We watched this grizzly bear with her triplets most of the summer and she always had the same problem: two obedient cubs and one less obedient. The one cub and also the larger of the three was always lagging behind on the shore and along the river. When other grizzly bears approached it was always the last to respond to it’s mothers warnings but it did survive the summer and we hope to see it next year. Of the three it probably has the best chance because it was fatter.
This mother and black bear cub are also beach feed as was the grizzly in yesterdays post but they are spending most of their time turning over rocks in search of crab, clams, barnacles, amphipods and other tiny invertebrates. Black bears do not normally have access to the salmon in the rivers because of the grizzlies, so much of their protein in from this beach food.
Grizzly bears on the beach in June through August feed along the shores of Knight Inlet. On this day the meal is the barnacles and muscles they scrape off the rocks. And yes they eat them shell and all. If you look closely a the photo you will notice various areas around the bear that have already been scraped and that was not done by this grizzly as it just came down to the water edge. Some beach feeding is a little different as tomorrows post will show….
A mother grizzly bear with cubs will come to the salmon pools with a different approach. She needs to be aware of what/who is in the area before she commits to entering the feeding zone. This grizzly and cubs use a log that bridges the lower end to the pool and provides a good view of the area. All is safe and she enters the water with her family.
This photo is late August and unlike the grizzly in yesterday’s post this grizzly bear has had the advantage of ripe berries for several months and possibly a few salmon which will now be in the river. This bear is no where near hibernation weight and will increase by another third before heading to the high country for the winter.
This was late May several years ago on one of the first trips of the year. When the grizzly bears first appear on the beach, out of hibernation, they are lean. Berries will not be ripe until late June, the sedge grass the bear is walking through is pretty sparse so nourishment comes from rolling rocks on the beach. This “beach food” is important because bears will continue to loose weight until well into late June.
After August 24th we move our grizzly bear viewing to the stands which over look the salmon in the river as they wait to enter the man-made spawning channel. This grizzly is directly below the platform and about to enter the holding pool full of salmon.
The extra day booked at Grizzly Bear Lodge means a trip to Trapper Rick’s to enjoy the scenery of a unique wild river, some more interaction with bears and Trapper Rick and maybe a little river fishing. On this day we were unable to cross the river to find some bears for about an hour because there was a grizzly bear fishing at the boat landing. As the bear approached Rick he had a one sided conversation with the bear and it crossed the river to fish on the other side before it moved up the river. January 19 to 21 has more photos from this incident – can use the side bar at the left to find these photos. All in all it is worth the time to watch grizzlies while waiting to watch grizzlies.
We have been spotted by the mother grizzly and her cub and in turn they are easier to see on the beach. Heads up and looking in our direction make them much more noticeable than in yesterday’s post.
From a greater distance and if they are not moving grizzly bears tend to blend in with the rocks on the beach. Both bears seem to have found something worthy of their full attention but that is what happens when mother turns over a rock. 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.
Just like that another season has come to an end. We are grateful for all the wonderful staff and the guests this season. It was an excellent season and we are already looking forward to next May.
One of the highlights of the season was all of the new cubs out. It was awesome to see so many new cubs of the year and that is great news for our bear populations moving forward. We had great spring viewing and this continued through summer. On our river trips we started to see salmon arriving in August and enjoyed some great shoulder season viewing. The fish at the viewing platforms were a little late showing up this year, but viewing during late September at the platforms was great and the estuary viewing remained strong throughout the season.
Out in the whale watching world it was another year that saw large numbers of resident Orca who remained in the area right into October. The Humpback viewing was also great with large numbers feeding in Blackfish Sound. It is so amazing to have these magnificent animals back in our waters in such numbers.
Over the winter and spring we will be doing some repairs and maintenance. We rebuilt the front deck last spring, utilising cedar cut on site. We will continue with some siding, rooms improvements and hopefully a floating sauna ready for the start of our season.
2026 is already looking like a very busy season for us. We only have limited high season availability so please book early to ensure we have space for your group.
Looking forward to seeing you next year
Angus Reid
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