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 - 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 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
- Kayaking with Whales July 23 - 26 My husband and I joined Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures for a Kayaking with Whales Adventure last week. Great weather, awesome food & the best kayaking we have experienced. Loved the base camp on Hanson Island, and the nights spent camping in the tents. The accommodations were superb. Special thanks to Alisune and Jes. Not only are they top notch guides, they are also top knotch chefs.
The only thing missing was a campfire each night - that would certainly have enhanced the whole experience. I might suggest re-naming this specific tour, and calling it ‘Kayaking in the Wilderness’ or ‘Kayaking in Johnstone Strait & Blackfish Sound’, instead of ‘Kayaking With Whales’, which leads one to believe that one will actually be kayaking where the whales are. I know one can’t predict where the whales will be at a given time, however we experienced none close by on any day of our kayaking. The whales we did see while in kayaks were a very long way off, & at too great of a distance to kayak to.
All in all a great tour & very memorable.read moreread lesskartonv7/31/2019 - 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 - 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 lessparm08/16/2020 - 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
- 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
- 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 less347liz10/23/2019 - 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
- Best kayaking/whale adventure on Vancouver Island I took Kingfisher's 4-day whale watching kayak trip from Port McNeill, BC. I have taken wilderness adventure trips all over the world, and this is one of the best experiences ever.
Orca whales seemed to be everywhere, and I enjoyed their "Shaker" camp on Hanson Island in Johnstone Strait, which was beautiful and well-appointed for a wilderness camp, including canvas tents on platforms and a covered kitchen/dining area, although the weather was perfect.
We had 3 guides for 9 people, and they were highly competent on the water and in the kitchen. The trip exceeded my expectations.read moreread less560allanm8/10/2021