In Search of Grizzlies: Khutzeeymateen Provincial Park, BC Canada

Two grizzlies on a lichen-covered shoreline, Khutzeymateen / K’tzim-a-deen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, BC Canada

Mother and Cub Grizzly
You could hear a pin drop on our idling boat in Khutzeymateen Inlet as we watched a female grizzly with her male cub digging for clams on the foreshore in the distance.

We’re going on a bear hunt.
We’re going to catch a big one.
What a beautiful day!
We’re not scared.

– Michael Rosen

We were going on a bear hunt – in search of grizzlies (Ursus arctos horribilis) in the Canadian wilds – from the safety of the water.

I had booked myself onto a cruise with Prince Rupert Adventure Tours, out of the northern-coastal British Columbia city of Prince Rupert (see: Butze Rapids) and into the Khutzeeymateen Provincial Park, also known as Khutzeymateen/K’tzim-A-Deen Grizzly Sanctuary.

Our 72-foot catamaran, the Inside Passage, headed out of rainy Prince Rupert, north through Chatham Sound, and followed the Khutzeymateen Inlet into the rugged coastal mountain valley that currently houses a population of approximately 50 grizzly bears.

Khutzeymateen is a native Tsimshian word meaning ‘a confined space for salmon and bears’. The lands here have been the traditional territories of the Coast Tsimshian (Metlakatla and Lax Kw’alaams First Nations) since time immemorial. In 2008, the Khutzeymateen Inlet Conservancy was established to ensure the protection of grizzly habitat, while maintaining the traditional social, ceremonial, and cultural land uses of the First Nations.

The Conservancy also oversees the development of responsible recreational opportunities and sustainable resource use. Commercial bear-viewing guides, like those I was travelling with, are licenced through the park management.

Let’s go hunt some bears!

Wet morning on the Prince Rupert Ferry Port, BC Canada

Ferry Port
It was a rainy morning on the harbour. Prince Rupert is the rainiest city in Canada, so you have to expect it!

Environmental portrait: Young woman with a microphone, Prince Rupert Adventure Tours, BC Canada

Young Guide
Once installed on our comfy passenger catamaran, we are given the usual briefing about facilities and safety aboard the vessel.

Green Island
We pull away from the port and into the cloud-covered, island-dotted, rainy channels.

Tall Trees and Rough Rocks
This is wild country: there are no roads and very few small communities.

On the Bridge
Our man on the helm keeps a close watch on the waters.

The Texture of Trees

Bear in the Distance
How sharp are your eyes? Our first grizzly is a long way away, ambling through the impossibly-green grass on the shoreline of our first cove.

Reflections of Trees
As we back out of the cove, I amuse myself by enjoying the patterns of the old growth temperate rainforest on the waters.

Khutzeymateen Chanel
The mountains – some of them snow-dusted – rise steeply all around us.

Almost Abstract : Waves on Shore
The colours and patterns in the waters are magnificent. Those are Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) growing to the water’s edge.

Nature’s Artworks : Reflections in the Wake
There are those who believe that the fluid patterns reflected in BC waters had a strong influence on traditional native art.

Mountains Behind
The landscape is so large!

The Inside Passage
Our cheerful yellow catamaran stands out against the overcast sky.

Ship’s Bell

Bear on the Shoreline
Our eagle-eyed skipper has found another bear – this one close enough I can see the frightening length of its claws!

Bear on the Move
The local grizzlies have not been out of hibernation long; they prowl the shoreline in search of food and mates. The speed with which this one moves gives me pause!

Boats and Boathouse

Lens Envy!
Our skipper is carrying some heavy fire-power – a 400mm lens with an extender. I’m so jealous! There was a cushioned cradle on the bow so he could stabilize the heavy lens and the resulting shots were beyond anything I could manage with my little rig!

Keeping Watch
The staff know which of the bears have been seen recently, and keep a close watch on the shoreline.

Wake Patterns

Landscape on the Sound

Chewing Grass
I think this beautiful blond bear was my favourite.

Teeth
S/he might be grazing on the rich grasses in the the intertidal wetlands, but you can just see the long incisors and imagine the damage they could do.