This week I had a pretty spectacular experience with some wild neighbours and the scenery along the way was nothing short of breathtaking. The morning started with a pod of dolphins lazily cruising along off shore while we waited for the boat to pick us up. Once on board, we quickly caught up to them and they put on quite a show for us.
We spotted a black bear near the tide mark. She was a little shy and wanted to retreat into the trees but was curious enough to stop and have a good look at us.
Then it was off to Glendale Cove in Knight Inlet. The Grizzly bears are done hibernating for the year and are ready to pack on some pounds. This time of year that means mostly salads. The bears come to this estuary to dine on the tender new sedge grass with some blue mussels and barnacles thrown in when the tides allow. When we first arrived, we saw a male and female quite a distance away. They obviously wanted to be alone and scurried off to the cover of the trees. Touring around in our flat bottomed skiff, we looked for any other bears that might be out snacking on the sedge grass.
We travelled up the river a while before the crew had to get out, walking in waist-deep water to navigate the shallows. The river bottom is covered in small pebbles and rocks, making it perfect for the salmon that will arrive later in the season but not so perfect for boats that can get hung up on rocks, stranding the tourists amongst the hungry bears.
The guides thought we should take an early lunch and hopefully some bears will come out as the tide started to drop. As we ate, they scanned the area and sure enough, a bear emerged so we all jumped in the skiff and headed back out.
We watched her munching away on the grass for quite some time. Clearly all that eating took a toll on her and she decided it was time for a quick nap before heading off to eat some more.
By this time, the male and female had emerged again so we slowly made our way closer to them. The male really didn’t want any visitors and disappeared into the trees again. The female wasn’t as concerned with our intrusion.
It really would have been nice to see some cubs but it wasn’t meant to be on this day.
On the return home, we made a quick stop at Lagoon Cove. It’s a peaceful place for a marina with well tended grounds and a bit of quirkiness.
A special thank you to Chris and Heather who made this trip happen for me. It was a very memorable experience (even if I did have camera envy the whole day).
Tide Rip Grizzly Tours operates out of Telegraph Cove from mid-May to the end of September. Their full-day boat tour offers visitors the opportunity to witness Grizzly bears in their natural environment, not to mention all the sea life that you might encounter along the way.
Thank you! Your photos and text do a great job of telling the story. You have a good narrative eye. The photos are sharp & clear. Super shots of the black bear & the grizzlies on the shore, dolphins, the guides, the boat, the floating dock. Thank you again.
Chris & Heather
Wonderful photos! Helps us relive our trips to the Knight Inlet and the amazing grizzly viewing.
Thank you. It was an excellent reminder that exploring our own backyard is just as beautiful as exploring the rest of the world.
Great Pics Jen. I especially like the lazy bear pic, great shot.