Great Bear Lodge, Great Bear Rainforest, Port Hardy

Spring (May 7th to June 29th) – Grizzly bears come down from their mountain dens to graze on the protein-rich sedges and grasses that make up the dense biomass of the river estuary. There guests will observe and photograph the bears from boats, floating quietly in the estuary sloughs. Spring coincides with the breeding season, when large males may be seen interacting with females. The estuary is also bustling with bird life at this time of year.

Summer (June 30th to August 19th) – In the summer season, the grizzlies move between the various habitats as the food resources become more abundant but scattered, thus making bear sightings from the boats more sporadic. They can be found gorging on berry patches, grazing on estuarine grasslands or scouting for the early salmon. You will often see curious seal pups with their mothers, or common mergansers with a dozen or more ducklings trailing behind.

Autumn (August 20th to October 19th) – The return of tens of thousands of salmon in late August marks the beginning of the autumn season. Great Bear Lodge has constructed five viewing stands along the river, some providing cover from rain showers and others right on the riverbank to provide eye-level views of the bears. The bears are gorging on fish in anticipation of their coming hibernation, and this availability of salmon draws the bears to the river at the highest density of the year. The salmon run continues through September and October.