Custom designed experience at the world renowned Knight Inlet Lodge
Edward is teaming up with the world renowned Knight Inlet Lodge for an epic week of “Spring Bears in Focus” Grizzly Bear photography. Edward has guided groups and worked with film crews at Knight Inlet Lodge and area for over a decade. He brings an intimate knowledge of the area and resident bears together with his passion for photography to provide an unparalleled photography experience through the region. We’ll head out into the surrounding areas, maximizing tides, weather conditions, and recent sightings to give ourselves the best wildlife opportunities. As well, Knight Inlet Lodge is an exceptionally comfortable platform to launch from. We’ll access viewing areas primarily with several small boats ranging from custom 16ft skiffs to 30ft welded aluminum vessels. As well, the gregarious team at the lodge brings wonderful hospitality to our experience.
Trip Dates: May 31st to June 5th, 2027
Start/End Point: Campbell River, BC
CAD $9,210 per person + 5% GST (double occupancy)
CAD $12,375 per person + 5% GST (single occupancy)
Price includes: Accommodations in Campbell River on Day 1, Transportation to Floatplane dock, all meals (including group dinner on day 1) as per the itinerary, and return charter float plane flight between Campbell River and Knight Inlet Lodge.
This trip is limited to 10 travelers (there will be other guests at the lodge, but on different schedules and not joining our excursions).
A $500 CAD deposit due at time of booking with the final balance due 45 days before the trip start. Bookings for this adventure are directly through Knight Inlet Lodge and will adhere to their cancellation policy.
In 2026, Edward published the coffee table book “Where the Wild Grizzlies Wander”. The 160 page book is his dedication to the wildlife and wilderness of Knight Inlet. It summarizes the natural beauty, diverse wildlife, and iconic grizzly bears. Edward selected images for this book from a catalogue that spans over a decade of bear viewing and photography in Knight Inlet.
Key Trip Highlights:
30 plus years of bear viewing
Knight Inlet Lodge was one of the foundational bear viewing locales beginning in the 1990’s and has since welcomed tens of thousands of travelers to view grizzly bears and experience a slice of wilderness. The lodge underwent a massive transformation in 2013 and has had extensive upgrades to the facilities including renovated rooms, beds, and common spaces. Through a carefully managed and enforced “Bear Viewing Guidelines” the bears have, for generations, grazed, bred, and socialized with the bear viewing boats in view.
100% Indigenous Owned
The five partner First Nations who now own the Lodge – Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala, Mamalilikulla, Tlowitsis, Wei Wai Kum and K’ómoks – have been stewards of their traditional territories, including the region of Knight Inlet, for thousands of years. This ancient knowledge and experience is all now part of the Lodge experience, our conservation efforts, and our contribution to research and responsible environmental stewardship. The region is rich with cultural history and stands at the forefront of our experience here.
Dramatic Fjord
Sheer rock faces, snow capped mountains, staggering waterfalls, and emerald green glacial waters characterize Knight Inlet. We’ll spend time exploring the 120km long fjord and photographing some of the spectacular natural scenery.
About Edward Savage
I am a career naturalist, photographer, and author based on Vancouver Island, BC. I have been leading wildlife focused expeditions across Canada and internationally for nearly 20 years. I’ve been a certified bear viewing guide since 2013, and have held the highest level of guide for over a decade. The backbone of my experience is in the coastal temperate rainforest on the West Coast of North America in search of grizzly bears, black bears, and marine mammals. In 2025, I published “Wild Bears of Canada”, a book filled with stories, knowledge, and over 150 high quality images of black bears, grizzly bears, and polar bears.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive in Campbell River – We will all arrive in Campbell River the night before we fly to the lodge. The floatplane departs early the next morning and our hotel is only five minutes from the dock. We’ll have a group dinner in town.
Day 2 – We’ll transport to the floatplane dock and take a 30 minute flight over the Discovery Islands, past inlets and mountains, and finally descend into Glendale Cove, where Knight Inlet Lodge is located. Once on the lodge, we’ll have a short orientation and head out to look for bears right away. The rest of the day will remain flexible and Edward will decide what makes the most sense for us based on tides, weather, light, and updated wildlife sightings.
Days 3, 4, and 5
Now that we’re settled into our full days at Knight Inlet Lodge, our photo tour has special access and permission to depart early and return late, and Edward will determine the schedule as conditions and wildlife reports indicate. This amount of flexibility is reserved for our photo-tour only.
Early Morning Excursions: Typically departing between 0500 and 0530, we will spend 1 to 2 hours looking for bears. We’ll take advantage of changing light conditions as the sun rises.
Flexible activities & extended tour times: Edward will structure the morning and afternoon activities with maximum photo opportunities in mind. If bear activity is good, we’ll stay out longer. If bear activity is slow, or conditions too challenging, we’ll focus on something else and return to the search later. This photo tour is all about flowing with the movements of wildlife, light, and weather to get the most of our stay.
Evening Excursions: Sunset times will be between 2115 and 2130 and we’ll head out after dinner for 1-2 hours to maximize the golden light. Whether it’s a scenic cruise to catch the alpenglow on the 2000m (6500ft) tall peaks that flank the inlet, or returning to where a bear was sighted to capture it during golden-hour, we’ll take advantage of good weather.
Full Day Customized Bear & Marine Wildlife Tour: On one of these days, selected based on most favourable conditions, will be a full-day excursion with a larger vessel into lesser-traveled bear viewing areas with potential for big rewards. Several stretches of coastline, coves, passages, and bays nearby are known for the grizzly bears and black bears that frequent their shores and beaches. Additionally, Pacific White-Sided Dolphins, Harbour Porpoise, Sea Otters, Dall’s Porpoise, Orca, Humpback Whales, and other marine mammals may be sighted on our full day expedition. We’ll also visit areas known for their migratory birds with Harlequin Ducks, Marbled Murrelets, and Barrow’s Goldeneye nesting nearby.
Photography Lectures, Guidance, and Review: Edward will work hard to pass on his hard-earned lessons learnt from intensively photographing grizzly bears, polar bears, and black bears for over a decade. Additionally, throughout each day, he will make space to review your images and provide feedback (as much or as little as you’d like) and offer informal photo-editing demos.
Day 6 – Departure from Knight Inlet Lodge
The last morning at Knight Inlet Lodge is not only for farewells. We will have an optional early morning pre-breakfast departure in addition to a post-breakfast tour closer to the lodge. It’s not over until it’s over. After checking out from the lodge, we will depart Knight Inlet Lodge at 0930 and return to Campbell River via float-plane.
