British Columbia is prime bear watching territory.

The province is home to the rare white Kermode

(Spirit) bear, more than half of Canada’s grizzly

 bears, and a quarter of Canada’s black bears.

Types of Bear-Watching Tours in BC

 

Most bear-viewing tours use elevated viewing

 platforms or boats drifting in  the river.

 

 Tours typically have very high bear viewing

success rates, often ranging from 90-100%.

Boat-based tours are mobile and create a sense of

 being on a “bear-safari.”

 

 They give a unique bear’s eye-level perspective and

are often close enough to hear bears tearing and

chewing sedge grasses near the water’s edge.

 

In fall, elevated viewing platforms provide the

chance to witness dramatic scenes, such as

 bear to bear interactions or bears running after

 salmon in shallow waters.

 

 Individual bear personalities often become

apparent and the bears decide how far – or close –

 they lumber past the platforms. Other land-based

 bear viewing can involve driving along backroads.

 

Depending on the region and operator, tours range

 from quick half-day excursions to multi-day

 adventures.

 

 Check with local Visitor Centres for information

about bear-watching tours available in the area.

> Show all bear watching listings

Bear-watching season is best in spring and fall.

 

In spring, bears emerge from hibernation and

 hungrily seek out fresh shoots and sedges along

 river banks and low-lying areas.

 

 Boat tours are common.

 

In fall, spawning salmon are a feast for bears

 fattening up before hibernation.

 

Bears (along with eagles and wolves) line the rivers

 and fish for their meals.

 

 Viewing platforms are commonly used.

 

Types of Bears in BC

 

Grizzly Bears

BC’s largest bears, weighing up to 500kg (1,100lb).

 An estimated 16,000 grizzlies live in BC’s vast

 wilderness.

 

Their reclusive nature means that they generally

 avoid populated areas and people, making sighting

one a special occurrence.

Kermode (Spirit) Bears

A rare subspecies of black bear with white- or

cream-coloured fur due to a genetic trait.

 

Princess Royal Island, on the central coast, has

the largest concentration of Spirit bears in the

world  – as many as one in ten black bears may

 be white.

 

 It has an important place in First Nations legends

and is BC’s official mammal.

Black Bears BC’s most common bear. 

 

Found across the province, except in the most

 urban areas.

 

Contrary to their name, they’re not always black.

 

 Brown, blonde, cinnamon and even white colour

variations are possible.

Bear Safety

For the safety of humans and bears, always follow

 these strict but simple precautions from BC Parks

 and the Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC:

 

Choose a bear-viewing operator that is respectful

 and protective of the bears and their needs.

Bears may approach humans for many reasons;

 most are not threatening reasons.

 

During an uncomfortably close encounter,

stay calm, don’t move quickly, never run and listen

 to the wildlife viewing guide.

 

Never feed or approach a bear – even to get that

 perfect photo.

 

 Hungry or angry bears can attack without warning.

 

 Do not use flash photography around bears.

 

Vehicles should be well off the road when viewing

 or photographing wildlife.

 

Leave the pets at home or on a very tight leash to

 avoid attracting or angering bears.

 

To avoid human food conditioning of bears, food

 or beverages other than water should not be

 consumed near habitats that are frequented

 by bears.

 

Perch in an elevated viewing platform and witness

grizzly bears pouncing on and devouring spawning

 salmon.

 

Drift silently in a riverboat and listen to a black

 bear and her cubs munching fresh grass sedges.

 

 Or catch a glimpse of an elusive white Spirit bear

 lumbering along a mossy riverbank.

Bear viewing in BC ranges from spotting a bear

 next to the highway to luxury wilderness

adventure trips.

 

 It’s possible to view bears without a guide, but

 guided bear-watching trips are the best way to

ensure a safe, successful experience of viewing

bears in their natural habitat.

 

> Show all bear watching listings

 

Learn More About Bear Watching in:

Vancouver Island
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast
Northern British Columbia
Vancouver Coast & Mountains
Kootenay Rockies
Thompson Okanagan

Spirit Bear Youth Coalition Founder

At the age of 13, Simon Jackson heard about

 North America’s rarest bear – the white Kermode

 or spirit bear – and the plans to develop their last

 intact habitat on British Columbia’s central coast.

 

Jackson founded the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition

 – one of the world’s first all youth-run organizations

 and the first involved in this issue  – with the hope

 of creating a new type of  environmental advocacy

 group. Now, a major Hollywood animated movie

 made for the specificpurpose of saving the spirit

 bear is in production.

