Grizzly Bear Viewing
Many of our guests add a grizzly bear viewing day trip with Tide Rip Tours before or after they join us kayaking. Grizzly bears are not normally found on Vancouver Island but are regularly seen on the nearby mainland coast. The most popular and reliable location for viewing grizzly bears is at Glendale Cove in Knight Inlet.
Early in the year grizzly bears are seen in the estuary feeding on sedges and grasses as well as looking for flipping the inter-tidal rocks looking for tasty seafood.
From late May to mid June is the mating season with lots of interesting interaction. The big boars chase the not-too-interested females, displacing other bears along the beach.
Mid July is the season of cubs scrambling along behind their mom as they first explore their wilderness home. Mom is very protective of her cubs as she teaches them bear survival.
By the end of August and into September the salmon are running at the river mouth. The bears are chasing the fish around in the low tide pools. Each bear has its own preferred fishing technique. Some like to stand in a riffle and pounce when an unsuspecting salmon goes by. Other bears run around trying to corner salmon against the bank. As the salmon begin to head up stream to spawn the larger grizzlies stake their claim to the top fishing spots, growling off any newcomers.
The grizzly bears are viewed from the safety and comfort of big flat bottomed viewing boats. Their shallow draught gets you in close to the action, but not too close. A good pair of binoculars is recommended.
Prices:
$267 per person plus 12% HST
How to Book:
When booking any of our Port McNeill departure kayak tours let us know
if you would like to add the grizzly bear viewing option the day before
or the day after your kayak tour and we will take car of the rest. A
$100 deposit is required to reserve your spot on the grizzly bear tour
and the remaining balance is due at the same time as the balance for
your kayak tour.
Get a sense of the grizzly viewing trips to Glendale Cove in Knight Inlet from the video below.
Details:
The grizzly bear tour departs Telegraph Cove at 7:00 am, you travel by a covered
12 passenger boat up Knight Inlet to the viewing area at Glendale Cove.
Telegraph Cove is a 25 minute drive from Port McNeill, if taking a taxi
you should arrange it the night before the trip. The boat ride from
Telegraph Cove to Glendale Cove is approximately 2 hours. Time will be
spent viewing bears in the morning from the flat bottom viewing boats.
Lunch is provided back at the float where the large boat is tied up and
you will have another opportunity to view bears after lunch. The tour
ends back in Telegraph Cove at approximately 4:00 pm. Due to chance of
bumpy sea conditions this tour is not recommended for pregnant women,
people with bad backs, or children less than 8.
*the grizzly bear photos on this page are courtesy of Derek Kyostia and Tide Rip Tours
