Yesterday’s post was a black bear on a whale watching tour while today’s is a grizzly bear on an evening black bear tour. On your first evening in the lodge we go for an hour or so boat ride looking for black bears and other wildlife. I remember this trip as it was the longest evening black bear tour that lasted two and half hours (we did get back before dark but just). We found a mother grizzly and two cubs on the beach and we followed them for over an hour as they slowly made their way along the beach turning over rocks and at time stopping to berries and eat grass above the high tide mark. Our tours do not normally have a tight schedule if we find something interesting we watch.
Tag Archives: Grizzly Bears
A Meerkat?
The dark raccoon eyes and the upright poise made me think of the Meerkat of South Africa. This cub, one of three, was passing by the viewing platform we use in Knight Inlet when one of the guests made a noise when a bench was bumped. The others kept moving but this one stopped and looked in our direction for a minute or so before moving to catch up with it’s family. The viewing platforms are raised about three meters (yards) above ground level and grizzly bear’s frequently glance our direction as it is not normal for them to have something above them.
Lean Grizzly Bears waiting for salmon
It is September 1st and these grizzly bears are looking like they need a good meal. And they do because not many salmon have arrived in the river. A late arrival of salmon to Knight Inlet’s Glendale River means that the bears have less time to fatten for hibernation. By early October the grizzlies were in better shape but it will still be an interesting winter for some of the younger bears and only next spring will we may see the result of a poorer salmon run.
Grizzly Bear Cubs Waiting 2 of 2
These grizzly bear cubs have decided that comfort is in numbers and body heat is conserved in a huddle. Yes these cubs are from the same mother and one is very small. Unfortunately it did not survive to the end of our viewing season which was mid October. Our guest are frequently reminded that this is not a zoo rather we are viewing wildlife in their natural habitat and nature is not forgiving.
Grizzly Bear Cubs Waiting 1 of 2
For some reason grizzly bear cubs will try to avoid getting wet. In the spring when the cubs are on the beach and are required to enter the water it is often necessary for the mother to go ahead and leave them behind to force then to swim to join her further along the beach’s of Knight Inlet. In this case it is early September and the cubs still prefer to stay dry. It may be that their body fat level is not enough to overcome the cold water and this thought is reinforce by tomorrow’s post….
Grizzly lesson learned
This could be this two-year-old grizzly bear cub’s first salmon. It was the first day that we noticed it had much interest in fishing. Prior to this it relied on it’s mother to provide the food. Time to become an active member of the family and obtain it’s own meals. There is a good chance that this is the last “fishing season” with mother and therefore the last chance to pick up the necessary techniques to survive on it’s own. Females will rear their cubs for 2-3 years. When a female grizzly bear leaves her mother, they often set up their home range in Knight Inlet quite close to their mother’s home range. Males will typically range further, but may also remain close by.
Trapper Rick’s Grizzlies 3 of 3
When the grizzly bear eating the salmon is about fifty meters/yards across the river the guests get some good photos and memories to share around the dinner table back at the lodge. These are also the memories that have the guests return to the lodge for a second and third visit as well a recommend the Grizzly Bear Lodge to their friends.
Trapper Rick’s Grizzlies 2 of 3
Yesterday’s, today’s and tomorrow’s post photos are taken with a Pentax Optio Wpi 6MP and 3X Optical Zoom which does not have a “good zoom” lens for wildlife photo’s so with most cameras you would have much better photos. It is the feeling you get when watching grizzlies that are across the river from where you are sitting that is the adrenaline rush. You are not in a boat or a viewing stand but sitting on a rock bank across a river from the grizzlies. Trapper Rick knows these bears and they respond to his voice but he is still carries a gun to ensure your safety. The grizzly bear in the water is fishing for salmon and does manage to catch one…
Trapper Rick’s Grizzlies 1 of 3
On the extra day in camp we take a forty-five minute boat ride 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 once there we travel by road to Rick’s cabin. Below the cabin on the river is a waterfall and a fish ladder that help the salmon by-pass the falls. (For more photos of Trapper’s cabin and surrounding area go to “Categories” on the left and select “River Day”.) This grizzly bear is working its way up river to the falls and the salmon….
Grizzly bears drink in a tidal river
On Grizzly Bear Lodge’s wildlife tours during the hot days of July and August we frequently see grizzly bears in the water. The water in Knight Inlet’s Glendale estuary is a mixture of salt and fresh water which the grizzly bears often drink when the tide is going out. On a rising tide the surface water contains more salt so less drinking. It is better to have the grizzlies wading and swimming and cooling off in the water than moving into the shade away from our viewing.
