Whales and Grizzly Bears Base Camp Kayaking a wonderful experience. I feel very privileged to have been able to stay in such a unique location, teeming with wildlife. Highly recommend the Sea Otter safari add-on too. It is the often the same wildlife, but it's a very different experience for wildlife and viewer from all 3 watercraft types. Guides & facilities excellent. Recommend staying in the Black Bear too, at both ends of the kayaking trip.

Exceptional- the trip of a lifetime. We had the best time with Kingfisher. They made the trip approachable and we felt very prepared. We had never done anything like this before and were understandably a bit nervous, but the team made it easy and fun. I highly recommend it.

I was intimidated by the amount of kayaking having a pretty casual background in it but it was not an issue. The campsites and locations were beautiful and we saw all kind of amazing wildlife. The guides were incredible.

I cannot recommend this enough.

Tausend Dank an Kelsie und das Team für die tolle Tour, die wir in den letzten 4 Tagen hatten. Ganz viel erlebt, viele Tierbeobachtungen, tolles Essen, super Betreuung und Anleitung, und dann auch noch sehr gutes Wetter - wenn wir nicht so eine weite Anreise aus Berlin hätten, würden wir immer wieder mit den Kingfishers fahren.

Fantastic kayak tour This kayak camp exceeded all expectations. The guides were so professional, knew the area, and always kept an eye on the changing weather patterns, so I felt completely safe on the water. They adjusted plans and worked with the capacity of our group. The tents at base camp were dry and comfortable - And the food was so amazing !! I was in BC for 2 months and this week was the highlight of my holiday.

Wet Coast Wonderland Interesting to read the other recent reviews of Kingfisher. My husband and I were not aware of Kingfisher Expeditions, but were lucky enough to be invited on a 6-day kayak trip north of the God's Pocket area this July 2022 with friends, when a couple had to drop out of the trip. We have only done a handful of guided kayak trips over the years, so did not know what to expect. But Kingfisher was pretty amazing, I have to say! But let me qualify that.....if you actually want to be paddling for a good portion of the day, like the wilderness camping experience and want a true west coast experience with lots of wildlife...then this is the company for you. Although, I do see that Kingfisher offers a variety of types of trips.

I would have preferred to paddle my own Cosma, but I understand the need to be in the company's boats, as they know the volume and can fit all the shared gear and food in them. Happy the boats were Seawards as we love them!! As we are experienced backpackers and mountaineers, I choose to bring my own sleeping pad, sleeping bag, tarp and PFD and was happy I did. I am older and fussier about my comfort and know what works for me. The guides were fine with that after checking out our gear, BTW :) The tents provided were spacious and paddling jackets the best. I swear our jackets did not let in a single drop of the wet coast weather! Kudos on the choice of paddling jackets.

Our guides Jen and Connor, were supremely competent, kept us well informed and in the loop on plans and were just plain fun to boot. We could not have asked for better guides and "paddling buddies". Some of the weather conditions were challenging, but our group was quite experienced and game and tackled what the elements threw at us. However a planned crossing from Nigei to Vancouver Island was too much. Try as we did, between wind, waves and current, it was not going to happen, but luckily Jen and Connor had a backup plan to return to a orevious campsite to wait for better weather the next day....which did come! We were in good hands with local knowledge. And man do those two have a lot of energy to manage a group on and off the water, cook, clean up, etc., etc....!! They do a tremendous job and I cannot compliment them enough.

The multiple wolf sightings were truly amazing, as were the many eagles, sea otters, superb blooms of jelly fish, ochre stars, anemonies, and other underwater life we could see from the surface or along the coast lines. It is truly a blessing to be able to experience a somewhat intact environment so close to home. The food was amazing and we are now addicted to the Tate's gluten free cookies (even though we are not sensitive to gluten)!!

Kingfisher is an excellent guiding company for the active adventurer. I must admit I could go for a slower paced kayaking trip as those National Geographic's I brought along are still unread!! So I hope we can return again, as there are so many places left to explore on the north island.

Fabulous Kayaking Hanson Island and Johnstone Strait Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures is the best. My wife and I did the 4-day Base Camp Whale and Bear Adventure. The base camp accommodations with the tent cabins were super comfortable and located on a strategic point where we could see so much just from camp. Brenda and Ben, our guides, were kind, fabulous and shared SO much valuable information about the water, sealife and animal life in and around the Johnston Strait are we were immersed in. We woke up every morning to laughter, hot coffee and breakfast. Our days were filled with great kayaking and animal sightings. We saw everything we were hoping to see during our trip and more - dolphins, sea lions, bears (mama and cub), orcas, humpbacks, sea otters, eagles, and a lot of underwater life. I would recommend these guys to anybody without hesitation.

Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures is the best. My wife and I did the 4-day Base Camp Whale and Bear Adventure. The base camp accommodations with the tent cabins were super comfortable and located on a strategic point where we could see so much just from camp. Brenda and Ben, our guides, were kind, fabulous and shared SO much valuable information about the water, sea and animal life we were immersed in. We woke up every morning to laughter, hot coffee and breakfast. Our days were filled with great kayaking and animal sightings. We saw everything we were hop[ing to see and more - dolphins, sea lions, bears (mama and cub), orcas, humpbacks, sea otters, eagles, and a lot of underwater life. I would recommend these guys to anybody without hesitation.

Incredible experience and trip! Wow! This was such an amazing trip. Our guides, Liz and Renee, were so incredible. They were welcoming, funny, knowledgeable, and great cooks. I learned a lot about marine wildlife and how to kayak better (I had some prior experience but not a ton). Renee prepared a detailed kayaking plan each day that felt safe, the right amount of exercise, and ensured we saw some cool nature.

The base camp was great, beds were comfortable, tents were nice, and the food was delicious. The camp is situated right between the Orca/Humpback “highway” so we sat and watched whales all evening after finishing kayaking and could hear them breathing all night long. Truly magical.

The kayaking was fun, safe, and we saw some amazing wildlife from the kayaks, the boat tour, and camp. My guess is 100 orcas, 50 humpbacks, hundreds of porpoises, 3 grizzlies, some otters, + tons of seals, sea lions, and eagles! We also lucked out with a really fun tour group that loved playing games and hanging out together! I would love to go again at some point!

Kingfisher Whales and Grizzlies trip September 13-16, 2025. As folks who have explored and appreciated many areas of the West Coast on land and by kayak for many years, we had high expectations for this trip, and every one of them was met.

The staff on the phone was welcoming and responsive. The pre-trip information was incredibly detailed – right down to ‘packing for a person who is always cold’ versus ‘packing for a person who runs warm’ videos! If you follow their guidelines, you will
arrive prepared for your adventure.

The gear provided was top-notch – dry bag systems for personal gear and bedding; paddling jackets for on the water to keep your personal rain gear dry at camp. Guests had the option of single or double kayaks. Camp on Hanson Island is glamping, to be sure – thick Therm-a-rests and cozy three-season sleeping bags with extra fuzzy blankets ensured everyone was comfortable. Most tents face the ocean, and we awoke each day to either humpbacks or Steller sea lions passing in front of our tent. As someone with food requirements, this was done seamlessly and without fuss. The meals and snacks were exceptional, varied, and devoured. We showed our appreciation by enthusiastically joining in the dishes routine for each meal.

From a wildlife perspective, it felt like we saw everything - transient and northern resident orcas, humpbacks, Dall's porpoise and harbour porpoise, Steller sea lions and harbour seals, grizzlies and black bear. We took time to explore the intertidal zone and talk about the importance of the many creatures that call this area home. During meal prep, the guides would call from the outdoor kitchen, 'whale', having heard a blow while preparing our meal, so guests could head to the beach for viewing.

But what made the trip just extra were the guides, Brenda and Babs. From ensuring everyone had the skills to safely launch and land, navigating changing weather conditions, to monitoring hydration and preparing meals, these women did it ALL with calm, grace, and good humour. We were a diverse group of nine guests – couples and singles, a 30-year age span, and different paddling backgrounds.

After our first afternoon exploration, Brenda and Babs facilitated an open and thoughtful conversation about what went well and what everyone thought they needed to feel good about a longer day on the water for the following days. Together, they navigated different needs respectfully and with tact, encouraging us to consider different paddling arrangements and sharing experiences from past trips. They were honest, kind, and encouraging. Brenda’s experience with group development and leadership ensured we got on track with a shared plan that was safe and successful for everyone. Babs generously shared her knowledge and experience as a volunteer with Orcalab and the work done there. Not only did they share what we saw, they also encouraged us to just take it all in and feel how amazing this environment truly is. Our group wrapped it up with a pub dinner back in town after the trip. Many laughs were shared, and Kingfisher’s owner, Andrew, popped in to say hello.

We came to Kingfisher through their generous donation of a gift certificate to the Marine Education and Research Society. Funds raised through their donation help support MERS work. In turn, the opportunity to come to the North Island in September resulted in our annual travel dollars – the balance of our paddling trips costs, hotel stays, restaurant meals, coffee and bakery stops, gas and groceries – all being spent at North Island retailers. Their excellent paddling offering, combined with their support of not only MERS, but also their North Island home and neighbours, is what would keep us coming back and 100% recommend others looking for a paddling adventure to choose to spend their time and pennies with Kingfisher.

Best food we had on the base camp tour ever, not even hotels can match this taste an quality. Besides that, the guides where awesome and always managed based on weather conditions a wonderfull paddeling tour each and every day through the stonishing landscape of hudson isalnd. Defently a recommendaiton