Grizzly Bear Viewing

One of the Largest Concentrations of Grizzly Bears in BC!

Glendale Cove in Knight Inlet is home to one of the largest concentrations of grizzly (brown) bears in British Columbia, Canada. It is not uncommon for up to 40 bears to be within a few miles of the lodge during the peak fall season when the salmon are running up the Glendale River.

And while the bears are abundant in the fall, it is not the only season that grizzlies frequent the area around the lodge. Starting in April, both black and grizzly bears begin emerging from hibernation and head to the cove and the estuary to feed on the succulent new spring growth.

Even in mid-summer, when many of the bears have moved into the surrounding timber clearings to feast on berries, we see several bears each day as they move in and around the estuary and along the logging roads.

Spring Grizzly Bear Viewing from Boats

The spring season is highlighted by the presence of up to 15 different grizzly bears and 5 different black bears, feeding on sedge grasses, mussels and barnacles along the cove's shoreline and in the estuary. Fresh from hibernation, this season offers a wonderful opportunity to see newborn cubs as they first venture out with their mother into the natural world.

Our spring viewing is done from boats, and allows you to get remarkably close to some of these wonderful animals at eye level without disturbing them. The spring season offers some of the year's best photographic opportunities, with the bears moving about in a lush green environment with spectacular backdrops.

Summer Bear Viewing on Land & Sea

Our early summer program continues on the water as well, but moves to the logging roads and to the viewing platforms along the river whenever the opportunity to view bears in those areas arises. This season often has the best weather and is the most relaxing, offering you the chance to view the bears from a small group (the summer program also offers some of the year's best whale watching opportunities).

Spectacular Fall Grizzly Bear Watching on the River with Spawning Salmon

Our fall season begins in late August, as hundreds of thousands of pink salmon begin surging their way up the Inlet into the Glendale River, attracting dozens of grizzlies who converge on the spawning channels to fatten their already burgeoning bodies in preparation for the coming winter.

The spectacle is as incredible as it sounds and has to be experienced in person to really appreciate it. Guests embark on their adventure from the lodge, traveling across the cove by boat and then riding a small bus along an old-time logging road through lush northern rain forest to the spawning channels. It is not uncommon to see 10-15 bears on the river and the channels at a time.

Photographic opportunities abound as 3 different viewing platforms, in 2 different areas, have been specially constructed to provide a safe and comfortable viewing base to work from.

 

Explore the BC Wilderness

Whale Watching Tours

May to mid-October - daily marine wildlife watching tours to world renowned Johnstone Strait, an area frequented by 16 different pods of killer whales and rated as one of the world's best spots to observe and photograph these magnificent Orcas.

Inlet Cruises

The Inlet Tour is a beautiful scenic cruise that takes in the natural wonders of Knight Inlet -- tremendous waterfalls plummeting out of sheer rock faces, ancient glaciers with trails carving through the mountains and wild, remote rivers teeming with life.

Rainforest Walk

This is one of the few pristine watersheds left in this area. We will walk up the valley to large moss-covered old growth trees and stunning waterfalls. Your guide will inform you about the rainforest and the various plant life that abound.

Sea Kayaking Tours

Drifting quietly in your sea kayak, you will witness these powerful creatures as they quietly forage amongst this fresh sedge growth in the protected waters near our lodge. We are frequently fortunate to see new grizzly bear cubs, fresh from their winter den.

 

Wildlife Photographers Welcome!

Photographic opportunities abound as 5 different viewing platforms, in 3 different areas, have been specially constructed to provide a safe and comfortable viewing base to work from.

Visit our Photo Gallery and get inspired!