Grizzly Bear Viewing & Stewardship

K N I G H T I N L E T, B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A , C A N A D A

In 1979 I visited Knight Inlet Lodge for the first time and wasawestruck by the pristine wilderness setting at which I had arrived.

Humpback whales were breaching in Knight Inlet and grizzly bears werefeeding on the abundant pink salmon in the Glendale River. At the time theresort was a fishing lodge, and I was hooked.

In 1996 our family purchased Knight Inlet Lodge with a vision of transitioningit away from sport fishing to grizzly bear viewing. My experience in thetravel trade industry suggested the demand was there. We attended ourfirst trade show in 1998 and that year we had 200 guests who camespecifically to view grizzlies in their natural habitat. The following year wehad 1200 guests. We now host 2000 guests a year; operating 150 days fromlate May to late October.

Protecting the grizzlies became a passion and is crucial to the long-termviability of the lodge. Over the years we’ve purchased an additional 451acres of bear habitat in Glendale Cove as the original purchased propertywas just 10 acres. Working with the Department of Fisheries we manage theGlendale spawning channels. We also operate our own hatchery to furthersupplement the coho salmon stocks in the Glendale River.

We’ve promoted the “Stop The Hunt”campaign to bring an end to killingthese majestic Brown Bears in our area. Knight Inlet Lodge has been blessedwith international media coverage on our product and in recognition of ourhabitat preservation initiatives. This dramatically increases awareness ofthe Lodge and our stewardship programs globally.

We hope you enjoy your experiences while visiting Knight InletLodge. We’ve got a lot to show you and hope you fall in love with our partof the world as much as we cherish it.

Dean Wyatt, Owner Knight Inlet Lodge

Inside2 Knight Inlet Overview

3 Glendale Cove Overview

4 Knight Inlet Lodge Overview

6 Knight Inlet Lodge General Information

8 Bear Viewing Spring & Summer

10 Bear Viewing Late Summer & Fall

12 Sea Kayaking in Glendale Cove

14 Knight Inlet Cruise

16 Rain Forest Walk

17 Big Cedar Hike & Tracking

18 Marine Tour Day Trip

19 Echo Bay & Klinaklini Day Trips

20 Walk Above The Clouds

21 Knight Inlet Lodge Site Map

22 Commercial Bear Viewing Assn.

23 Stop the Hunt!

24 Conservation Initiatives

25 History of Knight Inlet Lodge

26 Glendale Cannery

27 First Nations’ History

28 Stay in touch with us ! 1

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Television, magazine and newspaper features that have profiled Knight Inlet Lodge.

Welcometo Knight Inlet Lodge

This wild and remote inlet is located 80 km by air north ofCampbell River, British Columbia, Canada. At 125 km in length, this inlet is one of the largest on the BC coast and features towering snow-capped granite cliffs, waterfalls and glaciers. Knight Inlet is home to an abundance of grizzlybears as well as killer whales, humpback whales, porpoises, dolphins, salmon, seals and sea lions.

Your Knight Inlet Lodge trip begins with a scenic float plane flight from Campbell River

to the Lodge over the remote islands and inlets of British Columbia’s wild west coast.2

Knight Inlet

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Glendale Cove is home to one of the largest concentrations of grizzly bears in BritishColumbia. Spring the and summer Grizzlies feed on the cove’s abundance of sedgegrasses, berries and shellfish in the intertidal zone. The returning salmon in the fallprovide the high fat, high protein food source required for winter hibernation. Thisis a stunning setting in which to observe grizzly bears in their natural environment.The cove is also home to black bears, otters, deer, cougars, wolves and over a 100species of birds, including bald eagles and other raptors.

Situated on the south end of the Great Bear Rainforest, Glendale Cove is your ideal wilderness vacation destination

for grizzly bear viewing, rain forest hiking, inlet cruising and kayaking.

Glendale Cove Home of the Grizzlies

Guests can walk the dock and enjoy the stunning scenery, meet visitors from around the world, hear bald eagles whistling in the forest and see inquisitive river otters on the dock. Amenities include accommodations, meals in the dining hall, lounge, dock patio and gift shop.4

Knight Inlet LodgeFloating in Glendale Cove, Knight Inlet Lodge is home base for your wildlife adventures.

