Queen Charlotte Black Bear

July 28, 2007
Time: 1430 Hrs: 1054.4
Lv: Bag Harbour
Humidity 80 % Temp: 19 C. Rain, rain, rain.
Course: Burnaby Narrows > Skincuttle Inlet > Hecate Strait > Ikeda Cove
Since we are not in a hurry to get anywhere today, we thought we would wait around to see if the rain would stop. But it never really stopped, so we decided to leave anyway and maybe it would be nicer somewhere else.
Arv: Ikeda Cove, Moresby Island
Lat: 52 17.79 N
Lon: 131 09.31 W
Time: 1745
Trip: 9.55 nm Log: 4219.4 nm
I was hoping we would have the opportunity to see a bear while visiting Haida Gwaii. Luckily we happen to spot one on the shore this evening. The interesting thing about this black bear is that it is unique to the area. The bears on Haida Gwaii have larger jaws and teeth than those on the mainland, an adaptation that is believed to have evolved from the bears chewing on hard-shelled invertebrates in the inter-tidal zone. As we watch, he moves along the shore (it is low tide), turning over rocks to get at the little creatures underneath. Deer also come down to the water at low tide and it looks like they are eating seaweed. They are very small, only about the size of a large dog.