Getting grizzly in Canada

Canada's Knight Inlet brims with bears, birds, otters and seals, all attracted by generous servings of salmon. By Claire Giblin.

It seemed too easy. The grizzly bears were knee deep in a seething mass of salmon heading for the spawning grounds. With the scoop of an outstretched paw, they had all they could eat.

Twelve bears shared this stretch of river off Knight Inlet in British Columbia on Canada's western shore. Normally solitary creatures, the abundance of salmon meant these grizzlies were willing to tolerate each other, as long as they kept their distance.

Alongside the adults, a cub perched on a rock in the middle of this amazing smorgasbord, waiting for his mother to deliver. Downstream, a mother and her three more mature cubs fished and played.

The adult bears were so spoilt for choice that many were simply ripping the protein- rich eggs and brains out of the salmon before tossing them back. Soon the river was littered with carcasses.

Up high, regal bald eagles waited patiently to pick up leftovers, sharing the spoils with gulls and ravens.

We watched this extraordinary scene from a viewing platform perched over the river. The bears paid us no notice.

Knight Inlet Lodge specialises in bear watching. The lodge is a collection of cedar timber cabins floating in Glendale Cove, 60 kilometres from the mouth of Knight Inlet.

It is one of the longest coastal inlets in the wild, pristine region of Western Canada's Pacific Northwest, and the cove boasts one of the largest concentrations of grizzlies in British Columbia.

The only way into the lodge is from Campbell River on Vancouver Island, with a wild, swooping float-plane ride over mountains wreathed in mist, then skimming low along a network of inlets.

The lodge has been running grizzly tours for 10 years and was recently voted the fifth- most exotic destination in the world.

Its rise has been matched by the return of salmon and bears to the inlet. Not so long ago, the area was devastated by indiscriminate logging, which had silted up the rivers and ruined the salmon fishery.

The Canadian Government stepped in and in 1994 cleaned up Glendale River and created new spawning areas.

Now the river teems with life. Each autumn, millions of salmon return to the rivers of their birth to spawn, and with them come the bears, ready to gorge before hibernating during winter.

WHERE TO STAY

Knight Inlet Lodge is open from May to October. In spring, from May to June, grizzlies and their cubs are in the estuary close to the lodge, feeding on sedge grasses and succulents along the shore.

In summer, the grizzlies move into the forest to feed on berries, then from the middle of August to the middle of October the grizzlies turn to the salmon-filled rivers.

It's not just grizzlies you'll see at the lodge. Black bears patrol the coastal inlet, hunting for crabs, and scraping barnacles and mussels from rocks.

The steep, inaccessible terrain brings bears to the shores. Much of the inlet is lined with spectacular, craggy, tree-lined cliffs that plunge into the water.

In parts, heli-logging continues, but the owners of the lodge have bought the logging licence to the area around them, creating a sanctuary for the bears.

The inlet is full of life, with seals, otters, porpoises and seabirds, and sometimes whales put in an appearance.

The wildlife can be seen on inlet and estuary tours or kayaking trips. There are regular all-day whale-watching tours and trips to the grizzly bear viewing platforms are made three times a day. Forest walks are offered, but the idea is not to meet bears, so walkers are armed with noisy shakers.

Our guide whistled and clapped to ensure no grizzly was surprised. There were plenty of signs of the bears, including paw prints in the soft ground and claw marks up trees.

The lodge has all the gear you need for the tours, including gumboots, binoculars, wet- weather suits and lifejackets.

The cheerful, knowledgeable staff ran a tight, busy ship. Tours came in and went out throughout the day. Say what you want and you'll be booked on it.

In between, we were well fed. The kitchen is open all day and each meal arrived on time and in abundance. We ate at long tables, sharing stories and experiences with fellow travellers.

At the end of each day, staff put on a talk or entertainment, and there was hot tub on the front deck to relax in.

Even then, there was no escaping the wildlife - the hot tub was a few metres from where seals came to rest for the night and near a colony of bats roosting during the day.

*Ross and Claire Giblin travelled courtesy of Air New Zealand and Tourism British Columbia.

- © Fairfax NZ News