Sonora Resort review, Canada: The best place to watch grizzly bears in the wild

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Sonora Resort review, Canada: The best place to watch grizzly bears in the wild

By Jane Reddy
The Sonora Resort: The only way in and out is by water taxi up Campbell's River, seaplane or a thrilling 50-minute helicopter ride from Vancouver.

The Sonora Resort: The only way in and out is by water taxi up Campbell's River, seaplane or a thrilling 50-minute helicopter ride from Vancouver.

At the confluence of two streams, one glacial green, the other silver grey, it's salmon carnage

The fish, returned from the waters of the Pacific to spawn, then die, have done their part for the life cycle.

Shining carcasses, chewed by hungry grizzly bears, sit in the water, among the grey stones and wrapped over felled logs as the strong currents wash over.

Grizzly bear watching.

Grizzly bear watching.Credit: Wynne Powell

The salmon skin, the fattiest part, has been stripped, heads yanked off, flesh hanging, gills shredded, bones poking out. Glaucous-winged gulls fight over the remains.

And as the sun's rays begin to light the valley floor golden it reveals a riverbed layered with salmon, some dead, some living.

Not from a lofty bear stand but from the other side of the riverbank a mere five metres away we watch a mother and her two cubs dig for salmon roe and squabble over the spoils.

The Sonora Resort.

The Sonora Resort.Credit: Darren Bernaerdt

To their left another splashes through the water, paws as big as dinner plates.

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With binoculars I can see the water dripping off her pelt. That is until she looks ups and eyeballs me. I lower my binoculars and look over my shoulder in a stationary "flight" manoeuvre.

It's week three of the salmon run and our guide Aaron Nagler says the bears are starting to get finicky as the choice of food becomes greater as the salmon come home to spawn here in the Orford River Valley and one of the reserve sites of the Homalco First Nation.

He says it's been a big year for chum, coho and pink salmon.

"It's all very haphazard. Only a small proportion will make it to adult life," Nagler says.

"Either way it's a one-way trip back from the ocean."

Death's inevitability is nicely juxtaposed with the finer things of life here at Sonora, a luxury wilderness resort that serves nature at close range alongside fine bottles of wine, goose-down duvets and one-on-one yoga.

What better way to ponder your own demise than looking over the dark swirling waters with a premium BC pinot noir or Salt Spring Island mussels?

Set on Sonora Island, part of the Discovery group in the Discovery Passage between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia, the only way in and out is by water taxi up Campbell River, seaplane or a thrilling 50-minute helicopter ride from Vancouver passing over log rafts tree-covered islets and landing with a final low-flying flourish.

The resort is isolated but far from being marooned I am, for a few days, ensconced in a neat lawn-manicured property of slate and maple floors, big picture windows that overlook the frigid waters, harbour seal heads occasionally bobbing up and down.

I take tea in the flower conservatory then later read local history from the library then move to beside a fire overlooking forests of ancient cedar, spruce and fir among serious twitchers, nature lovers and fisher folks, many repeat guests.

If you do need to escape human contact, there are hiking trails, in which you can pluck the the edible salmon, thimble and huckleberries along the way. Just remember your bear bells to warn the black bears of your presence.

At Sonora, guests, are coddled, just right, by myriad staff from the restaurant with Pacific north-west fare to the day spa to the dock, where today, in front of a six-strong fleet of Grady-White fishing boats guests are being kitted out.

Some are in waders about to set off for fly fishing, others, like me have been helped into immersion suits before boarding the Eagle Master, a most comfortable inflatable boat.

We slide along the water at speeds of up to 60 km/h, headsets hooked up to our guide's commentary.

Killer whales have passed through these waters already and instead we chase dolphins and find a pod of Pacific white-side dolphins slapping their tails in Thurston Bay. Pointing our nose against the current the dolphins dive around and around our boat.

They are as delightful as the stellar sea lions we pass on the way back to the resort are cranky. The colony grunts and shoves for their places in the sun. One male, bloodied and with chunks of flesh missing from a previous fight. gets prime position.

Back at the docks it's been a good day for the fishermen, a repeat guest grinning broadly after snaring his heaviest salmon yet. He has a photo with his catch before it's taken by staff to be cleaned then canned for shipping home.

Later at dinner an enchanting guest from Jackson Hole leans over and asks, "So, where y'all from?"

She's seemingly gobsmacked that I've travelled so far.

But a grizzly close range? Now that's astounding.

GETTING THERE

Air Canada flies daily from Sydney with connections from all capital cities in Australia, see aircanada.com.

Helicopter from YVR South Terminal to Sonora Island via London Air Services, see londonair.ca.

STAYING THERE

Sonora Resort is open from May to mid-October. Rooms cost from $700 a night, twin share.

Eco adventure tour costs from $190 a per person for two hours; grizzly bear watching costs $550 a person for four hours.

WHILE YOU'RE THERE

Professional Gitzo tripods and Nikon and Canon long-range zoom lenses are free for guests to use during their stay.

The writer travelled courtesy of Destination British Columbia, the Canadian Tourism Commission and Sonora Resort.

FIVE MORE SONORA EXPERIENCES

Helicopter tour: See the mountains and glaciers of the area. Includes landing on a glacier for a picnic lunch (one hour to one day).

Helicopter fly fishing: Along the west coast at spots only accessible by chopper.

Swim with salmon: In a wetsuit with snorkel, join thousands of salmon as they return to the river.

Ocean kayaking: Guided trip around the island, includes lessons (four hours).

Birdwatching: From the resort twitchers can view blue herons, cormorants, Bonaparte's gulls, bald eagles, and kingfishers. Binoculars provided.

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