Guest Rooms feature private bathrooms and views of the cove.

Bon Apetit The Lodge’s Dining Hall is open all day and serves

buffet style breakfast, lunch and dinner. Evening meals often include

fresh local seafood as well as meat and vegetarian choices.

Snacks, fruit and beverages are always available.

The Dining Hall Lounge offers a varied selection of beer, wine and spirits.

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Dockside Amenities include a heated Gear Room whichstores floater suits, life jackets and boots for guests to use on their excursions. Kayaks, flat-bottom and cruiser boats are on hand for group excursions.

General Information• In case of fire please proceed to the floatplane

dock or front deck area for instructions.

• Please use caution when walking on the cement walkways and deck, they can be slippery when wet.

• If you require raingear please ask your Guide or our Host.

• All guests and staff must travel with a P.F.D (Personal floatation device) or floater suit whenever they are on the water. Please make sure you have one.

• A diesel generator powers the lodge. At approximately 10pm the lodge switches to battery power to conserve fuel. Between 10pm and 6am we are on limited power so please avoid the use of power hungry electronics like hair dryers. Battery chargers are fine.

GratuitiesGuests often ask about tipping the staff. This is one way you can show

your appreciation for a job well done. However, tipping should be done

solely at each individual’s discretion.

• Please bear in mind that all staff share the gratuities equally.

• Please refrain from tipping the staff individually. Tips can be placed in the envelope provided and left in the gratuity box in the office orif you prefer, gratuities can be added to your room bill if paying by

credit card.

• Should you decide to leave a gratuity, the amount is totally up to you and should reflect your level of satisfaction.

Accounts• All purchases at the lodge (bar, gift shop, phone charges

fishing licenses, etc.) will be added to your room account.

• At the end of your stay your bill will be settled by the Lodge Manager or designated person.

• We accept cash, travelers cheques debit cards and credit cards (Visa & MasterCard).

Telephone• Calls can be placed on our phone in the front office.

Please ask one of our staff if you wish to make a call.

• When making a call, record the number and the minutes in the book beside the phone.

• The cost of calls is $0.25 per minute within BC, $0.50 per minute for the rest of Canada andthe United States and $1.00 per minute for overseas calls.

Smoking• Smoking is only

permitted in designated locations.

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Knight Inlet LodgeAdventure ToursSee pages 8-20 for details on the

Adventure Tours available

during your stay with us.

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Bear ViewingSpring & SummerEstuary Tour

In the spring and summer, the bears feed on the sedge growingaround the estuary shores. Your guide will take you out in asmall flat-bottomed skiff in search of grizzly bears and otherwildlife like black bears, deer and eagles. Some bears are verytolerant of us and we can approach as close as 50 meters. Otherbears are more skittish and we will respectfully keep ourdistance. Our main priority is that the bear’s behavior is notaltered due to our proximity.

For all Bear Viewing Tours:A life vest must be worn. No food or drink is allowed

in the boats, no camera flashes around the bears please.

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Just Across the Cove...Drifting quietly in sea kayaks, guests can watch grizzlies upclose and personal, witnessing these powerful creatures as theyquietly forage amongst the fresh sedge growth in the protectedwaters near the lodge in Glendale Cove. While grizzlies aregenerally not social animals, spring viewing often affords theopportunity to observe courtship rituals and mating activities.Guests are often fortunate to see new cubs, fresh from their den,a photographic opportunity not to be missed.

Lodge guides are trained in minimum impact bear viewing etiquette

which respects the need for bears to feed undisturbed during this

critical period in their feeding season.

Kayak to the Grizzlies

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Bear ViewingLate Summer & Fall

River Tour

From the middle of August to the end of October, our bearviewing changes from the estuary setting to the Glendale Riveritself, as hundreds of thousands of salmon enter the fresh waterto spawn.

Bear viewing takes place from secure viewing platformslocated at two different sites along the river. To get tothese locations, we travel by boat across the cove, board a busand take a 20-minute drive along an old forestry road.

Platform viewing sessions are two hours in length so be sureto bring and wear warm clothing. A life vest is required for theshort boat ride and we encourage all to wear the providedrubber boots to get from the boat to dry land.

