Grizzlies in Canada: On a bear safari in British Columbia | EUROtoday

Somewhere alongside this bay, Blondie is strolling via the luxurious grass. And not simply her: the grizzly bear has three cubs along with her this 12 months, reviews journey information Gerren, and we are able to hardly wait to see them. We search the coast with our dinghy, stare via our binoculars and have our telephoto lenses prepared. Will we discover Blondie?

“I’m absolutely certain that Blondie is on his way here,” says Gerren Henry as he fastidiously steers the Zodiac in the direction of a river mouth. “The bear has three hungry mouths to feed and the river is full of salmon right now.” He then switches off the onboard engine as a result of he would not wish to scare or scare the mom bear away.

Blondie is the star of the Khutzeymateen Valley, a distant wilderness space close to Canada’s northwest coast. The grizzly bear along with her distinctive hump and darkish blonde fur is nineteen years previous, weighs over 400 kilograms and is taken into account relaxed. At her age, she not has any pure enemies; she has lengthy since gotten used to human beings in boats and purple drysuits.

At least that is what Gerren tells us as we patiently wait within the rocking boat for Blondie’s first look on land. Then instantly one thing strikes within the lush inexperienced grass. We quickly see erect ears, a protracted muzzle and dripping fur. Blondie! Our information was proper, the wait was price it. We pull out our cameras.

Areas that few folks ever go to

Watching grizzly bears like Blondie within the wild is likely one of the highlights of many journeys to Canada. Around 20,000 of them roam the forests between the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Coast and the Arctic tundra, most in distant areas the place few folks ever set foot. It is all of the extra spectacular when folks and animals meet – circuitously, in fact, however at a enough distance.

The Khutzeymateen Valley in British Columbia affords distinctive bear safari alternatives as it’s a part of a protected space established in 1994 particularly for the advantage of the furry mammals, the primary and solely such conservation undertaking in Canada. Between 50 and 60 grizzly bears dwell there in a park of the identical identify on an space about half the scale of the state of Berlin.

The function of the indigenous residents within the Khutzeymateen Valley can also be distinctive; of their language, that is the place “where the bears meet the salmon”. The park is managed collectively by the state and the Gitsi’is indigenous folks, who’ve lived within the area for hundreds of years and know the inlets, mesas and rainforests there higher than anybody else.

This additionally applies to our information Gerren, who grew up in an indigenous village not removed from the park and may identify each grizzly bear there. “Blondie is my favorite animal,” says the person in his late thirties, steering his boat nearer to the bear. Blondie raises his head, takes within the scent and appears over at us. Eventually she disappears into the undergrowth.

We do not see Blondie’s one-year-old cubs. Perhaps they’re mendacity asleep within the tall grass, rolling out of sight within the river, or ready for his or her mom within the thicket. But Gerren guarantees that we are going to come again the following day to search for them: “Where mom is, the little ones aren’t far either.”

Gerren begins the engine. He skillfully steers the coated inflatable boat via mystical fjords, previous waterfalls, large steep slopes and mist-shrouded forests of large cedars. It is drizzling frivolously, bald eagles are circling above us, and once in a while a seal pokes its head out of the deep inexperienced water.

After about half an hour we attain the “Khutzeymateen Wilderness Lodge”, the one lodging within the protected space. It consists of two floating wood homes on pontoons, has eight rooms and a eating room. Every summer time she is towed into the distant inlet by pilots from the close by port metropolis of Prince Rupert particularly for bear vacationers.

Floating lodging removed from civilization

The floating base is important. “People are not allowed to go ashore in the park. We are only allowed to observe the grizzly bears from a safe distance from the water,” explains Gerren as he lashes the boat to the wood jetty. This means the bears stay largely undisturbed. There aren’t any roads anyway. The solely method to get to the lodge is by water or air.

We get out of the boat, take off our wetsuits, rubber boots and soaked wool socks and heat ourselves within the lodge’s small drying room. A fireplace crackles in a cast-iron firebox, there’s sizzling tea and freshly baked cookies. The wood floorboards creak with each step. When a seal swims by, the constructing rocks gently on the water.

The lodge is much from civilization, and but we really feel in good fingers there. The rooms are small however cozy, the down bedding is freshly made. Solar cells on the roof present mild and wooden stoves present warmth. A small sauna brings rest.

While we’re nonetheless admiring the primary images of Blondie on our shows, Gerren comes again from a visit. He caught 4 halibut on the open sea. As a member of a First Nation, he can fish as a lot of them as he needs. “My people have always lived from fishing, many of us still do it today,” he says and throws the animals in entrance of the galley.

This pleases Neil Dias, the cook dinner, one among 4 outdoorsmen who run the lodge. In the season between early summer time and autumn, Neil would not have a single time without work. He needs it that manner. “The Khutzeymateen Valley is a spiritual place where I feel the power of nature and find myself,” he says as he places the fish within the oven. He will later serve them with asparagus, candy potatoes and wine.

Grizzly bears are stated to show humility

Our information Gerren additionally has a deep emotional connection to the place. “The bears out here are part of my family,” he says within the morning as he will get the dinghy able to go once more. Gitsi’is like Gerren honor and admire grizzly bears for his or her energy and consider that the Creator as soon as introduced them to earth to show us people humility.

Gerren makes it clear: “Hunting the animals was never an option for us here.” For everybody else, grizzly looking has solely been banned in British Columbia since 2017. For a very long time it was primarily trophy hunters from overseas who went looking; for a lot of it was a profitable enterprise. But that’s prior to now. Thanks to tourism, folks right here now earn their cash from dwell bears. With Blondie, for instance.

Will we see their offspring as we speak? We sit again within the boat within the pouring rain and stare into the space. We drive up and down with the Zodiac till 4 darkish dots instantly emerge from the forest. At first we barely acknowledge them, however then Blondie and her three boys cross a stream, come nearer and lie down on the grass within reach of the boat.

They have most likely simply devoured salmon and wish to relaxation, says our information. But then one thing sudden occurs: Blondie lies on her again to breastfeed her younger. Blondie lies curled up and does what a mom does. So it is excessive time to go away the bears to their very own units. We go away the bay in reverse till the fog swallows us up.

Tips and data:

How do you get there? For instance with Lufthansa and Air Canada, with a change in Vancouver to Prince Rupert, from there by boat to the Khutzeymateen Valley in 1.5 hours.

Accommodation and bear safari: The “Khutzeymateen Wilderness Lodge” is a floating – and the one – lodging straight within the grizzly reserve. For 2026, 4 or five-day full applications together with boat switch from/to Prince Rupert can now be booked, from the equal of 2160 euros per individual together with in a single day stays, each day bear watching and full board (grizzlytour.com). The “Crest Hotel” is really helpful in Prince Rupert; the traditional, rustic rooms have an exquisite panorama of the fjords and mountains, double rooms from 140 euros (cresthotel.ca). Prince Rupert Adventure Tours affords day journeys to the grizzly reserve in a catamaran from Prince Rupert, from 216 euros together with lunch, and this system additionally consists of half-day whale watching excursions off the coast (adventuretours.ca).

Further data: destinationbc.ca; journey.destinationcanada.com/de-de

Participation within the journey was supported by Destination British Columbia and the “Khutzeymateen Wilderness Lodge”. Our requirements of transparency and journalistic independence will be discovered at go2.as/unabhaengigkeit