Telegraph Cove B.C. ~ Vancouver Island Canada
grizzlies, black bears, eagles, dolphins & whale watching
Up north on Vancouver Island, Telegraph Cove B.C. (Canada) is home to the first whale watching tour in British Columbia, and still one of Canada's (and the world's) most reliable killer whale watching sites. There is really only place to stay at Telegraph Cove -- the Telegraph Cove lodge -- and one at Knight Inlet BC (remote, therefore expensive, but a true Canadian wilderness experience).
Or stay in Port Hardy on Vancouver Island and take a boat trip from Telegraph Cove to Knight Inlet (See all Vancouver Island hotels here). I'd driven down from Port Hardy to go see the grizzlies at Knight Inlet, which is actually on B.C.'s mainland Sunshine Coast north of Powell River. Northern Vancouver Island has fewer people and more black bears. Grizzly bears are only found on the B.C. mainland, NOT on Vancouver Island. During the warmer months, a limited number of tour operators take visitors by boat or float plane deep into the convoluted Knight Inlet channels where the grizzlies graze on sedge grasses or feast on salmon, and ususally you see black bears, eagles, dolphins, and maybe a whale on the way. Travelling to B.C.? You might like to get a copy of Fodor's new guide for Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Whistler & Okanagan
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 Telegraph Cove BC
Telegraph Cove has re-invented itself yet again: In 1911, it was a British Columbia telegraph station; in the 1920s, a salmon saltery with a sawmill to build shipping boxes; and during WWII, a very busy sawmill town. These days, recreational pursuits based on nearby abundant wildlife and marine life are the big draw. (See Map of north Island) This red building houses the Johnstone Strait Whale Interpretive Centre (also referred to as Telegraph Cove Museum and the Bones Project), a non profit, volunteer-driven museum of marine mammal bones.
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 Tide Rip Grizzly Tours
In the early morning drizzle, passengers gathered on the Telegraph Cove boardwalk to board the Kermode (the name for the rare white-haired black bear, also called Spirit bear or Ghost bear), for the trip across Robson Bight to Knight Inlet. With just one tour a day and limited space, it's best to book in advance. This 30-foot craft replaces the original Zodiac ("We got wet all the time", said the captain). The boat has a shallow draft to allow access close to shore for best viewing.
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 Telegraph Cove Boardwalk
Smartly painted homes and shops line the boardwalk that runs from the parking area to the dock.
It takes just under two hours to travel the 52 nautical miles (60 miles or 96 kilometres) from Telegraph Cove to Glendale Cove, off Knight Inlet, where the grizzlies go to feed. Along the way, we spot bald eagles, whales, dolphins, porpoises and black bears.
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 Dead Calm waters on Robson Bight
Though rain threatened, the winds were calm. When the channel narrowed for a stretch, the land reflected in the dead calm waters. The perfect mirror image was disorienting.
We saw fishing boats in the distance, and once, we met several sail boats heading for Telegraph Cove. Other than that, we were alone.
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 Along Knight Inlet
Nearing Glendale Cove and the grizzly viewing area, all that remained of the low-hanging morning mists were a few wisps near the mountain tops.
The weather is rapidly changes along the coast, and sudden showers or squalls are common. We were in and out of rain showers all morning. On the return trip, we could see now see the mountains and the waterfalls created by the melting snows. Whales had been sighted near here the day before, but we weren't as lucky.
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 Black Bear with Cubs
About halfway to Glendale Cove, near Protection Point, we pulled into a shallow cove, and the captain cut the engines.
The waves carried us within a few feet of the waterline, where this mother bear with cubs was foraging in the rocks. The captain estimated the cubs were 4-5 months old. We spoke in whispers; after a cursory glance, the bears ignored us. Apparently, female black bears rarely attack defensively; female grizzlies are more aggressive.
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 Pacific White-sided Dolphins
When a pod of dolphins began surfacing and racing along side the boat, we were thrilled. All cameras came out, and shutters clicked. After a few minutes, the captain gently suggested that perhaps we'd best just enjoy the sight, and not worry about taking photos. You see his point: Life through a lens is a poor substitute. But by anticipating the likely point where they'd surface next, aiming for a spot just ahead of that, and clicking as soon as I saw the first sign of a leap, I did get this shot. Like trying to photograph a shooting star!
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 Glendale Cove Grizzly
We stopped to watch this 3-4 year old male grizzly feeding near the shore. Several times, he stood on his hinds legs, and watched us.
Though we moved slowly and didn't speak (sounds carry in the stillness of the cove), the wind carried our scent towards him, and he seemed wary.
We moved postion, heading around a bend and going further into the cove a few hundred feet from this point.
We approached from this new direction out of the wind and cut the engine. One of the crew put on hip waders and pulled the boat along the bank where a pregnant, 3-4 year old female grizzly was feeding in the heavy grass.
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 Glendale Creek
The lush new grasses of this lowland at the end of Glendale Cove make it a prime grizzly feeding area in the spring and summer. The bears are recently out of hibernation and ravenous, and the fall salmon season is a long way off.
There's a lodge hidden in the trees, to the left out of view. When the salmon are running, usually in September, the grizzlies are preoccupied with feeding as they prepare for winter. At that time, tours go to the viewing stands (blinds) on shore.
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 Mother grizzly with two cubs
We were heading back when we spied this grizzly on the west (left) bank. The engines were cut, and we slowed to watch. Two cubs -- about 17 months old -- appeared out of the grasses and toddled behind their mother.
After 10-15 minutes, the mother's head went up, and she faced the trees, where something must have alarmed her. She made a deep, guttural 'huff' sound -- not unlike the bark of a large dog. The cubs came immediately to her side.
A few seconds later, she made another deep 'huff', and we heard underbrush cracking. Then she roared loudly several times and ran into the woods with her cubs. That roar is one I'll always remember.
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 Lagoon Cove
On the way back to Telegraph Cove, we stopped at Lagoon Cove to let some of our tour group go back to their own sail boats anchored there.
We spent about half an hour looking around the gardens and shop.
(Note -- I used a 300 mm lens for these shots; for wildlife close ups, you need a 600 mm lens).
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You may also be interested in these B.C. pages
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