Wildlife Viewing
Opportunities abound for viewing eagles, black bears, orcas and more in the pristine wilderness of Gold River and Nootka Sound. Please see below for descriptions and photographs of common area wildlife.
Bald Eagle
This large eagle is a blackish colour with a white head and tail and
a heavy yellow bill. The call is a squeaky cackling with thin squeals.
Look for eagle nests in a tall tree or on top of a cliff; here 2 or
3 white eggs are laid. This bird is primarily a fish eater but also
eats carrion and crippled waterfowl.
Black Bear
Typical coloration of Black Bears in the west is black to cinnamon
with a white blaze on the chest and in the east, black. The snout is
tan or grizzled with a straight or slightly convex profile. Average
weight is 200-600 pounds.
Black Bears inhabit heavily forested areas, dense bush and wooded mountains throughout most of British Columbia. Sitings are common along the shoreline as they tumble rocks over in search of tasty snacks. They tend to wander a great distance, some male adults having lifetime ranges of 500 to 620 square miles.
1-5 cubs are born in January to early February generally every second year. The Black Bear young weigh only one-half a pound at birth. This uniquely North American bear is generally nocturnal and solitary. It is classed as a carnivore although most of its diet consists of vegetation such as twigs, buds, leaves, nuts, roots, various fruits, corn and berries. They are also good fishermen and feed on spawning salmon. Before winter it puts on a great supply of fat, then holes up for the winter in a sheltered place.
California Sea Lion
The California Sea Lion occurs from Baja California to Alaska. This
playful, noisy, exuberant, quick learner is the "trained seal" of
the circus. It is highly adaptable to any surrounding and use a variety
of habitats. When resting on rocks or beaches they point their noses
skyward and may be seen laying atop one another. When at sea they raft
together, playing and leaping clear of the surface. Their long fore
flippers enable them to make powerful strokes while swimming and they
may reach speeds of 25 mph. They are very vocal and bark like dogs;
the
pups have a bleatlike call. The California Sea Lion
prey on schooling fish, rockfish, squid, flatfish, hake, lamprey, dogfish
and salmon.
Cougar
The cougar is a large animal with fur that is short and reddish-brown
to grey-brown with white on the underside; the tail is black-tipped.
The head is fairly small with small, rounded ears and large feet. The
average adult male weighs 125 pounds and the female 100 pounds. The
cougar is the largest wild cat native to British Columbia and very
elusive, rarely seen.
The cougar occurs in BC from the Canada/USA border to Big Muddy River on the Alaska Highway. Although they have not yet reached the Queen Charlotte Islands, they can be found on most other coastal islands. This animal is found only in the western hemisphere of the Americas generally in mountainous areas.
Although there is no fixed mating season, 1-6 young are usually born midsummer in a den where they are raised only with the female and remain with her for 1-2 years. The cougar is a strong, solitary, strongly territorial hunting species that requires an undisturbed game-rich wilderness. They feed on large animals to mice; the cougar is capable of killing a 600 pound moose or elk. An adult male needs no more than 14-20 deer per year to survive. The female cougar has a distinct scream that has been described as "nerve-wracking, demoniac, terror-striking, a trilling wail".
Humpback Whale
This whale is black with white patches on the flippers, bottom surface
of the tail flukes and body; it is identified by this unique back and
white pattern. Males average 47 feet; females, 49 feet. Weight ranges
from 25-45 tons. The head is flattened and the flippers are the biggest
of any species.
They are highly acrobatic animals who breach repeatedly and have a spectacular blow of 10-13 feet ending in a beautiful haze of spray. They feed on krill and schooling fish such as herring, mackerel and cod. The humpback is usually found in small groups but have been known to be as large as 200. They mate every 2+ years and after a year's gestation period a 15 foot, 2 ton calf is born. Due to commercial whaling, less than 2000 of these whales are found in the northern Pacific. Now an endangered and protected species, the numbers are slowly increasing. Fortunately, many humpbacks are accessible to whale watchers.
Killer Whale (Orca)
The killer whale is the largest dolphin; a shiny, black creature with white patches above and behind each eye, on the chin and throat extending
along the belly. The body is robust and powerful with a blunt, round
head and slight beak. The male averages 27 feet and weighs up to 11
tons; the female 23 feet, 8 tons.
The orca is an extremely fast swimmer, exceeding speeds of 30 mph,
it spyhops and breaches often, making it a wonder for whale watchers.
Its blow is up to 10 feet high and often has a loud, explosive sound.
This intelligent creature remains in a family pod of 5 to 20 for all
of its life. They will eat anything that swims or floats (except humans)
including seabirds, turtles, other cetaceans (including great whales),
seals, sea lions, all types of fish and squid. The orca has 3 basic
sound types including a click, whistle and a scream. A population of
260 killer whales frequent the waters off of BC; they are listed as
not threatened but reduced salmon stocks may be affecting the growth
of northwest populations.
Pacific White-sided Dolphin
A dark grey or black back broken by white or light grey stripe along
the flank characterizes this dolphins colouring. The beak, front edge
of dorsal fin, flippers and flukes are dark; the belly white.
This fast, powerful swimmer loves to bow ride and surf; they often
leap and somersault. They are nearly always found in groups of less
than 50 animals. Primary foodstuff is squid and small fish. This animal
is considered common and not endangered.