 

http://www.speakers.ca/jackson_simon.html

 

MY LINK TO MY PREVIOUS BLOG ABOUT THE

 ”SPIRIT KERMODE BEAR”

http://bcadayatatime.com/2010/07/29/6027/

 

On the north shore of Jervis Inlet on the

 Sunshine Coast of British Columbia,

Saltery Bay derives its name from the

 early 1900s when it was the base for a

Japanese salmon saltery and fish

 packing plant.

Salmon were purchased for the

 Coqueneet people of the Sechelt Band

who have fished these traditional waters

 for many generations.

 

Today, Saltery Bay is the terminal for

ferries sailing to the northern Sunshine

Coast from the Earl’s Cove ferry terminal

 on the southern Sunshine Coast.

 

BC Ferries operates 10 scheduled daily

 sailings from Earls Cove on the Sechelt

 Peninsula across Jervis Inlet to

 Saltery Bay.

 

 The ferries carry both vehicles and

passengers on the 50-minute trip.

 

Saltery Bay offers a government marina

 and anchorage with limited space for

 small craft, fishing boats and sailboats.

 

Location: Saltery Bay is located on the

 north shore of Jervis Inlet on the

 Malaspina Peninsula of the Sunshine Coast

 of BC. Saltery Bay can be reached from

 Vancouver in the south by catching a ferry

 from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale, driving

 from Langdale to Earls Cove, and catching

another ferry from Earls Cove to Saltery Bay.

From Vancouver Island and the north,

 Saltery Bay can be reached by ferry

 from Comox on Vancouver Island to

Powell River, with a drive south along

 Highway 101 to Saltery Bay.

 

View Map of the Sunshine Coast.

Some of Saltery Bay’s residents are

descendants of trappers who used to

 row dugout canoes up the coast,

 catching fish for canneries along the

 way.

 

Some of the best ocean fishing is

 found in the Lang Creek Estuary,

 about 13.5 miles (22 km) west of

 Saltery Bay on the west side of Hwy 101.

 

 Beach casting is popular here for spring

 salmon from mid-September through late

 October.

 
Owing to the shallow water of the creek’s

 outlet into Malaspina Strait, use lures

that don’t sink quickly.

 

If you use a spin rod, try spoons in a

 variety of colours to match the clarity

of the water, with a light line.

 Salmon here are in the range of 20 to 50

 pounds (9 to 23 kg)

Diving: A beautifully sculpted bronze

 mermaid sits in 60 feet (20 m) of water

offshore from Saltery Bay ProvinciaL

 Park in Mermaid Cove.

 

 The exquisite three-metre tall bronze

 mermaid known as the Emerald Princess

 is the first underwater statue in Canada.

 

 The park is not far from the ferry terminal,

 and has a convenient ramp for disabled

 swimmers and divers.

When the park’s waters get too chilly

 for snorkelling, intertidal explorers can

 search the pebble, sand and rock beaches.

 

 Beachcombers never know what the sea

 will send their way.

 

The Upper Sunshine Coast area is well

documented as having some of the best

 mountain biking trails in the province,

most of which are clearly marked with a

white mountain-bike symbol and double

 bands of various-coloured paints, making

 the routes a breeze to follow.

The riding starts as soon as you get off

 the ferry at Saltery Bay, with the

 Elephant Bay Loop, a 30-mile (48-km)

ride that will take you all day.

 

Just follow the symbols.

 

 Except for a challenging ascent at the

 beginning, this is not a hard ride, but

 it is a long one.

 

There are more Forest Service recreation

sites concentrated around the Powell

 River area than in almost any other

 similar-sized area in British Columbia.

 

 Northwest of Saltery Bay there’s camping

 at Lois Lake (9 sites) at the start of the

 Powell Forest Canoe Route, at Khartoum

 Lake (16 sites), also on the canoe route,

 as well as at Nanton Lake (25 sites) and

 at Dodd Lake (12 sites), both located on

 the Welwood Mainline Forest Road.

 

Since it was completed in 1983, the

 Powell Forest Canoe Route has come to be

recognized as one of the more significant

 paddle routes in the province, right up

there with the Bowron Lakes in the Cariboos.

 

The Powell Forest route can be done in

 small or big bites – portages and streams

 connect 12 lakes over 80km.

 

 The full-on trip requires five to seven days

 to complete and includes almost 7 miles

 (11 km) of portages.

 

A shorter 7.75-mile (12.5-km) route takes

 three days and includes about 3 miles

(5 km) of portages.

 

Each lake has its own characteristics:

 some are deep, others are exposed to

 strong winds.

 

Altogether, there are 20 campsites

 sprinkled along the route, good places

 to hole up while waiting out a blow.

 

The Sunshine Coast Trail stretches from

 the Saltery Bay ferry terminal in the south

 to Sarah Point in the world-famous

Desolation Sound in the north.

