Bears and Orcas of Knight Inlet

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
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.