The abundance of salmon in Knight Inlet lures both grizzlies and orcas, making it a superb place to observe these huge mammals in their natural habitat.
BY JEAN-PIERRE SYLVESTRE
The ends of the earth… That's what it looks like below as our floatplane flies over the chain of islands and islets scattered between northern Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia.
And now we’re about to land at the ends of the earth. After a 30-minute low-altitude flight over enchanting scenery, the plane descends towards a long inlet on the mainland and touches down near a floating lodge.
Welcome to Knight Inlet, land of grizzlies and killer whales.
An immense 160-kilometre fjord on B.C.'s west coast, Knight Inlet, 80 kilometres north of Campbell River, is located in an area that's home to the largest concentration of grizzly bears in B.C.
North America's largest land mammal, the grizzly stands between 1.7 and 2.8 metres tall and can weigh up to 390 kilograms. And we're about to see many fine specimens of these impressive creatures, in complete safety.
Almost as soon as we alight from the floatplane, we're told to grab our cameras and some warm clothes for a boat trip up the fjord followed by a brief ride on a school bus through the rainforest to two observation towers. The towers overlook rivers swarming with pink salmon fighting their way upriver to spawn.
Bald eagles wheel overhead, watching the activity below closely, looking for an easy meal. Occasionally an otter glides through the water, trying to catch a passing salmon. But most extraordinary are the large numbers of grizzlies who emerge from the forest in search of one of their favourite snacks.
Some 40 bears come to feed here regularly, 60 per cent of them female, usually accompanied by one or two cute cubs. As I focus my telephoto lens on several of them, I recall reading about how Canadian and American wildlife biologists say the grizzly-bear populations in the Yukon, Alaska and here in B.C. are all thriving.
But while the grizzly is dominant hereabouts, there are also black bears in the area. You sometimes spot them near Knight Inlet Lodge, the floating inn where we're staying, especially around dusk.
To the untrained eye, the two species can be almost indistinguishable because some grizzlies have black fur and some black bears have brown fur. But if you look at their heads, you can tell them apart fairly easily. A grizzly's head is sturdier looking, with a marked brow and muzzle. A grizzly also has round ears and a shoulder hump.
Fortunately for the black bear, the two species share this territory peaceably. And neither seems to acknowledge the presence near their feeding grounds of yet another species ― tourists.
Still, the female grizzlies are on constant alert, sniffing the air for any potential threat while their offspring frolic in the water, trying to catch some salmon. The human onlookers are not about to come down from the tower anytime soon ― you never know, maybe the salmon are leathery today.
Abundant Sea Life
In addition to grizzly-viewing, Knight Inlet Lodge offers boat tours to the nearby Johnstone and Queen Charlotte straits, where the waters teem with Dall's porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Stellar's sea lions and harbour seals.
On our excursion into the straights, lots of these playful sea creatures come and romp around our small powerboat. But what we're really hoping to see is something much bigger, the largest member of the dolphin family in fact ― the killer whale, or orca.
The waters off B.C. are renowned for orcas. Around Vancouver Island alone, 530 of them have been individually identified. Experts divide them into three distinct groups. "Northern residents" and "southern residents" travel within particular ranges off the north and south of the island, and feed primarily on salmon. "Transients" roam over large areas of the island's coast, feeding on marine mammals such as such as seals, sea lions that might weigh up to 300 kilograms, dolphins and even other whales on occasion.
Orcas travel in pods of dozens of animals and have a matriarchal society. Males are easily distinguished by their high dorsal fins, which are triangular and upright. Females are distinguished by their air of authority. They are the leaders, and their offspring stay with them until the death of the mothers.
Close Enough to Touch
We wait in Queen Charlotte Strait, hoping for an appearance by a pod of black-and-white visitors. Our guide, Paul Chaplow, has been observing B.C.'s orcas for 10 years now and is so familiar with them he can recognize individuals by the marks and nicks on their dorsal fins. He has even given some of them names.
Then Chaplow spots two whales, a female called R2, aged 62, and her 44-year-old son R3 (no, not D2!).
Suddenly the seven-metre female surfaces so near that her head is practically touching the boat. She gazes at us, then dives briefly, her son following her, and resurfaces on the port side of the vessel.
Her body is a little longer than the boat, her dorsal fin as tall as we are. We are so close to the two whales we could touch them.
But we don't, because we're so astonished to see these creatures so close up. Or maybe it's just a reflex born of watching too many scary creatures-of-the-sea movies. Then again, our day certainly has had a much happier denouement than the film Orca The Killer Whale.
source: Canadian Tourism Commision
This reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor has it been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Click here for more information on British Columbia
Click here for more outdoor adventures in Canada
BY JEAN-PIERRE SYLVESTRE
The ends of the earth… That's what it looks like below as our floatplane flies over the chain of islands and islets scattered between northern Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia.
