Kayaking Johnstone Strait and
The Broughton Archipelago
KAYAKING JOHNSTONE STRAIT AND THE BROUGHTON ARCHIPELAGO
Johnstone Strait and the Broughton Archipelago off the northeastern corner of Vancouver Island are world renowned for protected kayaking routes with some of the best wildlife viewing imaginable. Lonely Planet ranked kayaking Johnstone Strait to view whales as their #2 of 10 Amazing Canadian Adventures.
This area is recognized as one of the most predictable places in the world to see both both killer whales, also called orcas, and humpback whales. Kingfisher offers both base camp and expedition style kayak tours ranging from four to six days for the adventurous traveller. No previous kayaking experience is necessary.
Kayak Tours of Johnstone Strait and The Broughton Archipelago
Base Camp Kayaking 4 days / 3 nights
Imagine waking one morning to the sound of a humpback whale’s blow as it swims past your ocean-side tent. Later that same day watch in awe as a pod of killer whales, also known as orcas, swim past your kayak as a bald eagle swoops down to catch a salmon.
Base Camp Kayaking 4 days / 3 nights
Seeing a humpback whale lunging through a school of bait fish, a grizzly bear chasing a salmon through a shallow river, or a pod of killer whales surfacing in unison are often considered once in a lifetime experiences and all three are possible on this tour.
Base Camp Kayaking 4 days / 3 nights
Searching under rocks for crabs, watching humpback whales feed on a school of small fish, or being surprised as a harbour seal pops up right next to their kayak are all memories children cherish for a lifetime. This kayak tour is designed for families with children aged six to fourteen.
Expedition Kayaking
6 days / 5 nights
Imagine kayaking along narrow passages lined with clam beaches, as we kayak around a corner a black bear is seen flipping rocks in the morning sun looking for a tasty morsel. Later that afternoon as we kayak toward a new campsite we watch a pod of orcas foraging for salmon.
Base Camp Kayaking
Expedition Kayaking
We offer two types of tours for those wanting to organize a private tour for their own group of family, friends, colleagues, or paddling club.
- Amazing! I am well traveled and done many different types of adventures and trips. I have only wrote one review on trip advisor before and that was giving a 5/5 rating cage shark diving with Great Whites in New Zealand. This trip deserves my 2nd 5/5 review! It was incredible!! Great mix of kayaking, island time, solitude, games, nature, etc. I did the 4 day/3 night base camp trip with my brother. All the guides were great with a special shutout to Fin! Very knowledgeable, personable, patient, and passionate about his job. When he spoke people listened. A kind of guy you want to grab a pint with sometime and maybe watch the Habs beat up on the Canucks !! We seen it all (both from our kayaks and from the many view points at camp)... a couple pods of orcas, sea lions swimming close to us, porpoises, humpbacks , eagles catching fish... and the list goes on and on. This trip is so much more than that though!! Nature is incredible and much more fun and cheaper than therapy. This trip is one I’ll remember forever!! No photos needed, just go see for yourself!! A+read moreread lessBrent A.8/03/2019
- Wow, just wow! We did the 6 day Whales and Wilderness Explorer trip very near the end of a 7 week long trip to Canada. We expected to like and enjoy the trip, but we didn't expect to be absolutely blown away by it! We had done lots of other outdoor adventures during our trip, all of which we'd …read moreread less347liz10/01/2019
- Kingfisher Whales and Grizzlies four-day excursion a smash hit! I recently experienced this kayaking adventure with nine pals. We unanimously agreed that the experience simply could not have been better. We were graced with good weather and abundant marine and wildlife viewings. From a full breach by a Humpback whale, to a clear sighting of an Orca's dorsal fin from the middle of Blackfish Sound, to seals, sea lions, the fattest bald eagles on earth, swimming deer, and countless species of marine creatures and plants, our cups were absolutely full. Our three guides, Cam, Zach, and Megan (ph.) were all incredibly knowledgeable and skilled. They quickly assessed our capabilities as kayakers and designed our kayaking adventures to perfectly suit us. The food was excellent, the permanent platform-based tents were super comfortable. Nothing was left to chance, and yet we were able to take advantage of opportunities as they presented. I can highly recommend this kayaking adventure - it will be a wilderness highlight for life!read moreread lessSandra J.7/25/2019
- The West Coast at its BEST! We did a four-day base camp with whales tour in September 2020. I have been on many kayaking trips all over Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii but this trip is a highlight. I have never seen so much marine life in one area - humpbacks, orcas, sea lions, porpoise, dolphins, seals, eagles, herons, ravens.
Our group has done expedition trips in the past but loved the base camp experience -- a level of comfort that let us enjoy the kayaking even more.
