email
Humpback whale, Broughton Archipelago, Canada

Canada: Broughton Archipelago - mostly bears
September 2023

Grizzly bear, Broughton Archipelago, Canada


An amazing visit to Farewell Harbour Lodge on the Broughton Archipelago with so many sightings of whales, grizzly bears and other wildlife.
Broughton Archipelago - mostly whales
More Canada

Port Hardy, Canada
Port Hardy

 

We flew from Vancouver to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island in a small plane and were met by a driver who took us to Alder Bay. Around an hour later the boat from Farewell Harbour Lodge arrived, dropping off some people returning to the airport and picking us up, along with four others.

Port Hardy, Canada
Port Hardy, Canada
Great Blue Heron at Port Hardy.

It took us some time to get to Farewell Harbour Lodge because there were so many humpback whales around!

Humpback Whales, Canada
Humpback Whales, Canada
Humpback Whales, Canada
Humpback Whales, Canada
Humpback Whales, Canada
Humpback Whales, Canada
Humpback Whales, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Farewell Harbour Lodge
Broughton Archipelago, Canada

Farewell Harbour Lodge is a true wilderness retreat, located on Berry Island within the Broughton Archipelago Marine Park. It has only 12 rooms all looking out onto the harbour. The food here was fantastic and the rooms have gas fires which are lovely to come back to on chilly evenings.

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Farewell Harbour Lodge

On arrival we had an excellent lunch of bacon and potato soup, humus with flatbread, Pad Thai and salad before an orientation talk by Tim, one of the owners and a fitting for our wet gear, provided by the Lodge. Then we were taken back out on the boat to see maine wildlife. It was a glorious day and we saw a lot more humpbacks and many sea lions.

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Sea lions
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada

 

 

 

 

A number of sea lions were hauled out onto the rocks sunning themselves...

 

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Sea lions

 

 

 

... while a large group just seemed to be playing in the water.

 

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Two telltale signs of a whale: the blow and a host of birds looking to scavenge food.
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Barnacles can be seen on the humpback's flukes.
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Farewell Harbour Lodge, Canada
Sea anemones growing beneath the dock at Farewell Harbour - there were lots of colourful growths there.

It was an incredible first day and we finished it off on returning to the Lodge by freshening up and having a beer by the fire pit on the deck before an excellent dinner: Thai coconut soup, beetroot dip with tortilla chips, pork tenderloin, an Indian curry, followed by blueberry and apple crumble with vanilla ice cream.

Farewell Harbour Lodge, Canada
Sunset Farewell Harbour.

The following day we had a 7am start for Knight's Inlet, looking for bears. We had our wet gear just in case.

Our guide was Renée who had been with us yesterday afternoon, and our pilot was Daryl, very experienced.

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
A rather wet bear.
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
First sighting of a Grizzly.

Scouring the shoreline it took a while but then we spotted a large grizzly working the foreshore for food. It was turning over large rocks looking for fish and eels, clawing mussels and barnacles off rocks, crushing them and licking the meat off its paws.

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Think he's clawing limpets or some other food source of the rocks.
Broughton Archipelago, Canada

When the foreshore was obstructed by a large rock the bear took to the water ad swam around it to begin foraging again.

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
A good shake to get rid of some water.
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Back into the water - we got the impression he wasn't too keen!
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Wet again!

We watched the bear for a long time until he turned and headed into the forest. Light level was low and we weren't terrifically close most of the time so it was difficult to get good shots.

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Glaucous-winged gulls?
Broughton Archipelago, Canada

 

We headed up to a cove where we transferred to the Zodiac to get closer to the shore and spotted a mother grizzly and cub were just disappearing into the forest. Back on the boat we had a sandwich lunch before getting back on the Zodiac and heading for the estuary.

Renée and Daryl guided us deep into the sedge, Renée in her waders pulling the boat, Daryl guiding from behind. We'd gone about as far as we could, it was very peaceful, when a female grizzly came out of the forest, dug around a bit, then her cub followed.

 

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Female grizzly bear and cub.

 

The cub copied its mother who was digging for roots and tubers - they also eat the sedge.

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada

Broughton Archipelago, Canada

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Still a bit spooked.

Suddenly the mother bear became very wary, completely still and staring into the forest.

Broughton Archipelago, Canada

Then she reared up onto her hind legs, keeping her cub behind her. Something had obviously spooked her. She then came along the edge of the channel that we were in, her cub following.

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Large male grizzly.
Broughton Archipelago, Canada

Out from the forest behind her came a large black grizzly. He didn't seem to be pursuing them, but this was obviously what had spooked her. She would be extremely protective of her cub in this situation as male grizzlies sometimes kill and eat cubs.

Broughton Archipelago, Canada

The male grizzly stayed near the edge of the forest and the female and cub continued to move towards us until they were less than three metres away. They seemed to know we were there, and Daryl was ready with the bear spray if necessary, but the mother bear must have decided that we weren't a threat and continued to forage in front of us for a while before turning and ambling off into the forest, digging here and there, with her cub in tow.

An amazing experience to be so close to these wonderful creatures in their natural habitat, not viewing them from platforms as happens in many other bear habitats, but relying on the expertise of our guides to know where to look and how to behave to give us such an incredible encounter.

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Stellar's Jay
Broughton Archipelago, Canada

During the course of the day we also saw Dall's porpoises, sea lions, Harbour seals and a beautiful bright blue Stellar's Jay.

Daryl also took us to see pictographs on cliffs well above the water. I don't know how old they are but they depict sailing ships and a stagecoach among other things.

Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Colourful pictographs on the cliffs.
Broughton Archipelago, Canada
Broughton Archipelago, Canada