Please be aware that our platforms (Finger and Weir stands) arelocated in a fisheries management area and that for theseplatforms we can only take 12 guests at a time. We are allottedfour viewing periods each day: 7:30 - 9:30, 10:10 - 12:10, 1:30 -3:30, and 3:30 - 5:30. Also note that due to time constraints theFinger and Weir stands cannot be used on the morning ofdeparture.

No food or drinks, no smoking and no use of camera flashes as this

can disturb the bears. We also ask that guests refrain from any type

of perfume. There are no toilet facilities on these tours.

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Many of our guests try kayaking for the first time at the lodgeand love it. We have single and two-person kayaks which arevery stable, comfortable and a pleasure to paddle. All thepaddling takes place within the protection of the cove whereconditions are safe and sheltered. It’s a fantastic way to viewwildlife and listen to the peace and quiet of nature. Please notethat the 50 meter grizzly bear viewing guideline does apply onthis tour.

Sea kayaking is not about rigorous paddling. It is anotheroption for enjoying the beauty of Glendale Cove with amoderate level of physical activity. If you are capable ofmoderate exercise we’re sure you’ll enjoy it.

You will need:A life vest (floater suits are not suitable) and clothing appropriate for

the weather. Don’t dress too warmly as your lower half is inside the

kayak and you generate warmth as you paddle. Light footwear is best.

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Sea Kayakingin Glendale Cove

No experience necessary, and a great way to see the bears!

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Knight Inlet Cruise“A thousand Norways rolled into one, just as the Canadian Rockies are a thousand

Switzerlands”…”and it is by far the loveliest cruising waters in the world”

Victoria Daily, September 25, 1905(Describing a trip to Knight Inlet and its head waters)

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Place Knight Inlet in any other country in the worldand it would be declared a national park. Our tourcovers the most dramatic stretch of the fjord, GlendaleCove to Glacier Bay, approximately 20 miles duenorth. Along the way see waterfalls cascade into theinlet, steep glacially carved cliffs rising straight out ofthe ocean and snow-capped mountain peaks. Wildlifeviewing on this trip can include mountain goats,scrambling on the cliff faces of the inlet in the spring,and black bears foraging on the beaches. Marinewildlife viewing possibilities include Pacific white-sided dolphins and seals, both of which are locallyabundant.

You will need:

A life vest or floater suit. Dress warmly for this

tour as our boats move quite fast.

This hike takes place in the Kwalate Valley, know as the “place of many berries”, which is a 20-minuteboat ride from the lodge. This river valley is one of the few pristine watersheds left in the area. The maintrail follows the beautiful crystal-clear Kwalate River that is surrounded by lush coastal temperaterainforest. Options include hiking up to a breath-taking waterfall or further into the rainforest to see someold-growth Sitka Spruce trees. Interpretation of flora and fauna and taking in the beauty of the rainforestare the primary objectives of this trip. An easy hiking pace is maintained throughout.

Fitness Level: 4 - 8 kilometers round-trip; uneven terrain with muddy areas and some steeper

sections. We offer various versions of this tour. Please check with our staff for details.

What to wear: A life vest for the boat trip, rubber boots or sturdy hikers you don’t

mind getting muddy and possibly wet, rain pants and a jacket on wet days.

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Rain Forest Walk

To maximize your trip enjoyment and experience, if you have any physical considerations

(i.e. knee or hip replacements etc.) please discuss with the trip scheduler to determine the

most suitable hike for you.

Big Cedar HikeThis hike takes place close by in Glendale Cove, a short boatride across from the lodge. The Big Cedar hike is a shorter,steeper hike compared to the Rainforest walk so one shouldbe in reasonable shape. On this trail we will see Westernred cedar trees up to 8’ across, some of which have beardens built in their massive root bases. This hike alsoboasts culturally modified trees, evidence left from theFirst Nation people who used to inhabit this area.

Fitness Level:High: 1.5km over 2 hours, steep, slippery sections.To maximize your trip enjoyment and experience, if you have any physical considerations (i.e. knee or hip replacements etc.) please discuss with the tripscheduler to determine the most suitable hike for you.

