Bears of the Great Bear Rain Forest, BC August 2015
We made it!! Arriving by ferry to stay at Spirit Bear Lodge in Klemtu.
Klemtu, a small town on the eastern shore of Swindle Island within the province of British Columbia, has a population of about 500 people and is home to the native tribes of the Kitasoo Xai'Xais Nation. Accessible only by ferry or seaplane, these remote islands are part of the Great Bear Rain Forest, a pristine habitat and culture guarded fiercely by the First Nations People who know and value the land and what it offers, just as their ancestors did before them.
Home Sweet Home for the next 4 days.
The little town of Klemtu is so small we could have walked to Spirit Bear Lodge, SBL, from the ferry dock, but our hosts picked us up, loaded us and our gear onto a pick-up to travel the short distance to our accommodations. SBL is an eco lodge which proved to be very comfortable for our stay providing great food and camaraderie.
The lodge was founded by the Kitasoo Xai'Xais First Nations People as a means to provide employment for their people and to fund their efforts to preserve what is so very dear to them...the Great Bear Rain Forest and all that inhabits within.
Readying the water taxi for adventure.
SBL has several water taxis which leave after breakfast in the morning with guests intent upon whatever adventures await. The taxis are captained by Kitasoo Xai'Xais tribe elders who know the islands and surrounding waterways well having grown up navigating the coves and inlets as boys and young men. Guides well versed in the history and ecology of the area are assigned to each vessel.
After sitting on these boulders for an hour.....
our Spirit Bear appears like an apparition.... slowly, quietly making his way down from the forest and onto the boulders lining the rocky shore. Our eyes can hardly believe what we are seeing as there was no guarantee we would behold this magical animal.
Existing only in the Great Bear Rain Forest with a population estimated between 250-500, the "white" black bear is a rare expression of a recessive gene.
A kind fellow...
this guy portrayed no menace, no aggression, no fear. Minding his own business, seemingly unaware of our presence, he continued on his path closing the distance between us. Because these bears are protected and not hunted, they are born and live their lives without understanding the harm that man can inflict. Surviving in a habitat conducive to sustainability, these animals are peaceful and impassioned towards humans.
Portrait of Winnie
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VIDEO: Spirit Bear morning
Waiting on the shore, the Spirit Bear finally makes his appearance, coming out of the woods.....nonchalantly making his way towards the river behind us to fish.
He seems to be smiling at us, happy for the company.
The guides know this bear. They watched him flounder at fishing last year when he appeared as a young bear without his mother. Not sure that he would survive the winter alone makes his presence today even more treasured.
Making his way to the river to fish for his breakfast.
Spotted yesterday for the very first time this year, there was a joyful atmosphere in the lodge when we arrived. Today as we watch and observe his routine, an even greater confirmation exists that this fella is going to thrive. His coat is healthy and he appears robust. His fishing skills have obviously improved.
On his way
Coming very close to our group, he seemed to want to join our little party. Our guide spoke to him in low soft tones, tapping on a plastic case to send him along. It would be a mistake to encourage the bears to become friendly with humans as this could lead to dependence. They must remain wild to exist in a healthy natural state.
Hiking to Steep Creek
After our white teddy bear left us to go fishing, we hiked with our guide to our next bear venture at Steep Creek. The rain forest is dense and untamed. One must watch the footing to avoid tripping over roots and foliage.
The salmon are running...
and jumping the tremendous falls in their instinctual effort to lay their eggs upstream where they were spawned years before.
Patiently surveying his fishing hole.
This black bear whom we nicknamed Snoozy, is searching the waters below for salmon.
Timing is everything....
as he waits for the right opportunity to snatch a tasty fish.
And he got it!
Taking his delectable prize back to his favorite spot. You can see in the background that this fish is one of many who met their demise.
The backside of a bear who has eaten far too many fish!
Barely able to squeeze through the rocks, Snoozy is already well-prepared for the winter.
He seems to be saying....
....."Don't be upset with me just because I love to eat!".
Isn't he beautiful??!
Such a big, healthy bear who entertained us for hours with his many poses, expressions and antics. Notice the brown in his coat. Black bears are not just black. They can also be brown and white due to genetic combinations from parents. When they are solid brown, they are usually described as Cinnamon Black Bears and sometimes mistaken for grizzlies by those uneducated to bear traits.
VIDEO: Snoozy bear fishing 4
This is the 4th fish so far that we have seen Snoozy catch and return to his lair to devour.
His ravenous appetite appears to be diminishing.
In these next few photos, we will see Snoozy posing, more interested in taking a nap than fishing.
He knows we are right across the creek....
and he seems to be posing for the camera. Instead of Gentleman's Quarterly, a men's fashion magazine, this is Bear's Quarterly.
Profile shot
I suppose he considers this his best side! What a funny bear to watch.
Uh oh.....
someone is getting sleepy!
It's lullaby time for Snoozy.
Taking a well-deserved nap.
Fishing is hard work!
Just ask any bear, and I bet he will tell you the same. Here he is...curled up like a baby.
The view from our perch.
Close enough but a long lens definitely helps.
Never wake a sleeping bear!
Something has disturbed Snoozy's nap, and he doesn't appear too happy.
