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. A positive first wilderness experience for a child can be the start of a life long passion for wildlife and wilderness.
Kids are born curious and are usually interested in all wildlife, large and small. The shore crabs hiding under rocks can be just as amazing to children as an orca or humpback whale. Nurturing a child’s natural curiosity and love of animals is a great way to teach kids about the environment, wildlife, and conservation. During a family kayak tour with Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures kids are continually learning through their experiences, though they may not realize they are learning when they are having fun. During a shared wilderness experience kids learn to interact with others and the world around them. The simple act of skipping stones, searching for crabs, walking through the forest, and sleeping in a tent allow them to not only connect with nature but to have experiences with their parents and siblings they will share for a lifetime.
Kingfisher’s Family Kayak With Whales base camp kayak tours are designed for families with children aged 6 to 14 and are a great way for the whole family to better appreciate wildlife and nature. Kingfisher does not simply add children to an existing “adult” trip as an afterthought. The family tours are specifically tailored to the pace and the sense of exploration of children, because if the kids aren’t happy, the parents aren’t happy.
The comforts of Kingfisher’s family base camp make the first, or even the tenth, wilderness experience a joy for both kids and parents alike. The camp is outfitted with roomy tents situated throughout the forest, each raised off the ground on wooden platforms. The tents provide standing room for most guests (1.9 metres tall) and are outfitted with wooden beds with the thickest and widest Therm-a-rest mattresses available. Sheets, fleece blankets, full-size pillows, warm barrel-style sleeping bags, and hot water bottles are all provided to ensure a good night’s sleep. A recharging station for digital cameras, an extensive library of natural history books, a safari style bucket shower, and a large covered kitchen and dining area made from locally milled red cedar make for a very comfortable camping experience.
A note from one of our guests
Our family just returned from 16 days in Canada and without a doubt this was the absolute highlight of our holiday. (I always knew it would be but had to convince the children about the camping aspect…)
From the moment we set foot on our island, the children were already enchanted and loved the whole set up, from the visiting teeny tiny creamy bellied squirrels that chittered and chattered all day around camp, to the soaring bald eagles above and more….
Where to start…??!
The most magical for me was waking each morning and falling asleep each night to the sound of a humpback exhaling…. Such a beautiful, and unforgettable sound.
Our camp was perfect. Great set up, very clean and beautiful tranquil setting. Set on one end of Hansen Island, all to ourselves!!!! Tents are great: clean, perfect size, each situated overlooking the sea, all close to one another, but not too close. Bed cots provided with mattresses – very comfortable. Extra blankets included. All perfect.
Camp kitchen also well set up. Food was really good. We particularly LOVED the homemade cherry cheesecake (thank you Jillian!), baked Brie and Salmon dinner. Also loved the homemade cookies. Lunches each day were really healthy, wholesome and delicious.
Views from camp were just stunning. We would run from one side to the other, each time we heard a whale exhaling…
Many lovely spots on the island to sit on a lichen covered rock and just watch the eagles above. Seals often bob their heads up down as they watch you on the rock. Grab a pair of binoculars and go lose an hour on those rocks.
The highlight was obviously the kayaking! To see seals, whales, porpoises etc from the kayak was just amazing! We had great weather and loved being out on the water all day. Water was not choppy at all. Great to get into a rhythm with the paddling. Very meditative! Kayaks were really good, equipped with everything needed, very stable. Wondered if the kids would get tired as we are all novices, but they loved it too. 2 person kayaks meant that even if the kids do get tired, we can just paddle and give them a rest. Our guide was really good and very knowledgeable and gave us a good useful briefing before heading out. Cooked great meals and was very respectful of all the beautiful wildlife around us.
It was truly amazing, would go back in a heartbeat, didn’t want to leave and can only highly recommend!