What to wear: A life vest for the boat trip, rubber boots

or sturdy hikers you don’t mind getting muddy and pos-

sibly wet, rain pants and a jacket on wet days

TrackingOn our tracking tours, we areobserving bear habitat we don’tnormally get to see on our bear-viewing tours. You guide will take you over to our vehiclesopposite the lodge. You will be taken on a slow drive down theold forestry road looking for bear sign. Bear signs can includeday beds, bear trails, “rub” trees and tracks. If we find beartracks or any other animal tracks, we can make a plaster castof the print for you to take home.

The object of tracking is not to see a bear. You will make shortwalks from the vehicle to look for bear signs. The fact that weare driving a vehicle and in a group of three or more peoplemeans that we are unlikely to witness a bear sighting.

The tracking tour gives a rare insight into the unseen habits ofthe Glendale grizzlies.

Fitness Level: Low - moderate, walking distances are very short

(not more than 80 – 100 metres from the vehicle). The terrain is

uneven in some places.

You will need: Rubber boots for transferring from boat to vehicle,

life vest, walking shoes (or keep the rubber boots on), warm clothing

and rain gear if the weather is cool or unsettled.

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Marine TourMarine mammals are some of the British Columbia coast’s mostfascinating inhabitants. Orcas, more commonly called KillerWhales, are one of the more exciting wild creatures that wehope to see on this tour. Nowhere else on earth is there such aconcentration of Killer Whales as the Johnstone Straight area.

This full-day tour leaves around 8:30am and arriving back atthe lodge by 5-5:30pm. A substantial packed lunch is included.While the focus tends to be sighting Orca, we often encounterHarbour Seals, Porpoise, Dolphins, Steller Sea Lions, Minke,and Humpback Whales. Please keep in mind that all of thesemarine mammals (whle very abundant in this area) live wildand free on this coast, and it is possible that some ofthese mammals will not - be seen.

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Echo Bay Day TripOn this trip we will spend the day circumnavigating Gilford Island which is situatednear the lower end of Knight Inlet. Echo Bay is located on the western side of GilfordIsland and is home to a colourful array of local personalities, one of whom isBilly Procter. He has lived on the west coast for over 60 years and has become alocal celebrity, partly for a small museum he has opened near his homestead.

In Billy’s museum we will explore hundreds of years of artifacts collected fromthe beaches of the west coast by Billy himself, as well as many which are continuallybeing donated to the project.

Along the way we will have lunch on the beautiful Burdwood Islands, the site of anancient native village. If time allows and the tides are right we will also explore ahidden waterfall and be able to hike to an enormous cedar tree, 15 ‘ across, rumored tobe over 1000 years old. As far as wildlife, black bear and eagle sightings are commonas well as dolphin and porpoise.

What to Bring: Money for Billy’s gift shop, rubber boots

for getting on and off the boat and for the short walks.

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WalkAbove

TheClouds

This is our easiest of three walking andhiking tours with a required fitnesslevel of low to moderate. This is aninterpretive walk along a raisedwooden boardwalk up to a platformwith panoramic views of Knight Inletand Glendale Cove. Get a glimpse intothe nesting life of Bald Eagles downbelow the platform. Boat and 4x4mountain road access to the trailhead. 

What to wear: A life vest and rubberboots for the boat trip, light hikers forfootwear on the boardwalk, rain pantsand jackets on the wet days and hikingpoles are available if desired. 

Drive up time - 45 minutes; walkingtime - 30 minutes, platform time - upto 30 minutes; walking down time - 30minutes; travel back to lodge time - 45minutes. Totalling to about a 3 1/2hour long tour.

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“If you’re going to be a bear, be a grizzly.”Mahatma Gandhi

The goal of the CBVA is to provide a voice for the more established bearviewing companies on matters of conservation, Government Tenures, andour ongoing battle to stop the trophy hunting of bears in British Columbia.As well, the Association has established a Training Program and Certification

process for people wishing to work as guides in our industry.Recognized as having the first Certification Program in BC, theAssociation is working closely with Colleges and Post-Secondary

Commercial Bear Viewing Association of B.C.

Knight Inlet Lodge is proud to be a founding member of the Commercial Bear Viewing Association of British Columbia.

Institutions throughout the province to incorporate our program into their OutdoorWilderness Guide courses.

As the voice for bear viewing in British Columbia, we ask that you support theAssociation by choosing member companies for further bear viewing adventures.