And here is the reason...
A new bear shows up at Snoozy's private fishing hole.
She surveys the action below.
This sow must fish for both of them as he is too young to fish for himself.
The cub is nervous and follows his mom every step.
Being a first year cub makes this little guy very vulnerable to many predators, including big, adult male, black bears.
Tense moment here....
as mama bear lowers herself into the water and baby looks on anxiously. What will happen next? Is Snoozy going to cause trouble? Big adult males will kill a baby bear if they can for a couple of reasons: 1) to eat the cub and 2) without the cub, the female will come back into estrus earlier and will be amenable to mating again.
Anxiety is evident in this little cub's eyes.
Mama bear has left him alone on the rock while she is down below fishing. Baby bears make great snacks for the big boars, and Snoozy is just across the river from him.
Snoozy stands up, very grumpy from the unannounced company which woke him.
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Baby bear looks on....
paying attention to mom as she fishes for him.
Breakfast is served
Mama doesn't come up empty handed for her cub. As we watched her repeat this demonstration several times, we determined that her fishing skills are excellent.
Did you know..
that bears shake like dogs each time they come out of the water?
VIDEO: Mama Bear fishing for cub
A black bear sow, with her cub tagging along after her, fishes for their lunch. Both are very nervous as Snoozy is sleeping on his rock just on the other side of the creek. Mama and Junior fish and scramble away as soon as possible as bear boars find little cubs a tasty treat...plus if Junior is missing, mama bear will be ready to have another baby bear sooner than expected.
Another salmon makes his way up the falls....
hoping to escape the jaws of the big bears ahead.
Hiking through the forest.....
we seem small and insignificant in comparison to the 1000 year old trees surrounding us. What secrets this forest must have!
The water taxi waits for us.
Because of the extreme tidal fluctuations, we must use a Zodiac from the shoreline to reach the boat.
Watching us leave.
We visited Steep Creek two days, and each day we were fortunate to see the Spirit Bear. In this photo, we have already boarded the water taxi for the trip back to the lodge when "Winnie" as we fondly called him, appears out of the forest making his way back to his home across the inlet.
A rare sight.
Seeing a spirit bear is to behold a marvel of nature, as only 1 in 10 black bear cubs will be born with this creamy white coat. To be granted this unique color, each parent must contribute a recessive gene to the baby. Because the gene is recessive, a white cub may be born to a black coated mother and/or father. Once mating is complete, the male bear, or boar, will again exist in isolation leaving the female, or sow, to birth and care for the cub. When the cubs are 16-17 months old, the mother bear separates herself from her cubs as mating season becomes imminent.
Digging for....
anything tasty below the rocks. The bears will consume roots, bulbs, green plants, berries, insects, fish and crustaceans...whatever they need to fatten up for their winter hibernation.
Our greeting party
A.J. and Tim, the backbone of SBL, greet us daily as we come in from our adventures. They wait eagerly for news of the bears we have seen. The enthusiasm these two guys have for their roles at the lodge is contagious and evident as they listen to our tales du jour with rapt attention.
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Totem Pole of the Kitasoo/Xai'Xais in the Big House
The Kitasoo and Xai'Xais are two bands of First Nation people whose ancestors have lived for thousands of years within the vast Great Bear Rain Forest. In 1982 the 2 tribes joined together in Klemtu as a unified cohort to represent and lay claim to their provincial territory to Canada. No longer willing to allow their cultural and environmental resources to be extorted, their unification proved to the Canadian government that they were capable of managing their ancestral lands to the benefit of all that inhabit the primitive, pristine area and conserve those attributes so precious and delicate.
In 2000, a final Land and Resource Protection Management Plan clinched governmental recognition, allowing management of the land and its sustainable resources by the Kitasoo Xai' Xais people in conjunction with the British Columbia government.
Wrangling over policies still exists with the First Nation people fighting fiercely to protect the lands from logging and the bears from being hunted. Advances were made in April of 2016 when 12,000 miles or 85% of the land was deemed protected from logging though the Great bear Rainforest (Forest Management) Act.
A second milestone was the defeat of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline project in June of 2016, ensuring the safety of the B.C. coastline by eliminating the threat of tar sands oil shipping.2015AugustBCBig HouseKitasoo Xai XaiKlemtuSBLSpirit Bear Lodge
Night at the Big House
A wealth of culture abounds within the First Nation people, a culture that was destined to be lost if not reignited through the flame the elders carry forth. As funds became available through employment and eco-tourism, the Big House was built on the island of Klemtu, allowing the children of today a place to learn about their ancestors, language and culture.
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Ancient culture brought to life.
We were invited to attend and participate in the rituals and dances the Kitasoo/Xai' Xais children have learned. Traditional stories handed down from years before were told of the black raven and of the spirit bear. Both the raven and the spirit bear are held in reverence by the indigenous people. The raven is revered as the creator and is said to have made a deal with the black bear, that every 10th bear born would be white as a reminder of the past Ice Age when the earth was cold, unforgiving and frozen in white.
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Dawn at SBL
The water taxis appear to sleep on the still, quiet water outside the lodge. Soon there will be a flurry of activity as guests and guides collect gear and board the boats for our morning destinations.
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