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While searching for bears be sure to keep an eye out for River Otter which can also be found along the shore in similar habitat. These playful creatures are fun to watch if you can find them.
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Although mammals are
not as common as birds you can still see them every day
you are in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. In the sea
you will find whales, dolphin, porpoise, sea lions, and
seals. On land some commonly seen mammals are bear, deer,
river otter, and raccoon.
The most commonly
observed whales are Humpback Whale and Gray Whale. The
Gray Whales can be found in shallow muddy bays where they
feed by filtering the mud through their baleen during
their spring migration to the Bering Sea. Humpback Whales
are found in deeper water and are often seen alone or in
small groups. On our last trip we found a group of at
least 50 Humpbacks feeding along with thousands of sooty
shearwater. The whale pictured to the left came right up
to the boat and spent several minutes right next to us.
It is also possible to see Minke Whale and Orca. Orca are
unmistakeable but Minke Whale can be more difficult to
identify. Minke Whale look similar to Humpback but are
much smaller and do not have the large pectoral fins.
Other common marine mammals are
Harbor Seals, Pacific White-sided Dolphin,
and Dall's and Harbor
Porpoise. On both of my trips we encountered over 100
Pacific White-sided Dolphin moving together in what
seemed like an exuberant celebration of life. It was easy
to identify their field marks because they were leaping
out of the water so often. It is hard to imagine they
were jumping out of the water and tumbling through the
air for any reason other than the fun of it. Some of
these playful creatures came right up to the boat to bow
ride giving everyone a spectacular view. With a top speed
of 25 miles per hour they were gone as quickly as they
had come but they left us all smiling.
A large population of Steller
Sea Lions feeds on the abundant fish in
the area and can be found on their favorite haul out
rocks where large males defend their harem of females.
The males are much larger than the females and can weigh
over 2000 pounds and reach up to 11 feet in length. 
You can also see Black Bear
foraging on intertidal life at low tide. The Queen
Charlotte Black Bear subspecies is among the largest in
North America with larger jaws and teeth believed to help
them feed on hard-shelled invertebrates in the intertidal
zone. Bears are usually found where their food is
plentiful in valleys and creeks and along the shore at
low tide. In addition to feeding in the intertidal zone
they also eat plants and berries and many other types of
food. They depend heavily on salmon when the fish return
to their rivers to spawn in the late summer. 
One of the most commonly
observed terrestrial mammals is the Sitka Blacktail Deer.
This is the same species that is found on the mainland
but it is not native to these islands. It was introduced
in 1880's and has since drastically increased in numbers.
One of their favorite places to feed in Gwaii Haanas
National Park is in the abandoned Haida village sites. In
these places they can find grass which is not available
in the forest. The deer can be quite tame and if you sit
calmly and watch they may go about their daily activities
as though you were not there.