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Kayak Touring in British Columbia
Knight Inlet, Glendale Cove Grizzly Bear Viewing |
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| KBC#11 Grizzly Bears of Knight Inlet |
| Located 50 air miles north of Campbell River, British Columbia, is a wild and remote area of the Pacific Northwest known as Knight Inlet. Being one of the largest fjords on the B.C. coast, Knight Inlet offers its visitors spectacular scenery amidst steep cliffs that fall away to the deep blues and greens of the glacial-fed water. Situated 37 miles from the mouth of the inlet is Knight Inlet Lodge. The floating lodge is tucked into Glendale Cove, which offers one of the few protected anchorages in the inlet, and it is here that you will begin each days adventure. The lodge is an assortment of construction styles dating from the early 1940s, when the original float housed a logging camp, until recent construction has provided modern buildings for guest accommodation. At full capacity the lodge will hold 30 guests in our twelve rooms, but 24 - 26 is the average occupancy. Please contact us for additional information. |
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| Day 01 06 |
Glendale Cove is home to one of the largest concentrations of grizzly (brown) bears in British Columbia. It is not uncommon for there to be up to 50 bears within 5 miles of the lodge in the peak fall season, when the salmon are returning to the river. Although they are abundant in the fall, it is not the only season that grizzly bears are around Glendale Cove.Starting in late April the bears return to the estuary from hibernation and start the year off feeding on the sedges, succulents, grasses and barnacles that abound in our estuary.
This luxuriant spring growth provides the basic nutritional needs for the bears and this draws the bears from the mountains down to the estuary. Drifting quietly in your sea kayak, you will witness these powerful creatures as they quietly forage amongst this fresh sedge growth in the protected waters near our lodge. While grizzlies are generally not social animals, spring viewing often affords the opportunity to observe courtship ritual and even mating activity. We are frequently fortunate to see cubs, fresh from their winter den. Be sure to have a camera as photographic opportunities are excellent. And be assured that our guides are trained in minimum impact bear viewing etiquette - which respects the needs for bears to feed undisturbed at this critical period in their feeding season.
No experience necessary! Our trained guides will coach you in the fundamentals of sea kayaking to allow you to very quickly gain confidence in these seaworthy crafts. We will give you instruction in the fundamentals and give you any added coaching you may desire. We use stable, roomy, single and double kayaks designed by Necky Kayaks.
Very different from expedition style sea kayaking, our lodge-based excursions are designed for those with little or no kayaking experience. Returning from a days paddling to our hot tub, gourmet meals and a comfortable bed energizes you for the next days adventure. And our experienced, safety-conscious guides are skilled interpreters of the natural world and have extensive knowledge about grizzly bears, giving you a deeper understanding of these magnificent creatures.
By using our kayak transport vessel as a mobile launch point, we will venture ever further afield each day exploring remote corners of Knight Inlet and Broughton Archipelago and return back to the lodge in time for dinner. Our kayaks allow us unique access to estuaries and intertidal regions of ancient river valleys that grizzlies inhabit during the spring as they await the return of the salmon.
As well as bear viewing by sea kayak, we also offer a number of other tours including hiking explorations of the lush temperate old growth forests near our lodge. As a seakayaking guest you have the option of participating in any of our other tours at no extra cost. Other options include jet boat tours up the mighty Klinaklini River or grizzly tracking tours - which allow you an in-depth look at grizzly behaviour and ecology and perhaps the opportunity to take make a plaster cast of a grizzly pawprint! |
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| Dates & Rates |
| 5 Day Tour |
$2328.00 |
| 6 Day Tour |
$2944.00 |
| May 08-11 May 22-25 May 29 - June 01 June 05 - 08 June 12 -15 June 19-22 |
Including:
Return airfare from Campbell River Float Plane dock to Knight Inlet Lodge
Transfers from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the float plane as well as return to the airport
One nights accommodation at Painters Lodge in Campbell River in a standard double room
Three or four nights accommodation at Knight Inlet Lodge in a deluxe room with private bathroom and shower
Welcome orientation for wildlife viewing
Orientation to sea kayaking and introductory lessons in sea kayaking
Guided daily sea kayak excursions and bear viewing (some of which may involve power boat transportation to remote areas of Knight Inlet and the Broughton Archipelago)
All meals and snacks while at the lodge(lunch, dinner and breakfast)
Complimentary house wine with dinner
Rain gear if required
Evening interpretive programs
B.C. Provincial Hotel Tax
B.C. Back Country Permit Fee
First Nations User Fee |
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