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.
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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 less
347liz10/01/2019 -
Unplug and enjoy beautiful northern Vancouver Island Our whole trip was wonderful. We were very excited about the kayak base camp trip we had signed up for and everything lived up to all our expectations and more. Our guides, Julian and Katie were such great people firstly and our trip was immeasurably more enjoyable because of their friendship, leadership, hard work, culinary skills and of course their exemplary knowledge of the outdoors, wildlife, ocean tides and kayaking skills. It was never a stressful time paddling or at camp. I would absolutely come back for another visit with Kingfisher. It was very well organized and all the pre-trip information and packing lists were great. Those large dry bags held much more than I thought they would so we could pack everything we wanted. We ended up not needing all of the warm weather clothes due to our fantastic weather and crazy warm sleeping bags Kingfisher provided. I WILL be back one day and I still cannot say enough about our guides Julian and Katie. I hope to see them again.read moreread less
H341PImarkd8/10/2021 -
Amazing Memories on Sea Otter Explorer The Sea Otter Explorer trip was an amazing adventure. We travelled with a group of friends, accompanied by our wonderful guides Jen and Connor. The weather was not the best but they took good care of us. God's Pocket is such a beautiful area and we enjoyed the sea otter sightings. We were also blessed with incredible sightings of a group of wolves on one of the islands. A true highlight!! Food was excellent (gluten-free catering) and the equipment provided was great (particularly liked the paddling jackets). Five-star from beginning to end including assistance from Wendy with administrative details.read moreread less
travelbuddies397/18/2022 -
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 less
Cherylnghbr7/26/2019 -
Whales and Wilderness Expedition I recently participated in the June 2019 whales and wilderness kayak expedition with Kingfisher in the Broughton Archipelago. I attended as a solo, It was a great group of people who all had a background of outdoor adventure experience.
Our guides Sam and Kyle knocked it out of the park with a perfect blend of kayak expedition know how, keeping things fun, wildlife, native and area knowledge and of course making great food. They accented each other wonderfully with Sam always keeping his head in the game and making great but tough decisions in terms of weather related itinerary changes that were educated, safe and sound. Kyle was always checking in with everyone and making sure all of our needs and wants were met with consideration and grace. The leave no trace camping ethics are important to me and for the first time I used the toilet unit which was a bit of luxe and felt responsible.
In terms of wildlife viewing I will bring binoculars in the future as I had a hard time viewing wildlife at the 100-200 metre distance. We saw Harbour Porpoises, Sea Lions, Seals, some smaller creatures near the shore and far in the distance blowing of Humpbacks.
From start to finish Kingfisher as a company was organized, professional and considerate to deal with, for example; asking each individual for food preferences. Having all the gear and kit saved me bringing everything myself.
Many thanks for a great trip.read moreread less
kezsherwood6/23/2019 -
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 loved, but this was so special.
Our trip was the last one of the season, but you wouldn't have known it. Our guides, Julian and Jess, were so friendly, personable, knowledgeable, hard working and good fun whilst always being conscious of the different skills, abilities, confidence levels and safety of the 6 members of the group.
The kayak combination of singles and doubles worked well for carrying all the food, equipment and personal belongings, but also allowed the group to swap and change between kayaks when we wanted to. The daily 3D Tetris challenge of repacking the boats was always done with good humour.
The tents, mats and sleeping bags were cosy and comfortable and all the food was plentiful, tasty and excellent - I never knew powdered hummus was a thing until this trip!!! Preparing such amazing food in such basic circumstances is a real skill.
Both Julian and Jess were very observant at spotting both land and sea-based wildlife - and we saw plenty: humpbacks, Dall's porpoises, Stellar sea lions - we had one keep us company for about 1/2 an hour one day, plus seals, deer and eagles to name but a few. The sheer joy of sitting on a rock at sunset watching and hearing whales in the Sound below us is something we'll never forget.
This is a trip which will live long and strong in our memories, but I really, really hope we get to go back and do another trip with them!read moreread less
347liz10/23/2019 -
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 less
Yvonne R.9/14/2019 -
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 …read moreread less
Elizabeth C.7/01/2021 -
AMAZING - MAGICAL - POWERFUL Adventure Myself and 5 friends just returned from an AMAZING 4-day base camp "Kayak with Whales" adventure. The adventure was sooo much more than kayaking with whales. We saw and heard lots of different marine and wild life (Orca and Humpback whales, Sea Lions, Seals, Eagles, Porpoises, Otters, Bear). and went for a special hike in the forest.
The Kingfisher team did a FANTASTIC job in hosting the trip right from initial contact to the very end of the trip. The trip was very organized and well planned. No detail has been left out…they have it all covered!
Strict COVID protocol was followed and we felt COVID safe at all times. At no time did anyone feel unsafe on the water or on land.
Meals prepared by Chef Julien were delicious and plenty to eat at all times.
Our professional and passionate guides Audrey and Dom were the best! They were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and added lots of fun, laughter and adventure to our trip.
All together the adventure was a truly magical and powerful experience.
I highly recommend going on a Kingfisher Wilderness adventure. I am planning on going on another one!read moreread less
parm08/16/2020 -
Kayaking Haida Gwaii with the best Everything about our trip with Kingfisher was exceptional:
- planning and communication around COVID-19
- kayaks and the equipment provided was all excellent in new or near new condition. Great tents, thermarest sleeping pads and warm thermarest sleeping bags
- lots of nice extras like thermarest seat cushions for the kayaks and beach chairs
- delicious food including inventive appetizers pre-dinner and wonderful strong coffee ready as soon as we got up. They even baked a cake!
- incredible campsites with beautiful beaches
- awesome guides, Alyssa and Jen who kept the group safe, aware of the plan, our environment and created a upbeat atmosphere that made the trip so much fun
We were a couple that joined 2 singles and another couple. The group was fun, interesting and witty -lots of laughs and it felt like we’d always known them.
We would strongly recommend Kingfisher Wilderness adventures. We’ll be booking another trip with them.read moreread less
DKMBC8/24/2021