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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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 -
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 -
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 …
read moreread lessYvonne R.9/01/2019 -
Kingfisher Whales four-day Kayaking trip We went on Kingfisher's four day (3 night) kayaking trip off Port McNeil staying at a base camp on Hansen Island. We were a small group--four young German tourists and my husband and me (both of us over 60 Americans) plus the two (Canadian) guides. It was a wonderful experience. Both guides were extremely personable, knowledgeable, organized, gracious and all around competent. We observed minke and humpback whales, orcas, dolphins, porpoises, seals, mink and lots of underwater marine life. The platform tents at the base camp had extremely comfortable beds. We could hear the whales passing in the night as they blew. Clean linen and sleeping bags were provided. The guides prepared fresh meals, knew the territory and where to show us hidden gems. Highly recommended.
read moreread lessMarilyn M.7/31/2019 -
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 lesstravelbuddies397/18/2022 -
SO much wildlife, incredible food, and awesome people!!!!! We had such an awesome time on our trip. We had exceptional luck seeing wildlife, we saw humpback whales, orcas, porpoises, dolphins, sea lions, seals, and more!!! It was such a great time. The food was UNREAL and the accommodations were really nice. I feel as though we really did get our moneys worth. Our guides (Kelsey and Connor) were awesome, they cooked, they cleaned, and they put up with our groups obsession with finding orcas.
Overall, I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who is interested in seeing marine life in the wild and respects wildlife/nature.read moreread lessP6420ZHsabrinac8/27/2021 -
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 lessH341PImarkd8/10/2021 -
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 lessElizabeth 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, …
read moreread lessparm08/01/2020 -
Amazing six day adventure We went on a six day Whales & Wildlife expedition with four other guests and our two guides - Kyle and Jody. It was a wonderful way to experience the islands and wilderness surrounding Vancouver Island and to disconnect from the city and our daily routine. The food was excellent (great vegetarian options). The campsites chosen along the way were beautiful. All gear was provided. Kyle and Jody were very knowledgeable and told us many interesting stories about the area and about the local wildlife - and we saw a lot of wildlife on our trip. We can't wait to head out again on the water! Highly recommend!
read moreread lessflorencec7268/22/2021