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| A grizzly in spring grazing on sedge grass. Photo: N Shearar |
2019: A Season to Celebrate
Northern Great Bear - Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
British Columbia's north coast is one of those places where
we hope to raise the sails. With a good wind, we make way out of the port of
Prince Rupert to a remote estuary called the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear
Sanctuary. Only just a few vessels are permitted to venture where we go which
makes visiting this off the map place so special.
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| Transient (Biggs) Orca hunting a Steller sea lion. Photo: E Boyle |
The outer Islands always provide superb opportunities to
explore with colourful spring flowers, nesting kittiwakes and a massive Steller
sea lion haul out monitored by a few dozing "beach masters". These
males appear to be as big as Volkswagen vans!. Transient (Bigg's) orcas patrolled
the waters for inquisitive, juvenile sea lions, who found cover in between our
towed zodiacs, hoping they would be forgotten by those apex predators of the
sea.
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| Dr Barrie Gilbert |
Late May/ June is
a unique time to visit. It is mating season for this important population of
grizzlies. The large males tend to spend their time upriver, foraging away from
human contact. Now they beeline it for the estuary to find the females, some
still with cubs. Bear behaviorist, Dr. Barrie Gilbert, provided our
guests with all the answers (and punchlines) for an area he knows so well.
The dynamic suddenly changes with the arrival of the large male grizzly, from foraging and quietly to "the pursuit" - and the females are not always willing participants. Captain Neil captured one such occasion.
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| "The pursuit" lasted for more than 2 hours up a mountain and back. Photo: N Shearar |
Crew noted "lots of bears" and "lots of
mating" this year – a good indicator that we will be in for more
incredible bear viewing Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary will in 2020...
;)
Northern Great bear/ Khutzeymateen expeditions take place in late May/
June. Check out the sample
Itinerary for more information on this unique wildlife expedition. BOOK
NOW!
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