Bears and Orcas of Knight Inlet

Bears and Orcas of Knight Inlet

Category » Knight Inlet, British Columbia

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Grizzly and gull, Knight Inlet Susie Green

British Columbia offers exhilarating viewing of some of North America's most impressive creatures -- grizzly bears (brown bears), black bears, eagles and Orcas. Vast unpopulated mountain ranges, deep fjords and large tracts of old growth forests provide ideal habitat for these incredible animals.

Knight Inlet is one of the largest inlets on the British Columbia coast offering the kind of raw beauty that our travelers seek. Situated 37 miles from the mouth of the inlet is Knight Inlet Lodge. Accessible only by float plane, the facility actually floats offshore from the incredible steep-side walls of the fjord.

Click on the above tabs for details about activities, lodging and prices! Or download a detailed itinerary!

Grizzly bears

Eagles

Black bears

Orcas & other whales

Deep fjords

Temperate rainforest

Outstanding salmon & halibut fishing

Comfortable floating lodge

Your daily activites at Knight Inlet Lodge will depend on your interests, as well as weather, plus special wildlife opportunities that may present themselves. Below are some of the choices available.

Sample Itinerary

First day:
Arrive in Campbell River. Transfer from airport to hotel. Overnight at Heron's Landing located on Vancouver Island, B.C.

Second day:

Take a breathtaking flight in a float plane over spectacular scenery to the front door of Knight Inlet Lodge. Spend the afternoon on one of the many wildlife excursions.

Enjoy the next 3, 4, 5 (or more) days on your choice of adventures.

Last day:
After early morning excursion, return to Campbell River by float plane. Transfer from float plane basin to airport for flight

Discover the Great Bear Rainforest

Bear Viewing

Both black bears and brown (grizzly) bears abound in this area. Whether you come to watch the bears or to capture the “perfect” bear photo, it is unlikely that you will tire of watching them. Each bear has a distinct captivating personality of its own. In the spring and summer we watch these powerful creatures by boat along the shores of the river and the estuary. In late summer/fall, you can safely view and photograph the bears in their natural environment, with a variety of different backgrounds, from covered, elevated viewing platforms.

Take one our guided hikes with a naturalist through the rainforest where lush mosses hang from the trees. You will hear calls of eagles, herons and other wildlife and see signs of these great bears everywhere--day beds made up of soft moss tucked under logs and old trees, trails worn deep by their movement through the forest, ‘tree rubs’ that mark territory, and imprints of their enormous feet left in the soft dirt! Where the river current meets the ocean tides, see the bears foraging for food, easily heaving giant rocks aside with their giant paws.

Marine Life - Orcas!

In addition, the marine wildlife in British Columbia is extraordinary. Traveling through the inlet by boat, you can experience seals, sea lions, and porpoises in some of the most spectacular scenery in the Pacific Northwest. The Orca season starts in July in Johnstone Strait, just a 1-1/2 hour boat ride from the lodge. This strait is known throughout the world as one of the world's best places to observe Orcas.

Photography

There is little doubt that Knight Inlet is among the finest wildlife photography and viewing areas in the Pacific Northwest. There are few other destinations where you can see bears, eagles and Orcas in one single location. At Knight Inlet Lodge, the staff is exceptional, and includes naturalist guides, marine wildlife specialists, and photo leaders to help you have a memorable experience. Here you will find many incredible choices of scenery and backgrounds in which to photograph and view the bears and other wildlife. Several platforms have been specially constructed just for this purpose. The bears may be seen feeding on the salmon, moving about the river and swimming in the deeper pools throughout the day, providing superb photo opportunities.

The Seasons of Knight Inlet

Spring is highlighted by the presence of both grizzly and black bears feeding on sedge grasses, mussels and barnacles along the cove's shoreline and in the estuary. Fresh from hibernation, this season offers a wonderful opportunity to see newborn cubs as they first venture out with their mother into the world.

Our spring viewing is done from boats, and allows you to get remarkably close to some of these wonderful animals at eye level without disturbing them. The spring season offers some of the year's best photographic opportunities, with the bears moving about in a lush green environment with spectacular backdrops.

Summer bear viewing continues on the water as well, and is the season that often has the best weather and is the most relaxing, offering you the chance to view the bears from a small group.

Fall season begins in late August, as hundreds of thousands of pink salmon begin surging their way up the Inlet into the Glendale River, attracting dozens of grizzlies who converge on the spawning channels to fatten their already burgeoning bodies in preparation for the coming winter. The spectacle is as incredible as it sounds and has to be experienced in person to really appreciate it.

For more details, download an itinerary, or request one to be mailed to you. Just click on the "Download an Itinerary" option under "Contact Us" in the blue bar, above, or click on Download Brochure, below.

Date Information

Multiple departures May-October.

Rate Information

2012 Tour Packages (all prices are per person in U.S. Dollars )
Date	3 Nights	4 Nights	5 Nights	6 Nights
Low Season: June 25 - July 24
Double	$1685	$2380	$3080	$3640
Single	$2710	$3810	$4905	$5575
Triple	$1520	$2165	$2790	$3240
Quad	$1365	$1950	$2510	$2850
*Children (8-16)	$1000	$1430	$1835	$2115
Shoulder Season: May 17 - June 24; July 31-August 24
Double	$1915	$2765	$3505	$4110
Single	$3025	$4215	$5440	$6140
Triple	$1730	$2465	$3170	$3660
Quad	$1560	$2205	$2845	$3255
*Children (8-16)	$1145	$1605	$2070	$2335
High Season: Aug 25-Oct 15
Double	$2170	$3095	$3910	$4560
Single	$3425	$4765	$6080	$6855
Triple	$1970	$2750	$3550	$4080
Quad	$1770	$2475	$3180	$3660
*Children (8-16)	$1285	$1800	$2295	$2585

Tour price does not include HST tax of 6 %

* Children's rates based on children with two full-paying adults, all sharing the same room.

The Lodge

Knight Inlet Lodge is comprised of an assortment of construction styles dating from the early 1920’s, when the original float housed a lumber camp that moved from place to place. In the 1970’s it was anchored in Glendale Cove, where it has remained as a wilderness retreat for wildlife enthusiasts.

The guest buildings are cedar-paneled with a common lounge for relaxing and absorbing the view of the beautiful cove. All of the guest rooms have private bathrooms and can accommodate up to four guests. A special conference area is also available for evening slide shows and wilderness orientations offered by one of the many professional staff members.

The dining area is part of the original lumber camp float, and is supported by logs that are up to five feet in diameter! The food here is wonderful, and you may also sample local specialties such as salmon and Dungeness crab.