The area in which we did our paddling provided excellent variety. A perfect mix of days.read moreread lessJohn G.9/23/2020 - Whales and Grizzly Bears Kayak Tour - Base Camp We just returned from Kingfisher's Whales and Grizzlies adventure and it was amazing! From the orientation session provided the evening before the trip, to the final drop-off of our gear back in Port McNeill, everything was exceptional. Our guides, Cam, Megan and Zach were friendly, fun and professional. They shared their knowledge of the marine life that is so abundant in that area and their respect for the environment was heartwarming. They were also excellent chefs and all had a great sense of humour. We saw dolphins and porpoises, orcas and humpbacks, seals and sea lions, eagles, mink and many marine birds. The accommodation was very comfortable and the setting was beautiful. I don't think any of us wanted to go home - we would have been happy there for many more days of kayaking and exploring.read moreread lessCherylnghbr7/26/2019
- Two sea kayaking trips I have never sea kayaked before but did two back to back with them in August - one base camp and one wild camping. All the equipment was first class and the tour guides/leaders were excellent giving someone who was very nervous the confidence to happily paddle a single kayak even when the water was choppy. Photos is short supply as wildlife not learnt the art of posing but lying in your tent at night either listening to the humpback whales or wolves in the distance is a never to be forgotten experience. Saw so much and learnt so much from the knowledgeable guides made it a holiday I will always remember.read moreread lessYvonne R.9/14/2019
- Outstanding company with focus on safety and enjoyment - loved it We nearly booked a tour with another company but so glad we went with Kingfisher. We also booked our accommodation (Black bear resort) and the separate grizzly tour through Kingfisher and more than happy with both of those. Kingfisher is very professional, extremely well organised and very respectful of the wildlife. We also felt very safe and comfortable at all times. My husband and I (both late 50s) are regular kayakers at home but this was a very special experience in a beautiful area. The wildlife is everywhere (seals, sea lions, dolphins, eagles and even a mink spotted one time) although whales are mostly some distance from the kayaks. That did not worry me. I loved just being in their territory and seeing and hearing them surface. The seals and sea lions are beautiful to watch in the water and they often followed us. We had a small humpback surface briefly and unexpectedly very close to us and I still cannot believe that happened. All the equipment was great including the camp setup. The kayaking is fairly leisurely but I was pleased at how much we did over the four days We were lucky to be in a wonderful group of people and have three terrific guides - Sabina, Cam and Tess thank you for all your hard work and great cooking. We had a month in Canada but this was definitely the highlight.read moreread lessNewcastleKiwigirl10/06/2018
- Base Camp Kayak With Whales and Grizzly Bears My husband and I participated in a 4-day-3-night base camp Whale and Grizzly Bear trip with Kingfisher and we had an AMAZING time! We are both scientists and have gone on lots of cool outdoor adventures, but this trip was exceptional. We saw so much wildlife that we could hardly believe it; humpbacks, orca (both transient and resident), Dall's porpoise, pacific white-sided dolphin, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, grizzly bears, and black bears to name the highlights. Our guides, Allie and Tessa, were very friendly and knowledgeable. The food was EXCELLENT and there was plenty of it. The tents and beds were cozy and a hot water bottle was offered for those who wanted to warm up their sleeping bag (although the sleeping bags were plenty warm themselves). The kayaks were sturdy and in great shape and all of the equipment was well maintained. We woke up to the sounds of feeding humpback whales right outside our tent each morning and we watched them feed in the straight as the sun set each evening (all from camp). Overall, it was an amazing trip that we will never forget and we highly recommend it anyone interested in a wonderful wildlife adventure!read moreread lessKreaver9/18/2019
- Best way to experience Vancouver Island's wild west coast My husband and I just returned from our second trip with Kingfisher - an expedition trip in the Nutchatlitz area: Kayaking with Sea Otters. It was even more fabulous than our first base camp trip in the Broughton Archipelago. We saw sea otters every day, tons of eagles and even a curious mink at one of our campsites. Our guides, Carter and Julien, were great - looked after our safety, regaled us with stories, jokes and a poem, and somehow managed to whip up amazing fresh meals and snacks from what we carried in our kayaks. Carter even baked a cake on our third day! They shared their knowledge of the area and the wildlife and helped us improve our kayaking techniques. Every day brought a new adventure: kayaking into the mouth of a cave to inspect a waterfall, a group of sea otters putting on a show off the beach where we were enjoying "happy hour" appies and wine, and paddling in the ocean swells . We're seniors (69 & 72) and we'd highly recommend Kingfisher for anyone of any age who is reasonably fit.read moreread lessJ4569IWelizabethc7/31/2021
- What a trip Wonderfull Kayak trip around basecamp.
On our 1st day we already saw orcas and humpback whales from basecamp, sitting whit a beer watching the sun go down
We kayaked every day and met whales and sealions.
Last day they picked us early, and we went on a bear watching tour we saw grizzly and black bears
Sleeping in a tent where you can here the whales breath at night when the are passing,Wonderful
Great guides, they make the best breakfast ,lunch and diner!
Its a must do when you visit Vancouver island!read moreread lessIvar197010/24/2018