Tag Archives: Bears

Black Bear in Grizzly Bear Territory

Balck BearBlack bears are normally on the beaches to turnover rocks. This inter-tidal zone “food” is high in protein and is made up of crab, clams, barnacles, amphipods and other tiny invertebrates. The “beach food” is important because plant food is relatively scarce during spring and bears will continue to loose weight until well into June. Plant foods make up the majority of a bear’s diet (sometimes, as much as 90%). The black bears are kept from the salmon rivers by the grizzly so the beaches remain one of their main sources of protein all year. This bear is playing the acrobat by balancing on a log while scraping off barnacles and muscles.

 

 

Large male grizzly in estuary

Spring male grizzlyGrizzly bear tours from the lodge travel up Knight Inlet to Glendale Cove and the river estuary. Both spring and summer tours take advantage of the tidal change to move up and down the river. We use an eighteen-foot flat bottom skiff that allows us to move up and down the river in very shallow water. The riverbanks and estuary are covered with a very protein rich sedge grass that the grizzlies graze. They have become accustomed to our presence and provide interesting photos as they observe us.

 

 

About to swim between islands

Black bear on beachAs we came along the shore on one of the whale watching trips we came upon this black bear stand at the edge of a small channel between two islands. It was not turning rocks and as we waited it went back up the beach into the bush. One of our other boasts was a about ten minutes behind us and when they got to this same point the bear was in the water swimming between islands.  As in most wildlife viewing timing in important.

 

 

Cubs stay close to mother

Spring grizzlyGrizzly bear watching in the spring is always made interesting because of the reaction of the cubs. Born in January of February the cubs are only five or six months old. When we first see these cubs in the end of May everything is new for them. We are their first interaction with boats and they are wary. Normally on their first encounter they leave the beach (and mother)) for the trees but the mother’s reaction is the teaching tool for the cubs. This is not new for the grizzly mothers so by the third encounter, as in this photo, the cubs still keep an eye on the boats but stay on the beach with mom.

 

 

Siblings on the lookout

Sibling grizzlyThe grizzly bear viewing platforms used by the lodge provide variety of viewing opportunities. The finger stand is located between the natural river and the entrance to the spawning channel. The grizzlies walk up and down the river using it as a path between various fishing spots.  They also move to the other side of the stands, which is the holding s area for the salmon, before they move on to spawn in the man made spawning beds. These two grizzly siblings are on the river side of the viewing platform but are keeping a close eye on a mother and cubs that just passed behind the stands to fish in the holding pool. Sub-adults are always careful of mothers with cubs and will stay back while they are in the area.

 

 

Spring grizzly cubs

Grizzly cub playingIn early June on grizzly bear trips up Knight Inlet from the lodge the grizzlies and their cubs are found along the shore. The mothers bring their five and six month old cubs to the beach as they are in search of the protein made up of crab, clams, barnacles, amphipods and other tiny invertebrates they can find under beach rocks. The many types of berries are not ripe and the only other protein is sedge grass that grown in the river estuaries. The cubs do turn rocks and graze on the grass but they also like to climb and play. This cub spent a good twenty minutes attaching this small tree on the stump.

 

 

Evening black bear tour

Black BearSometime on the evening of the arrival day guest will go on a local wildlife tour. It may be before or after diner depending on the tide. The object of the tour is to find black bears on the beach and that means there needs to be a low tide to have a beach for the bears. It tour is an hour or so depending on the wildlife viewing. It allows the guest to become familiar with the guides and boats and to gain some experience of photographing from a boat.

 

 

 

Grizzly bear at viewing platform

Grizzly below standsThe grizzly bear viewing in October is from a platform on the Knight Inlet’s Glendale River. It is a large, raised; covered stand that overlooks the natural river as well as the entrance to the man made spawning channel. The view of this bear is on the riverside about seven meters (yards) below the railing of the platform. Grizzly bears frequently pass by the edge of the stands when moving from the river into the spawning channel entrance.

 

 

Coming mom

Click to enlarge then click again

A black bear and cub stroll along the beach on one of the evening wildlife tours. A low tide provides the ideal conditions for the bears to be on the beach. Comparing this black bear photo with yesterday’s post it is quite obvious which bear has the higher hump and is the grizzly.

 

 

Grizzly bear hump

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In bear identification 101 the black bear’s rump is higher than front shoulders and a grizzly bear’s rump is lower than shoulder hump. On a grizzly this hump is made of fat and muscle and helps the grizzlies to dig up roots and tear apart logs to find food. The angle of this photo and the pose of the bear make the hump very obvious.