What a difference a day makes! Yesterday’s rain has given way to clear air and azure skies. Puffy clouds hang over the mountainsides. Glorious.

Before breakfast some of the group opt for kayaking at our overnight anchorage of Chief Mathews Bay. We opt for a lie in. There were quite enough early starts last week! We head to Kimano Bay in search of bears. It is of course an abortive mission. We should know by now. We have so far seen and heard loads of Canadian Geese. Who’d have thought it in Canada of all places!? Jokes about Canadian Geese abound and the thought is proffered that maybe the bears have goose suits that they use for camouflage….

However, it is a great location to observe bird life. Eagles put on a good display…but shame that the back drop is always forest so there is no clarity of subject definition.

Gulls cry noisily…

And a western grebe goes about its business…

We sit and quietly soak up the majestic scenery and marvel at how the conifers manage to cling to the bare granite faces.

We are now heading west through the Gardner Canal to Europa Bay. This is another endeavour to locate the elusive bear. As we approach the shoreline we spot a grizzly bear fishing in the creek. Hoorah! There is great excitement and our only problem is finding somewhere to disembark. The water is shallow, grasses line the shore and mask the water depth.

We are still in the tender, feel safe and are afforded a great view. The light is just perfect and a huge grizzly goes about his business, not giving us a second glance.

There is lots of bird life here too. Cute harlequin ducks…

…and tiers of gulls…

After several abortive attempts we make it onto terra firma and, staying close together, approach the bear.

The bear makes his way upstream and out of our view. We walk into the forest and settle down on the river bank upstream from the bear… and wait. It is not exactly comfortable and those annoying mosquitos and black flies engulf us. I have at least found somewhere half comfortable to sit amongst some mossy tree roots. A lot of the group have to stand.

Time ticks by and then… across the creek… a black body presents itself. Unfortunately, because it has emerged directly opposite us, it can see us only too clearly. It is spooked and disappears back into the dense undergrowth just as speedily as it had appeared. We sit for an hour or so hoping he will return but to no avail. Nevertheless, I have some great shots, so am more than happy.