And now we’re about to land at the ends of the earth. After a 30-minute low-altitude flight over enchanting scenery, the plane descends towards a long inlet on the mainland and touches down near a floating lodge.
Welcome to Knight Inlet, land of grizzlies and killer whales.
An immense 160-kilometre fjord on B.C.'s west coast, Knight Inlet, 80 kilometres north of Campbell River, is located in an area that's home to the largest concentration of grizzly bears in B.C.
North America's largest land mammal, the grizzly stands between 1.7 and 2.8 metres tall and can weigh up to 390 kilograms. And we're about to see many fine specimens of these impressive creatures, in complete safety.
Almost as soon as we alight from the floatplane, we're told to grab our cameras and some warm clothes for a boat trip up the fjord followed by a brief ride on a school bus through the rainforest to two observation towers. The towers overlook rivers swarming with pink salmon fighting their way upriver to spawn.
Bald eagles wheel overhead, watching the activity below closely, looking for an easy meal. Occasionally an otter glides through the water, trying to catch a passing salmon. But most extraordinary are the large numbers of grizzlies who emerge from the forest in search of one of their favourite snacks.
Some 40 bears come to feed here regularly, 60 per cent of them female, usually accompanied by one or two cute cubs. As I focus my telephoto lens on several of them, I recall reading about how Canadian and American wildlife biologists say the grizzly-bear populations in the Yukon, Alaska and here in B.C. are all thriving.
But while the grizzly is dominant hereabouts, there are also black bears in the area. You sometimes spot them near Knight Inlet Lodge, the floating inn where we're staying, especially around dusk.
To the untrained eye, the two species can be almost indistinguishable because some grizzlies have black fur and some black bears have brown fur. But if you look at their heads, you can tell them apart fairly easily. A grizzly's head is sturdier looking, with a marked brow and muzzle. A grizzly also has round ears and a shoulder hump.
Fortunately for the black bear, the two species share this territory peaceably. And neither seems to acknowledge the presence near their feeding grounds of yet another species ― tourists.
Still, the female grizzlies are on constant alert, sniffing the air for any potential threat while their offspring frolic in the water, trying to catch some salmon. The human onlookers are not about to come down from the tower anytime soon ― you never know, maybe the salmon are leathery today.
Abundant Sea Life
In addition to grizzly-viewing, Knight Inlet Lodge offers boat tours to the nearby Johnstone and Queen Charlotte straits, where the waters teem with Dall's porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Stellar's sea lions and harbour seals.
On our excursion into the straights, lots of these playful sea creatures come and romp around our small powerboat. But what we're really hoping to see is something much bigger, the largest member of the dolphin family in fact ― the killer whale, or orca.
The waters off B.C. are renowned for orcas. Around Vancouver Island alone, 530 of them have been individually identified. Experts divide them into three distinct groups. "Northern residents" and "southern residents" travel within particular ranges off the north and south of the island, and feed primarily on salmon. "Transients" roam over large areas of the island's coast, feeding on marine mammals such as such as seals, sea lions that might weigh up to 300 kilograms, dolphins and even other whales on occasion.
Orcas travel in pods of dozens of animals and have a matriarchal society. Males are easily distinguished by their high dorsal fins, which are triangular and upright. Females are distinguished by their air of authority. They are the leaders, and their offspring stay with them until the death of the mothers.
Close Enough to Touch
We wait in Queen Charlotte Strait, hoping for an appearance by a pod of black-and-white visitors. Our guide, Paul Chaplow, has been observing B.C.'s orcas for 10 years now and is so familiar with them he can recognize individuals by the marks and nicks on their dorsal fins. He has even given some of them names.
Then Chaplow spots two whales, a female called R2, aged 62, and her 44-year-old son R3 (no, not D2!).
Suddenly the seven-metre female surfaces so near that her head is practically touching the boat. She gazes at us, then dives briefly, her son following her, and resurfaces on the port side of the vessel.
Her body is a little longer than the boat, her dorsal fin as tall as we are. We are so close to the two whales we could touch them.
But we don't, because we're so astonished to see these creatures so close up. Or maybe it's just a reflex born of watching too many scary creatures-of-the-sea movies. Then again, our day certainly has had a much happier denouement than the film Orca The Killer Whale.
source: Canadian Tourism Commision
This reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor has it been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Click here for more information on British Columbia
Click here for more outdoor adventures in Canada
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