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Glendale Cove is home to one of the largest concentrations of grizzly (brown) bears in British Columbia. It is not uncommon for there to be up to 50 bears within 5 miles of the lodge in the peak fall season, when the salmon are returning to the river. Although they are abundant in the fall, it is not the only season that grizzly bears are around Glendale Cove.Starting in late April the bears return to the estuary from hibernation and start the year off feeding on the sedges, succulents, grasses and barnacles that abound in our estuary.
This luxuriant spring growth provides the basic nutritional needs for the bears and this draws the bears from the mountains down to the estuary. 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. While grizzlies are generally not social animals, spring viewing often affords the opportunity to observe courtship ritual and even mating activity. We are frequently fortunate to see cubs, fresh from their winter den. Be sure to have a camera as photographic opportunities are excellent. And be assured that our guides are trained in minimum impact bear viewing etiquette - which respects the needs for bears to feed undisturbed at this critical period in their feeding season.
No experience necessary! Our trained guides will coach you in the fundamentals of sea kayaking to allow you to very quickly gain confidence in these seaworthy crafts. We will give you instruction in the fundamentals and give you any added coaching you may desire. We use stable, roomy, single and double kayaks designed by Necky Kayaks.
Very different from expedition style sea kayaking, our lodge-based excursions are designed for those with little or no kayaking experience. Returning from a day’s paddling to our hot tub, gourmet meals and a comfortable bed energizes you for the next day’s adventure. And our experienced, safety-conscious guides are skilled interpreters of the natural world and have extensive knowledge about grizzly bears, giving you a deeper understanding of these magnificent creatures.
By using our kayak transport vessel as a mobile launch point, we will venture ever further afield each day exploring remote corners of Knight Inlet and Broughton Archipelago and return back to the lodge in time for dinner. Our kayaks allow us unique access to estuaries and intertidal regions of ancient river valleys that grizzlies inhabit during the spring as they await the return of the salmon.
As well as bear viewing by sea kayak, we also offer a number of other tours including hiking explorations of the lush temperate old growth forests near our lodge. As a seakayaking guest you have the option of participating in any of our other tours at no extra cost. Other options include jet boat tours up the mighty Klinaklini River or grizzly tracking tours - which allow you an in-depth look at grizzly behaviour and ecology and perhaps the opportunity to take make a plaster cast of a grizzly pawprint!
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