The Grizzly Bear

Grizzly (or brown) bears are North America’s largest terrestrial carnivore. Size and weight vary considerably with region, but the largest bears are typically found in coastal areas. The grizzly bear gets its name from the light tipped guard hairs which give them a grizzled appearance. In the spring grizzlies emerge from their winter dens very hungry – during this season the grizzlies of the Khutzeymateen focus on eating sedge grass, skunk cabbage and roots near the shoreline of the inlet. They can also be seen foraging in the intertidal zone for clams and shore crabs. Coastal grizzly bears are powerful swimmers and in their estuary home are in and out of the water almost constantly. They can often be seen snorkelling with just their heads below the water.

Grizzly bears are solitary animals for most of the year. However, in spring it is mating season and adult bears congregate. Female grizzlies stay with their cubs for up to three years, so often in the Khutzeymateen in the spring we will see female bears with cubs.

On the coast grizzly bears enter their dens to hibernate in late October/early November, and cubs are born in the dens in the deep of winter. Typically the bears emerge from the dens in early spring. Female grizzlies on the coast have between 1 and 3 cubs.

Grizzly bears have a great sense of smell and phenomenal hearing. Contrary to folklore, grizzlies can also see very well and their vision is comparable to humans. They use their powerful senses to locate food and to detect danger.

We find that the best time period for viewing grizzlies in the Khutzeymateen is from mid-May through to mid-June. During this time the bears are normally present in relatively large numbers and exhibit (and share with us) an amazingly wide array of behaviours, including courting and mating behaviour, dominance struggles between young males and their older counterparts, mother-cub interactions, and more. At this time of year the sedges and grasses are still reasonably short and don’t obscure the bears, making for both ideal bear viewing and bear photography conditions. As an added bonus, the hours of daylight at this northerly latitude during this May-June time period are very extended, thus giving us many hours to view the bears each day.

Travelling to the beautiful Khutzeymateen Valley and sharing a few days with the grizzlies of the Khutzeymateen is a unique and unforgettable experience that you will cherish forever.

Here is the link to Ocean Light Adventure Travels