For more information on the CBVA please visit our website www.bearviewing.ca

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In December 1999, 68

professional biologists

submitted a strongly

worded petition to the B.C.

Government calling

for a moratorium on all

grizzly bear hunting

pending completion

of comprehensive

population studies in

the Province's six

bioregions.

The est imate by theMinistry of Environmentthat there are 10,000-13,000 g r i z z l y b e a r si n t h e p r o v i n c e i sh i g h l y questionable.Just twenty years ago the off icial estimate stood at 6,000 - 7,000. In a com-prehensive scientific review of the province's Grizzly Bear Conservation Strat-egy, wildlife scientists Dr. Brian Horejsi, Dr. Barrie Gilbert and Dr. LanceCraighead stated that "Grizzly population estimates in BC have been con-sistently over-estimated."

As one of the planet's premier places to view wild grizzlies in their naturalhabitat, Knight Inlet Lodge is committed to stopping the trophy harvest ofthese special animals. A founding member of the Commercial Bear ViewingAssociation of BC, we have proven that, beyond the important ethicalarguments against trophy hunting, grizzly bears are worth far more to the

province alive in the forest than as a hunter'sprize.Knight Inlet Lodge has entered into an agreement

with the Guide Outfitter who controls the huntingrights for the Glendale Cove area. Since 2006 we have

bought the yearly hunting ‘tag’ that allows a grizzly to be shot in ourarea. By purchasing this tag we have saved the lives of many griz-zlies at a cost of over $100,000.00. 100% of the proceeds from our variousinitiatives such as the “Stop the Hunt” wrist bands and water bot-tles purchased by our guests goes towards buying the hunting rights.

The Wyatt family and Knight Inlet

Lodge has invested well over

$100,000 in high level

academic research

including a satellite

collaring project

that determined

denning sites

and range

characteristics.

Stop the Hunt

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Knight Inlet Lodge Hatchery The Coho salmon hatchery at our lodge is just one example of how we giveback to the environment. The small but successful program involves catchingbrood stock, harvesting and fertilizing the eggs, incubating them over thewinter and raising the fry until they are released the next fall. By raisingthe fry at Knight Inlet Lodge, we hope to increase their survival rate from40% in the wild to 90%. In 2008 we successfully released 1,345 fry into theGlendale River. In 2010 we were up to 3,500 fry being raised for release in2011. The ultimate goal is to annually release 6,000 fry into our eco-system.The entire hatchery project has been built, operated and financed by KnightInlet Lodge, with technical assistance from the Oyster River EnhancementSociety.

Conservation, The Environment and Knight Inlet Lodge

Salmon continue to feed the wildlife and enrich the land,

streams and sea long after they have spawned and died.24

Micro Hydro Knight Inlet Lodge operates a micro hydro electric system that generates power dur-ing our winter months. This system, one of the first micro hydro projects approvedin British Columbia, has been operating on and off since the 1980s. While the powerproduced is not sufficient to operate the lodge during our viewing season the 12 -15 kilowatts of power we do generate at peak times is adequate for the wintermonths with limited staff onsite.

Sewage Treatment While sewage is a subject no one likes to talk about, it does have to be dealt with. At Knight Inlet Lodge this entails storing the majority of our solid waste in tanks for transport and treatment in Campbell River. By limiting our sewage discharge as much as possible we help to keep Glendale Cove clean and healthy.

1968 Blair McLean opened a

small salmon fishing lodge on the shore at Sandy Beach in Hoeya Sound. By 1976 the excellent fishing in

the area helped the lodge grow and Blair expanded by adding a float building. Around this time Blair started

calling his operation the “Hoeya Hilton” as a joke. The name soon became popular with guests and local residents.

1979 Blair purchased the original ten acres of land in Glendale Cove and moved the entire operation there

on a raft of floats. As the lodge grew and became one of the better known fishing locations on the coast of British

Columbia the name “Hoeya Hilton”came to the attention of the Hilton Hotel chain. By 1985 they officially requested

that Blair “cease and desist” using the name. From then on the lodge was officially known as Knight Inlet Lodge,

although to many people it was still the “Hoeya Hilton”.

