Females give birth during this winter rest, often to twins. In this season, dozens of bears may gather to feast on the fish, craving fats that will sustain them through the long winter ahead.īrown bears dig dens for winter hibernation, often holing up in a suitable-looking hillside. Dramatic gatherings of grizzly bears can be seen at prime Alaskan fishing spots when the salmon run upstream for summer spawning. These awe-inspiring giants tend to be solitary animals-with the exception of females and their cubs-but at times they do congregate. Grizzly bears are protected by law in the continental United States-not in Alaska-though there have been some controversial attempts to remove those protections in recent years. Grizzlies are typically brown, though their fur can appear to be white-tipped, or grizzled, lending them their name. The grizzly bear is a North American subspecies of the brown bear. What a treat!īut this unforgettable adventure wasn’t over yet – on the return journey we had even more luck, seeing more humpback whales, orcas, dolphins and Dall’s porpoises were all spotted in their incredible natural habitat.Current Population Trend: Stable What is the grizzly bear? Two matriarchs, Lenore and Bella are well known to local guides and we have the privilege of seeing Lenore with her two male cubs. The grizzlies simply ate what seemed to be buckets of blue mussels, scraping them off with their long claws.Ī grizzly can be distinguished from a black bear by its noticeable shoulder hump, a more dish-shaped face and its longer claws.Īpproximately 80 bears are in the area, including 12 residents and others passing through. We’re now quite close and able to appreciate the natural environment and peaceful tranquility in silence.
Suited up in thick waterproof overalls, James slips into the waist-deep water to manoeuvre the skiff for perfect viewing, all without disturbing the bears. Our small, flat-bottomed boat glides quietly along the inlet, and Captain James cuts the engine after seeing a mother and two cubs on the beach ahead. With the trip to the Cove approximately two hours, followed by three to four hours of bear watching, we were looked after throughout the day by Captain James and tour guide/naturalist Laura. sharp, we boarded the Coast Guard-certified vessel Grizzly Girl for the journey along Knight Inlet to the hopeful viewing area at Glendale Cove. With the safety meeting complete by 7 a.m. With “staycations” the vacation of choice this season, this out-of-the-ordinary excursion welcomed local tourists from both Vancouver Island and the BC Lower Mainland.Īdding to the excitement, award-winning wildlife photographer Anthony Bucci joined us for the day, sharing his considerable knowledge!
#Grizzly adventure game online professional
From the start, the staff was friendly, enthusiastic and professional – a must if you’re embarking on an off-the-beaten-track adventure. Part of the world-famous Great Bear Rainforest, Knight Inlet is one of the longest on the BC coast, stretching 125 kilometres inland and 2.5 km wide.ĭeciding to take this trip with Tide Rip Grizzly Adventures was easy. The inlet’s opening lies east of Malcolm Island and Port McNeill, and just north of the opening of the upper end of Johnstone Strait, which separates Vancouver Island from the archipelago between it and the mainland. Two hundred years later it was designated as BC’s largest marine park. William Robert Broughton, the Archipelago is a maze of largely uninhabited islands, islets, rocks and reefs that effectively choke off the mouth of mighty Knight Inlet. Named by George Vancouver in 1792 after then Capt. The sheltered waters of the Broughton Archipelago feature an abundance of marine life. It later became a fish saltery, sawmill village and today, a tourism destination. Our adventure begins in the small, picturesque Telegraph Cove, just south of the fishing town of Port McNeill on the east coast of Vancouver Island.Ī colourful collection of buildings along a waterfront boardwalk, the community’s humble origins reach back to 1912, when Telegraph Cove was founded as a one-man telegraph station.
So to also witness massive humpbacks, beautiful orcas, soaring eagles and so many more of the West Coast’s storied wildlife in a single journey, well, this really is the trip of a lifetime. Smart Guide to Local Business Directoryįew wildlife experiences compare with seeing a grizzly bear in its natural environment.