this for more than ten years so we know which bears are approachable. The only “comfort zone” we sometimes cross is that of our guests.

 

 

 

Grizzly Bear Estuary Tour

guide towing boat

You may wonder how you are able to get the close-up photos in the estuary tours on the Glendale River. You are in a 5.5 meter (yard) flat bottom boat that allows us to move up the river as the water rises. The quite aspect of the tour is because your guide is pulling you as we work our way up the river. This silent approach does not scare the grizzlies especially those with first year cubs.

 

 

 

Grizzly Encounter 4 of 4

Grizzly mother

At this point the mother and cub are not more than fifteen to twenty meters (fifty to sixty feet) from the bow of our viewing boat. One does not need a high power lens for a good picture. Back at the lodge in the evening guests share their photos from the days activities and the guest that were in my boat had great photos and memories.

 

 

Grizzly Encounter 3 of 4

Grizzly bear leavingGrizzly encounter

Once the subadult was aware of the mother and cub she became much less interested in food and more concerned about her safety. The mother and cub continued to walk along the beach as it there was not a problem and for her it was not a problem.  Very few grizzlies except for a large dominated male bear will challenge a mother grizzly…

 

 

Grizzly Encounter 1 of 4

Grizzly Bears

 

The first thing to note in this series of posted photos is that the camera used is a Pentax Optio Wpi 6MP and 3X Optical Zoom. It does not have a lens that makes the grizzlies appear to be sitting on the bow of the boat we are using. We are just off the beach and grizzlies have appeared on the left and right of our location and the hope is that they will meet in the middle…

Grizzly Bear Cubs 1 of 3

Grizzly bear cubs

It starts mostly out of boredem as the cubs wait for their mother to catch a salmon. Notice the crow in the background picking up pieces of salmon. That is where the mother grizzly shares the samon with her cubs. Also notice in the lower lefthand cornes of the photo mother’s backside.

 

 

Fall Grizzly Bear Fishing

Grizzly bear DiningThis is the more “expected photo” of a grizzly bear than yesterdays posting. In late August once the salmon have arrived in the rivers of Knight Inlet the grizzlies have access to their preferred food – salmon. This is the food that provides the necessary calories for the bears to add the layer of fat need for them to survive hibernation.

 

 

Evening Black Bear Tour 1 0f 2

black bear and cub

 

The first evening at the Grizzly Bear Lodge includes a black bear tour in the local area around the lodge. For the 2015 season it has been harder to find black bears on the evening tour that grizzly bears on the day trip up Knight Inlet. Most guests were able to view black bears some time on their visit as your guide is constantly watching the shore on the whale watching day, grizzly bear trip and the day at the wild river. The above photo was on a whale-watching trip. We spent forty-five or so minutes with this mother and cubs she pass through several small bays rolling rocks and at the edge of the forest eating salal berries.