1996 The Wyatt family purchased the property and operated it as a fishing lodge while starting the transition to eco-tourism and

specifically grizzly bear viewing. 1998 marked the start of bear viewing with a modest 200 guests in the first season. By 2002 the lodge had grown

in popularity and reputation led it to being named named one of the 10 most exotic locations to visit by the A&E Television Network.

The lodge continued to grow in popularity and in 2007 was host to over 2000 guests. Featured in media such as the

New York Times, the BBC and National Geographic, Knight Inlet Lodge continued to grow in

reputation around the world as THE place to experience Grizzly Bear viewing at its finest.

Knight Inlet LodgeA History Of Hospitality. A Legacy Of Change.

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Glendale CanneryThe fish cannery in Glendale Cove was built by Captain R.E.Goss in 1910 when he moved his operation from SergeantsPass to Glendale. It was purchased in 1911 by the AngloBritish Columbia Packing Company who operated the canneryuntil it closed in the late 1940s. In an industry known for rapidchanges in ownership this was very unusual.

At its peak the cannery employed approximately 150people, many of whom lived at the cannery with their families.The workforce was a mixture of cultures including Chinese,Japanese, First Nation and European. Besides the cannery,which operated from late Spring until early fall, the companyalso ran a store that was very important to the local settlers,including Jim and Laurette Stanton, who lived in thisvery remote area.

The Glendale cannery was one of the largest that Anglo BritishColumbia operated with yearly production of 25,000 - 60,000cases of salmon. Sockeye, Pink and Coho salmon made up themajority of the fishery. It was a totally self-contained operation

that supplied fuel, groceries and gear to the fishingfleet that worked and lived in Glendale Cove plushousing for the workers and their families. 26

First Nations HistoryGlendale Cove and Knight Inlet are the traditional territory of the Da’naxda’xw/Awaetlala First Nation.

Da’naxda’xw - “the sandstone ones” and the Awaetlala - “those up theInlet” are part of the Southern Kwagyulth or Kwak’wakw’wakwlanguage group. The Da’naxda’xw territory was at the head ofKnight Inlet and the Awaetlala’s territory was the area farther southincluding Glendale Cove.

The first recorded census of tribal populations was in 1835 with 300people belonging to the Awaetlala and 375 to the Da’naxda’xw Nation.Around 1860 a rock slide threatened the Da’naxda’xw village at Wakas(Wahkash Creek) causing them to join the Awaetlala at Kwatsi (SiwashBay). By 1891 Indian Affairs had ceased enumerating the tribesseparately.

Today Knight Inlet Lodge has an excellent working relationship withthe First Nation and hereditary Chief William McKenzie Glendale. Weappreciate being able to travel across the reserve land of the First Nationon the way to our viewing platforms.

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Knight Inlet LodgeNewsletter

Did you know that Knight Inlet Lodge publishes an E-Newsletter every few months?

If you provide us with an email add ress on your registration form youwill automatically receive the next issue. Please be assured that we do notshare our email list with anyone and that you can easily unsubscribe fromthe list at any time. Our newsletter is an excellent way to stay in touchwith the happenings at our lodge, particularly important updates on our“Stop the Hunt” campaign.

For anyone who would like to read past issues of our E-Newsletter theycan be found on our website www.grizzlytours.com where you can alsosubscribe for the newsletter should you forget to do so while at the lodge.

Using Social MediaWe would love to hear from any guest t hat wouldlike to contribute their experiences, photos or videoson our social media outlets.

To share your experience on Facebook or a Blog simply email your pictures and or story to us at info@grizzlytours.com. We will take care of the details for you and let you know when it is live on the web. Blogs can be anything from a short paragraph to a longer story and while we love photos and videos it is not necessary to include any. Our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/knightinlet and our blog is located at www.knightinletlodge.com

Also please share your experiences on Trip Advisor to let others know what to expect on a tripto Knight Inlet Lodge.

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Contacts WORLD JOURNEYS

The Old St Patrick’s School House

57 Wellington St, Freemans

Bay, Auckland 1010

info@worldjourneys.co.nz

Tel: (09) 360 7311

Toll Free: 0800 117311

www.worldjourneys.co.nz

Photos: Dave Campbell

Shea Wyatt

Neil Havers

Book Design: www.haversdesign.com

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