Bald Eagles of Stuart Island

Nanook Lodge on Stuart Island is located in an unusual and special location. Situated at the mouth of the Bute Inlet the waters get channels between the mainland and our island. This creates massive tide changes - up to 14 feet. The depth of the waters and rockiness of the sea bed creates ocean rapids that attract Bald Eagles like no other location in the area. 

The phenomenon of the rapids creating exhilaratingly turbulent waters forces hake and herring to the surface with provide an easy harvest for the hungry eagles. 

You can see the fish on the surface of the water and when you do the eagles fly. En masse. It’s challenging to choose which eagle or eagles to focus on in order to capture the sheer quantity and majest of these raptors in action.

Our experienced guides will position the zodiac in the best possible position to allow for maximum photographic opportunities. Prepare to have your breath taken away by this amazing event which happens daily.

Eco-tourism and Bears

Experience the thrill of exploring our inlets, coves, and miles of shoreline that offer up an eco-tour that is special. All our tours are by zodiac and fishing boats with professional guides at the helm. Having these experts on board allows  you to simply soak in the magnificent that is Bute Inlet and our islands. When the eagles are not flying we adventure out and discover were the bears are. They normall like to forage on the shoreline at low tide for clams, mussels and other foods while they wait for the arrival of the berries and salmon spawning season.

We have both black bears and grizzly bears in the region, with the mainland being just 400 ft from our own island there are plenty of chances to find bears. 

Touring with a zodiac allows us to be as us intrusive on their habitat as we can possibly be. You will also find opportunities while out on the water to view all kinds of shore birds, ducks, herons, kingfishers and more.

Whales, Dolphins and Pinnipeds

We are in the middle of the home for Orca, Humpback whales, Minke Whales, Pacific White sided Dolphins and Dalls Porpoises.

Imagine sitting on our deck enjoying dinner on our deck and seeing whales passing by, or breaching right off shore. Or seeing a fast moving pod of Pacific white sided dolphins playing in the wake of the boat. Both dolphins and porpoise love to race in a boat‘s wake and display their incredible speed and playfulness. These are rich feeding grounds.

Fishing

Historically Nanook Lodge is a fishing lodge. Sam and his father Larry have many years of fishing experience and knowledge of the waters around Stuart Island and the Bute Inlet and are top rated guides. We offer daily opportunities to take advantage of our fishing expertise. This chance to fish for salmon and lingcod is a part of our wildlife photography tour package.

Dining Experience

Our ability to provide fresh fish and shellfish to our table is part of what makes us a stand out experience. Chef Rose has been with Nanook Lodge for many years and has a Nanook Lodge recipe book that we all envy. She serves up delicious local fare that will make your mouth water.

Part of your photo tour experience includes daily sampling of what our waters have to offer. One of our specialties is our Dungeness crab dinners, you will unlikely have ever tasted crab fresher than ours.

We provide you 3 meals a day with a continental style breakfast before heading out on the water.  We provide snacks and water for your sessions on the water. When you return to the lodge at lunch time a delicious choice of sandwiches, soups and salads will e waiting for you.  Dinner is always good with our catch of the day, salads and very artfully presentation

Photography Tours

Our photo tours are unique in this area, and we are considered one of the leading providers of a wildlife photography experience. Sam, who is not only owner, is a highly experience eco-tour guide and fishing guide. He has been navigating the waters around Stuart Island since a small child with his father Larry and his sister.

We are building this part of our business up at an ever increasing rate. Tours book out fast and one of our major feature attractions is the Bald Eagle experience. View a sample of our basic package, which can be customized to suit your travel and time needs.