Grizzly Bear

The coastal Grizzly Bear is found throughout Kitasoo Xai’xais Traditional Territory. In the spring they are often seen feeding on grasses, tubers, and fresh green shoots in the large river estuaries of the mainland. Once berries ripen the Grizzly Bear will start to vary their diet to include this higher calorie food source. After waiting patiently for the salmon to arrive the bears are rewarded with a feast of epic proportions. This is the time we have the highest densities of Grizzly Bears sharing habitat to put on enough weight for a long winters rest. Grizzly Bears can be seen throughout our season on bear tours from Spirit Bear Lodge, but as with all wildlife and bear viewing, sightings can be unpredictable.

Grizzly Bear Diet & Habitat

Coastal grizzly bears are opportunistic omnivores whose diet changes with the seasons. In spring, they emerge to forage in estuaries for nutrient-rich grasses, sedges, and roots. By mid-summer, they graze on berries (salmonberries and huckleberries) to build critical fat reserves.

In summer and fall, millions of spawning salmon return to the rivers throughout Kitasoo Xai’xais Traditional Territory. Bears eagerly gather along the riverbanks to feast on salmon before winter hibernation, offering incredible opportunities for world-class wildlife viewing.

Grizzly Bear Cubs & Family Life

Grizzly cubs stay with their mother for about two and a half years, denning together through two full winters. During this time, they learn essential survival skills, from finding seasonal food sources to digging winter dens.

Much of a young cub’s day is spent playing and mock-fighting with siblings, building the strength needed for independence. By spring of their third year, the mother readies for the next breeding season and chases off her now-grown offspring, leaving them ready to navigate the Great Bear Rainforest on their own.

Grizzly Bear vs. Black Bear

One of the first things guests ask our guides is how to tell grizzlies apart from brown-phase black bears. Beyond their size, here are telltale features to look for through your binoculars:

Fur colour can be deceiving, as black bears can occasionally be brown, blonde, or cinnamon too! From a distance, the two unmistakable traits for grizzlies are a prominent shoulder hump and a distinct “dished” face.

When to See Grizzly Bears in the Great Bear Rainforest

Grizzly activity shifts with the seasons, offering unique tour highlights throughout the year:

• Spring (May–June): Spot bears and newborn cubs grazing on green estuary grasses from zodiac boats.
• Summer & Fall (Aug–Oct): Peak viewing season as grizzlies feast on the millions of salmon returning to spawn.

As with all wildlife viewing, sightings are never guaranteed, but timing a visit to the salmon run or in spring offers the strongest chance of seeing grizzlies up close. Explore our bear viewing tours to find the best season for your visit.

Conservation & Grizzly Bear Research

Grizzly bears in Kitasoo Xai’xais Traditional Territory are protected through a combination of Indigenous stewardship and conservation partnerships. Spirit Bear Lodge works with organizations advancing grizzly bear science and protection, including ongoing research through Understanding Bears, and collaborative studies such as the First Nations-led grizzly bear facial recognition project, which uses non-invasive photo identification to track individual bears without the need for tagging or collaring. These efforts support long-term monitoring of grizzly populations and help guide more sustainable wildlife tourism practices in the region, protecting bears for generations to come.