The spectacular sight of hundreds upon hundreds of bald eagles descending on local waterways to feed on salmon will soon return to the Government Road Eagle Viewing Dike - and this year, eagle count numbers are expected to surpass disappointing numbers of the past.
"It is a totally amazing sight," said Bruce Matthews, a co-ordinator for the Eaglewatch Volunteer Interpreter Program. "This year, we've had a really good pink run, Coho run and a good chum run, so this is the first time in three years that we're going to have good eagle numbers."
Typically, upwards of 7,000 visitors could also be seen at the Eagle Viewing Dike across from the Easter Seal Camp over the most intense two-month period of eagle activity. However despite the anticipated increase in eagles, Matthews fears visitor numbers could be significantly lower than the past because of curtailed marketing options.
He said VANOC and the Ministry of Transportation, would not allow the non-profit organization to hang an eagle-themed banner over Highway 99 for the month of January to inform travellers of the spectacular sight.
"It doesn't make any sense that they have the right to say that there can't be any banners along the side of the road," he said. "It's not an advertising banner. It says 'The eagles have arrived,' December to January."
Matthews has not been given a reason why the banner can't fly, but he believes it could greatly hinder the amount of tourists who stop in town for the day.
"If I had a reason, it would make that bitter pill a lot sweeter but there is no rational."
Despite the setback, Matthews is encouraging those interested in providing visitors with information on eagles and helping them view the raptors through scopes to join in on a training session Saturday (Nov. 28) from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Adventure Centre.
The session helps locals educate visitors about the eagles' place in the fragile ecosystem, and spread the word that the annual eagle descent makes Brackendale a world gem.
"We have one of the largest congregations of feeding bald eagles in the world," said Matthews.
And the high-powered precision scopes give visitors an up-close and personal look at the birds, in a way never seen before.
"We hear lots of people from Squamish say 'Oh, I've seen the eagles a thousand times,' but come and look through our Olivon scopes. You can almost see down the eagle's nostril."
Eager eagle watchers can visit the dike every Saturday and Sunday during the months of December and January from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for up-to-date eagle information from eagle-viewing interpreters.
Volunteers are also available every day of the week from Dec. 26, 2009 to Jan.1 2010 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
In total, approximately 50 or so people volunteer to donate about nine hours of their time to the program to act as eagle-viewing interpreters. But with the hoped-for numbers of visitors expected to visit the site, more volunteers are always welcome.
"We have people who have based their whole holidays on seeing the eagles," Matthews said.
Schools and community groups wishing to arrange an eagle viewing tour can contact Matthews at 604-898-1130.