Roosevelt Elk
Roosevelt elk are the largest of the big game animals. A mature bull
may weigh as much as 1,000 pounds or even more, but on the average
they will weigh much less. Both male and female elk have a dark-colored
neck mane.
Roosevelt elk choose to live in the rain forests of the Pacific coast. They prefer the logged and burned over areas of the coastal mountains and the western slope of the Cascades. Upon finding an area which meets their needs they spend their entire lives there. Huckleberry, trailing wild blackberry, vine maple, salal, and other shrubs are favorite food during the late summer, fall, and winter. Weeds and grasses are preferred in the spring and early summer.
Feeding occurs just after daylight and again in the early evening. When food becomes scarce, the elk herd must spend more time in search of it.
When September arrives the bull elk will begin to gather his harem. When a rival bull approaches the herd master will challenge him. Often chases and sparring matches are common during the mating season.
Single calves are born in late May and early June. An elk calf is
tawny in color and spotted with white along the back and sides. A young
one will lie quietly in the grass to escape notice from enemies. If
he/she thinks danger is near he/she flattens out on the ground to keep
from being observed. Even after he/she first learns to walk on his/her
wobbly legs, the young calf will drop to the ground at the first sign
of danger. A week later, when his/her legs are strong, the calf will
flee with the herd to avoid danger.
Sea Otter
Sea otters are the smallest of marine mammals. Fully grown they
are the size of a German shepherd dog, and can weigh up to 45 kg. Unlike
other marine mammals which depend upon blubber for insulation, sea
otters depend upon a thick fur coat and a high body temperature to
stay warm in their chilly ocean environment.
They have the thickest fur of any mammal, up to 160,000
hairs per square cm. To maintain their high body temperature,
sea otters eat up to 1/4 of their weight in food each day. Sea otters
are often confused with their smaller cousin, the river otter, which
despite the name, are often found in the marine environment. You
may see river otters running along rocky shores or snoozing on docks.
Female sea otters bear a single pup, usually in early spring. The
pup is normally born at sea and remains
with its mother for about 6 months. The males are not involved
in raising the young.
Sea otters are fairly social animals, so it is not
uncommon to see a group, or raft, of up to 100 male or female sea otters.
They feed on invertebrates, animals such as snails, clams, octopus,
crabs, mussels and sea urchins. By feeding on sea urchins, sea
otters pay an important role in near shore ecology. Sea urchins
are grazers, and eat kelp. Sea urchins can devour entire kelp
forests, creating areas devoid of seaweed, and are called “urchin
barrens”. By eating urchins, the otters increase the abundance
of kelp, which increases near shore productivity and provides an important
habitat and nursery area for many species of fish. When sea otters
were hunted to extinction on our coast, the near shore ecosystem was
likely altered in a dramatic manner.
Sea otters were once common throughout coastal areas of the north
Pacific, ranging from northern Mexico to Northern Japan. They
were hunted to the brink of extinction, in an intense maritime fur
trade which lasted from the 1700’s until the early 1900’s. Sea otters were legally protected in 1911, with less than 2000 sea
otters remaining throughout their range. The last known otter
to inhabit British Columbian waters was shot off of Grassy Island,
near Kyuquot, in 1929.
They were re-introduced to British Columbia from
1969 to 1972. A total of 89 sea otters, captured in Alaska, were
released in the Bunsby Islands, just northwest of Kyuquot. The
population has grown at a rate of about 19% per year. In 1995,
there were at least 1450 sea otters along the west coast of Vancouver
Island, many of which live within Nootka and Kyuquot Sounds. So keep
your eyes peeled... these engaging animals, which are surprisingly
common along the MV Uchuck’s route, are actually one of Canada’s
rarest mammals.
Turkey Vulture
The Turkey Vulture is an eagle-sized bird that is usually seen soaring
overhead, its wings held upward in a wide, shallow V; the flight feathers
are a silver grey with a black lining. This brownish-black bird has
a long tail and its head is small, bare and red. It hisses or grunts when feeding or at its nest but is usually silent.
The Turkey Vulture breeds from southern British Columbia, central Saskatchewan and the Great Lakes southward. They prefer mainly deciduous forests and woodlands.
Two white eggs with dark brown markings are placed in a rock crevice,
a hollow tree or in a hollow fallen log without a nest or lining. The
Turkey Vulture can coast for hours, swaying from side to side and riding
on rising columns of warm air called thermals, while searching for
a carcass. Turkey Vultures feed chiefly on carrion and refuse.
White-Tailed Deer
A tan or reddish-brown in the summer and greyish-brown in the winter,
the belly, throat, nose band, eye ring and insides of the ears are
white. There are black spots on the sides of the chin. The antlers have individual tines that grow upward from each of the main beams.
The mule deer has the widest distribution of the deer found in British Columbia, occurring as far north as the Liard River Valley and throughout the interior as far west as the coast mountains. The whitetail deer resides in the lower south-east corner of the province. Found only in BC is the Northwest Whitetail deer.
Deer are browsers rather than grazers and feed on a variety of vegetation including green plants, nuts and corn, and trees and twigs. It also has a particular fondness for flowers and vegetables in Gold River gardens. Although the deer is a good swimmer and runner (reaching speeds of 35 mph) it falls prey to a number of animals including the cougar, domestic dog, wolf, coyote, lynx, bobcat and bear. Once this species was endangered but it is now more abundant than ever.