 

The 180-km trail rivals the West Coast

Trail on Vancouver Island, offering

 panoramic views and wilderness campsites,

 while also providing access to developed

campgrounds and two B&Bs for those

 who wish to spoil themselves after trekking

 through the forest.

 

More moderate hiking routes include

the Lang Creek Trail (easy; 3 miles/5 km

return) and Sweetwater Trail (moderate;

4.3 miles/7 km return).

 

To reach the trailheads, turn north off

 Hwy 101 on the Duck Lake Forest Rd,

which is about 14 miles (23 km) north of

 Saltery Bay.

 

 The Lang Creek trailhead begins on the

right side of the road in about 7 miles

 (11 km).

 

To reach the Sweetwater Trail, carry on

 farther to Duck Lake, turn right over the

 bridge, and continue on for another 2 miles

 (3.2 km), then turn left and drive a short

distance to the trailhead.

 

The loop trail begins here and climbs

through an enchanting stand of old-growth

 western hemlock past MacGregor Falls

 and returns along an old railbed.

Hardy Island Marine Provincial Park is a

 small Island in Blind Bay, located

 between the south shore of Hardy Island

 and the tiny Fox Island.

 

underwater statue

The park is located directly south of

 Saltery Bay on the upper Sunshine Coast,

 and is only an island at high tide.

 

 Undeveloped Musket Island is the

epitome of peace and tranquility, where

 wildlife like eagles and seals abound, the

 warm water encourages swimming, and

wilderness campsites are provided for

 overnight campers.

CHERYL C YOUNG, REALTOR

SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY

www.cherylyoung.ca

www.facebook.com/cherylcyoung

www.twitter.com/CherylCYoung

 

  By Erin Cardone – Peninsula News Review

Surrounded by a beautiful valley, and the largest glacier  on Vancouver Island, the charming seaside village of Comox is located on the peninsula that forms the  Comox Harbour, land originally settled by the Salish  people. The Port of Comox was founded in the mid 1800s on the  slopes of the Comox Peninsula. Overlooking the  protected waters of Comox Harbour (once known as port Augusta), it was an important port for the ships of the Royal Navy and transport steamers. The name Comox is derived from the Kwakwala Indian word Komuckway, meaning Place of Plenty, a reference to the abundant game and berries in the Comox Valley.  European settlers adapted the name to Komoux, then finally to Comox.   With a moderate climate, year-round recreational  activities like skiing, swimming and golfing, and all  amenities close by, Comox certainly lives up to its name! Miles of sandy shore lead off both north and south of the  quiet little coastal town, whose charm has not been  overwhelmed by either the nearby Canadian Forces  Air Base or the more recent influx of arrivals that  southern Vancouver Island has experienced.   As you head up island towards the Comox Valley and Campbell River, the peaks and glaciers of Vancouver  Island’s ranges that rise in the west vie for your attention, principally the imposing Comox Glacier, Forbidden Plateau, and Mount Washington. The highway winds past well-kept farms – a serenely rural  part of the island journey.   The Canadian Forces Base in Comox is an integral part  of the community.   Having been founded in 1942 as a Royal Air Force base,  CFB Comox has played a major role in shaping and supporting the community. The primary responsibilities of CFB Comox are Search and Rescue operations, maritime patrols and support  of naval and air force defences.    In addition to the essential roles the base plays for the  community, BC and Canada, CFB Comox is a large  supporter of community events, routinely supplying volunteers and equipment wherever needed. Population: 13,008Location: The Island Highway  (Highway 19) now supersedes the old Island Highway (Highway 19A).  Highway 19, a four-lane expressway, allows you  to move quickly between Nanaimo and Campbell River.   Highways 19 and 19A link the Comox Valley with  southern Vancouver Island.   Approaching from the north, Highway 19 links the Comox Valley and Campbell River with the northern  half of Vancouver Island. The Comox Valley is a two-and-a-half hour drive  north  from Victoria, or a 75-minutes drive from  the ferry terminals of Departure Bay and Duke  Point near Nanaimo.   BC Ferries operates a route between Comox and Powell River on the British Columbia mainland.   The Comox Valley Regional Airport is served by three major airlines, with 12 daily flights between  Vancouver and Comox and direct flights from  Calgary.    Small aircraft and floatplanes land at the Courtenay Airpark near downtown Courtenay.   Daily coach lines connect all parts of Vancouver Island with the Mainland, and local bus service is  also available in Courtenay, Comox and  Cumberland.   Those travelling by boat will find a full range of  facilities including moorage, showers, restaurants  and shops adjacent to the Comox Marina. BC A DAY AT A TIME IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY CHERYL YOUNG, REALTOR,SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY SIDNEY BC. www.cherylyoung.ca  VICTORIA B.C cbythesea@shaw.ca