Wild Encounters

Guides have many opportunities to interact with wildlife. For most participants on our trips seeing a bear, or whale is a once in a lifetime experience, for us it is a part of our lifestyle and work.

I remember the first wolf encounter I had. As a child I took a special interest in wolves and had studied them in depth. I was on a kayak trip on the Central Coast of BC a friend. We had a long day of paddling, so far most of our camping was in the bush; I really love being on open sandy beaches, so when we entered this archipelago of wind swept "west coast" beaches I knew we had arrived. We found this great little island, the water turquoise, shallow, sheltered, and the sand soft on our bare feet. We set up our tent in the sand facing towards the water and then set off to gather firewood, which for me is just a good excuse to explore.

The beach was covered in wolf tracks. Its footprints were the size of the palm of my hand. I went off following the tracks, immersing myself into the wolf's life and movements. I was really excited to perhaps have my first opportunity to see a wolf, though the chances seemed to fade as night came and we would leave the following morning.

The next morning, thinking of the wolf, I woke up around 5:30am, opened the tent door and scanned the beach, no wolf. I fell back asleep when I suddenly awoke again; I looked at my watch, 6:20am. Again lying on my stomach, warm inside my sleeping bag I opened the tent door and poked my head out into the damp salty air. Sauntering around the headland from the beach to the west, which is usually impassible except at very low tides, were two wolves, shoulder to shoulder. One was smaller, probably a female, the other quite large, both were the colour of the sand, beige with flecks of black, white and grey, beautiful.

I whispered to my friend to wake up, the excitement in my voice, or perhaps our yellow and purple tent, brought our presence to the attention of the wolves. The female turned and trotted into the forest, but the male made his way cautiously towards us. I felt vulnerable being on my stomach in my sleeping bag, but at the same time safe, sure that he would do no harm. I could feel the wolf's vulnerability too. He was unsure of these strangers on the beach, but it was his routine and stranger or no stranger he was going to walk the beach! With apprehension in his stride, his head bobbing and his nose in the air picking up our sent, he walked over to us. I said "good morning" to him. He took the cue and lay down in the sand in front of our tent, about 40 feet away.

From here proceed a conversation between the wolf and I. He said, in the way canines do, "good morning" back, though it sounded more like, "Rrr rr," in soft doggy tones. And so the conversation went, I would speak and he would respond each time. I thanked him for letting us stay on his island, and then he said something to me. I told him not to worry we would be leaving this morning, again he responded. I told him how handsome he was, and truly he was one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen! When we were finished speaking he put his head on his paws and watched us for a brief moment. Then with a shake and a growl that was more like a moan, he stood up, bid us farewell and went into the forest to find his partner.

Communicating with this wolf was a magical experience, and he taught me many things. To this day I still reflect on this and learn new lessons. I learnt that humans and the wildest of creatures can dwell in harmony and share this land in a respectful, non-violent, and compassionate way, at home and in the wild. Though we spoke different languages we understood each other, that we were both vulnerable, both safe, and both curious. I take this experience into every encounter I now have with wildlife.

As guides and educators we need to be aware of how our presence and wildlife viewing effects each individual animal, because like us they are individuals. We need the wisdom to know where, when, and how often to visit these animals and wilderness areas, and most importantly know when to leave. We need to educate the people we guide that the areas we camp and travel through are "home" to a great number of creatures. As "visitors" we are temporarily sharing the wilderness with the birds, the bears, the wolves, the Orcas, the starfish, the seals, ect... and because it is their home, we need to act like responsible guests and be respectful.

As leaders we need to be aware of our motivations, whether it is to see the animal for ourselves, 'deliver' for the clients, get closer for a picture, or even for research purposes. I believe the value of respect must be foremost in any interaction. It is this value of respect that goes beyond wildlife viewing policies and measured distances of how far away you should be. Sometimes the distance set in policy is still too close and we need to let the animal(s) be, other times they may choose to come closer. When there is respect you will always find yourself at the right distance.

Nature can sense this respect and in turn you may experience a one in a lifetime opportunity to connect with a magnificent creature, and maybe even strike up a conversation. This experience is much more fulfilling than one that is forced.

Jen McGuinness

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