'Bear' With Me On This

At the end of Highway 4 on the Western coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia lies a coastline littered with tiny inlets, islands and coves and a treasure trove of fauna and undisturbed rainforest. The end of this road marks the beggining of the wild, with no further roads besides the one you came on.

The area, called 'Clayoquot Sound' has been inhabited by First Nation people for thousands of years. The name of the region comes from the 'Tla-o-qui-aht' who are believed to be the first settlers of the region with the main town of the region 'Tofino' being located within the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation's territory.

According to the Tla-o-qui-aht, the lands and waters of Clayoquat Sound are treated as ancestral gardens which have been carefully nurtured and mantained for millenia. There is a delicate balance maintained here between Man and Nature, one that the Tla-o-qui-aht continue to perpetuate together with tourists as the region has become more developed. Through the use of eco-tourism, First Nation people are able to maintain local traditions as well as allow tourists to see the beauty of their territory.

In the past, whale hunting villages such as '?iičaačišt' located across the water from Tofino practised sustainable hunting in order to help individuals gain rank as well as to provide food for the village in a very similar practice to the current Lamalera populations of Indonesia.

Taking a small boat ride from Tofino, through the intricate maze of islands and coves where only the wind and the occasional harbour seal face disturbs the surface of the water, I kept my eyes peeled for the coveted Black Bears. These species of bear, find most of their food in the forest foraging berries or hunting salmon in the rivers, however a small portion of their diet is derived from shellfish. Here on the beaches, Black Bears topple boulders in the search for Red Rock Crabs or dig on the beach for clams.

Black Bear I

Black Bear II

The learned behaviour is picked up by bear cubs as they mature although most will not be strong enough to lift certain rocks until they are at least a year old.

The coast of Vancouver island has a highly changable tidal, with the waters falling up to 1.5 metres. This drastic change in sea level means that clams and mussels are able to reach enourmous sizes due to the constantly changing mineral content experienced by the changing tide. It also means that the times at which the bears can access the beach are limited and so bear cubs must also learn the optimal time to venture down to the water.

Mother & Cub I

Mother & Cub II

The region is also home to many other incredible species, such as Seals, Sea Lions, Killer Whales, Grey Whales, Wolves and Bald Eagles. However in recent years due to government legislations, deforesting has become a huge endangerment to many of these species, and lies in direct opposition to the ways of life practised by many First Nation People living in Canada.

Bald Eagle I

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