Coastal Sea Wolves: Becoming Part of the Pack | Guest Post by Paul Nicklen

This is a guest post by WWSG thought leader, Paul Nicklen. All images are copyrighted. To purchase Paul’s work, visit his website.

“I woke up one morning thinking about wolves and realized that wolf packs function as families. Everyone has a role, and if you act within the parameters of your role, the whole pack succeeds, and when that falls apart, so does the pack.” –Jodi Picoult, American Author

Of all the wonderful gifts from nature, gaining the trust of a wild animal is one of the most rewarding. The process takes hours of small, deliberate movements followed by sitting in perfect silence, allowing wildlife to approach on their own terms. There is no guarantee your patience will pay off, but there is no greater joy than having an animal accept you into their world. Throughout my life, I have sat close enough to grizzlies to smell the salmon on their breath, stood within inches of curious polar bears, and have even been the designated chew toy of a playful young sperm whale. However, the one animal that has consistently tested the limits of my patience is the coastal wolf found only on the Pacific shores of North America.

Like most wolves, coastal or sea wolves are cautious by nature and incredibly shy. They spend most of their time hidden within the forests and small islands offshore, venturing out into the intertidal zone to forage on fish, crustaceans, and just about anything they can find. Smaller than their inland cousins and even more elusive, sea wolves can be incredibly difficult to photograph. After weeks of sitting in a blind on the rugged shores of B.C. without so much as a paw print or distant howl, the pressure of my deadline for National Geographic began to weigh on me. Finally, I decided to venture a little farther up the beach in hopes of having better luck, leaving my partner Cristina to watch over our hideout. 

By the time I returned empty-handed, I could tell Cristina was bursting with excitement, barely masked by an apologetic smile. Apparently, within an hour of me breaking one of my own rules and leaving the blind, a coastal wolf had appeared, followed by her entire litter of puppies. Of course, I was happy for Cristina, even as I was kicking myself for giving in to impatience. However, the fact that the family had emerged meant they no longer felt the need to avoid us, a promising sign. We packed it in for the night and, in the morning, rose with higher hopes as the sky grew pale with the dawn’s light. Sure enough, after a few hours of waiting in silence, she appeared – the mother wolf from the day before.

She emerged silent as a shadow at the forest’s edge and approached us. Her tawny eyes immediately locked onto mine, but her expression was calm. In her wake was the rest of the pack, including a small group of puppies barking and tumbling with each other in the grass. The family made their way to a small clearing across the river. Mom turned to look at us, almost as if to make sure we knew she could see us. After giving us a long appraising look, she visibly relaxed, evidently deciding her puppies were safe in our presence. It is one thing to gain the trust of a wild animal, but it is another thing entirely to be trusted by a mother and her pack. Cristina and I watched in quiet amazement as she gave us one last look before heading down the beach, leaving her pups in our care.

 

 

 

 

 

I have been around thousands of different animals, but that day was the first time I had ever been entrusted as a puppy-sitter by a wolf. The only thing that made the encounter even sweeter was sharing it with the person I love most. Cristina has an uncanny ability to make people feel welcome, a gift that evidently extends to wildlife. Part of me will always wonder if it was Cristina’s warmth that finally won the wolves over—perhaps even a shared connection between fellow mothers. In any case, the fact that I get to do what I love with my partner in life and on this conservation journey is the greatest gift of all. Since today is Cristina’s birthday, I wanted to ask if you would join me in celebrating and consider donating to SeaLegacy in her honour. It would mean the world to both of us.

They say the best things in life are made to be shared and it is a genuine treat to share these stories with you. Thank you for taking the time to read them.

With gratitude,