Canada - Wildlife!

Throughout the trip we saw many different types of wildlife - some big, some small, some welcome, some not so (can anyone tell me why mosquitoes exist?!). Much of it we couldn't identify or photograph, but here's a selection of what we did manage to snap!

We were amazed to see this deer and fawn on our kayaking trip - we were camped on such a small island! 

I never knew deer could swim either?! 

A pretty blurry bald eagle seen whilst kayaking... we saw loads of them but it's so hard to get a decent photo! 

Away from the coast we saw some bigger stuff! Unfortunately we didn't always get a snap in time!

Caribou live around jasper... we're pretty sure we saw some, but always very early in the dim light and by the road so you'll have to take our word for it!

Not the rarest of creatures (my parents are constantly plagued with deer eating their plants back home) but I couldn't believe how tame this chap in Jasper was. Sad really.

Before flying out we'd joked about being eaten bears and had numerous lectures on bear safety etc., but I was sceptical that we'd actually see one in the wild. However, on the way over to the Rockies, in Manning Provincial Park, we pulled over in a layby to make tea and this chap passed right in front of us!

A small black bear having an evening stroll 

As it was berry season (and bears love berries!) there were loads of path closures and restrictions in place in the Rockies. This sign near Lake Louise shows the legal requirement to travel in groups of 4!  

More warnings in Squamish....

Hard evidence in Squamish too... Note the blackberry diet! 

However the warnings turned out to be true! We saw this fella in the Smoke Bluffs Park, out for a morning stroll along our path as we walked in for an early climbing session (6am - the park is very busy during the day!).

He/she sat down and watched us for a bit, not acting aggressively in the slightest. In fact, he/she seemed very shy, trotting away as Ali took photos. A really beautiful creature.  

Big Grizzly!!! Thankfully we only saw these in captivity. They are much larger and supposedly more dangerous than the Black Bears. 

But most of the wildlife we saw was considerably smaller and sometimes cuter... (apart from the ones that broke into the car and munched away at our food!) 

Columbian Ground Squirrels were EVERYWHERE!

Feasting on seeds, crumbs and anything pic-nickers left behind.

Poser

This chap, who lives in the picnic area at Takakkaw Falls, was unbelievably tame - he'd clearly learnt that posing for photos leads to food! Despite the numerous signs telling people not to!

Super cute Least Chipmunk!...though suspiciously tiny...could one of these have been the muesli thief???

Stripey Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel.

And of course, mountains mean marmots! We saw loads around Lake O'Hara - but they were larger (and hairier) than any I've seen before. I love it's piggy little nose!