2022/09 Great Bear Rainforest - Mussel |
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Wednesday - Mussel
We both had a better night and were looking forward to our trip to Mussel Inlet. We
had no fog but low cloud hid most of the mountain tops. We began on the Inside Passage but soon turned east on the quieter route to Mussel Inlet. Then we got a call to return to the lodge. Our guides had forgotten the keys to the punt; apparently we were switching boats at some point. Off we went again.
Our view was continually changing as the clouds shifted, hiding and exposing the towering cliffs and this striking waterfall. Mussel Inlet is a dead end and we went in as far as we could, anchoring outside the Mussel River estuary. We transferred to the “punt”, what we would call a pontoon boat.
It could deal with the shallow water better than the tour boat, but we still had to wait for the tide to come in.
Thousands of gulls lined the edge of the estuary and there was a grizzly patrolling the shallows, probably looking for salmon. This was the kind of place I was expecting when I booked the trip. The scenery is magnificent with granite cliffs rising from the water and the sky full of birds, mainly varieties of gull but also bald eagles swooping overhead looking for what they can steal from the gulls. These two launched from just above our heads.
Another bear appeared and lured us upriver to where we had to stop to avoid running aground. Ryan hopped off the punt to walk further upriver and see what was around. He brought us this skull which he said came from a black bear. Grizzly skulls are much larger. He returned the skull to nature, no doubt ready to bring it out for the next tour
boat.
We were finally able to edge slowly up the main channel where we could see another grizzly in the distance, but we had gone as far as we were allowed and we had to retreat.
We slowly made our way around the estuary and found a mama grizzly with cubs. Unfortunately they were in long grass and our punt was low in the water and we couldn’t see much other than the tops of their heads. 
The cubs looked to be independent and we rarely saw all three together. 
Looking back towards the river we saw more bears come into view, look around, and go back upriver.
The sky darkened and the rain started, our first of the trip. Luckily I’d brought along my lens “sun shade” which I’ve never used in the sun, but it works well in rain.
We returned to the tour boat and made our way back to Klemtu, stopping at waterfalls along the way. We also spotted a humpback whale that came over to check us out. I took this picture as it dived and ducked under the bow of our boat. I could see whale bits on both sides of us!
Sandie had found these anemones in the shallow waters around the lodge’s landing.