Tag Archives: Grizzlies

Grizzly bear watching from late May until August 24th occurs along the shore of Knight Inlet and most often in Glendale Cove and on the River. We travel up the inlet to the cove and transfer to a 5.5 meter (18 ft.) flat bottom skiff we use to move along the shore and up the river with a rising tide. Grizzlies are on the shore turning over rocks for the crab, clams, barnacles, amphipods and other tiny invertebrates. In the river they graze on the sedge grass and dig up roots. In all of this time they are waiting for the salmon to arrive. On this day we have five grizzlies, one in the water looking for salmon, and four on the bank digging and grazing. The first half of the season tends to be eye level viewing whereas that changes in tomorrow’s post.

This is to be a grizzly bear family that is together for it’s third summer. It is one of the cubs that caught the salmon the mother is on the right. Not sure what has her interest as we were sitting in our skiff about forty meters in front of the cub with the salmon. Actually the guests were in the skiff I was sitting on the bow of the boat holding it in place on the river. The grizzlies did turn and cross the river to eat the salmon but also came back to catch several more while we watched from front row seats. The only time we got their attention was when I stood up to move the skiff away from their fishing area and the mother stopped and looked our way. I sat down and she went back to fishing. We are part of the background as long as we play by the rule – Do not move.

It is not uncommon to have a grizzly bear swimming in the waters of Knight Inlet’s Glendale Cove where we do most of our grizzly bear tours. It is less common to have them enter the water and swim toward the boat and then along the shore. On this day the closeness was for a reason as will be seen in tomorrow’s post….

Mission accomplished. This sub-adult grizzly passed directly beneath the viewing platform and received no complaints from my guests. It is not everyone that can say they were two meters (six feet) above a grizzly bear’s back and could have jumped onto the back (but only once).

Grizzly bears avoid direct eye contact as this may be perceived as a challenge or threat. This bear is walking toward our viewing stand and wants to pass close by so it avoids eye contact by looking down. It is aware of our presence but we are in a raised platform which makes the bear uncomfortable and it just wants to pass. As it does in the next post…

This photo also directly below the viewing platform shows a mother grizzly bear NOT wanting to share a salmon with her first year cubs. The number one priority of a grizzly with first year cubs is her own health. If she does not have sufficient body fat she will not be able to nurse and this reduces the survival rate. Once that issue has been achieved the sharing will start and every one will be happy (especially the guest I had who thought this was not a very good mother).