–Expedition Kayaking —
Whales and Wildlife Explorer
— Expedition Kayaking —
Whales and Wildlife
WHALES AND WILDLIFE – EXPEDITION KAYAKING
Sea kayaking with orcas and humpback whales the wildlife-rich waters of Johnstone Strait, Blackfish Sound and the Broughton Archipelago is an experience to remember. Imagine kayaking along narrow passages lined with clam beaches that the local First Nations have harvested for thousands of years. 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 killer whales (orcas) foraging for salmon.
This six day and five night kayak tour starts with a water taxi ride to an island campsite in the Broughton Archipelago. Here we explore the many hidden waterways and discover ancient village sites where the Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations culture thrived. We often see wildlife in the archipelago, such as black bears and harbour porpoises, which are not as often seen in the more open waters of Blackfish Sound and Johnstone Strait. As we kayak into Blackfish Sound and Johnstone Strait we keep our eyes peeled for the blows from orcas and humpback whales. These waters are recognized as one of the most predictable places in the world to kayak with both killer whales and humpback whales. In addition to whales, we often kayak alongside porpoises, dolphins, seals, sea lions, sea birds, bald eagles, and colourful intertidal life. There is always something to see, and Kingfisher’s guides are well-acquainted with and knowledgeable about the wildlife of British Columbia’s coast.
We usually camp at three different wilderness campsites during the trip. We have a number of different sites to choose from, some involve camping in the forest, others on tent platforms on rocky points, and others on pebble beaches. The exact locations used on each trip depend upon a number of factors like group size, wildlife viewing opportunities, and weather.
Price: $1795 CAD per person plus 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Group Size: Maximum of eight guests and two guides.
Participants: This tour is adult-oriented but participants as young as 15 may be accepted.
Suitability: Beginner / intermediate to advanced kayakers. Is this tour right for you?
Departs: Port McNeill, Vancouver Island.
A note on June and early July departures: June and early July is a great time to be kayaking in Johnstone Strait and there is an unbelievable assortment of wildlife. The resident (fish-eating) orcas, however, are not reliably seen until mid-July. They may be intermittently seen during June and early July along with the transient (mammal-eating) orcas but are not as consistent as later in the summer. You can be assured that an early season tour provides a great kayaking experience and a wide variety of wildlife is present without all the extra people that visit mid-summer.
Exact kayaking routes may vary depending on possible wildlife sightings, currents, tides and weather.
Day 0: Plan to be in Port McNeill the night before the kayak tour departs. There is a pre-trip meeting at 8:00 pm with your guides at our office, located at 1790A Campbell Way, across the street from the Haida Way Inn and next to the Black Bear Resort. Your guides provide you with an overview for your trip, distribute dry bags to pack your clothing, and answer any questions you may have.
Meals Included: None
Day 1: We meet at 7:30am to head down to the marina to load our water taxi. It is just a short walk from the hotels, and all your bags are transported by our van. Vehicles and extra luggage can be left at your hotel while you are on your kayak tour. If you are not staying at a hotel or B&B with parking, we have limited free parking and luggage storage available at our office.
The hour long water taxi ride takes us to our first campsite, where we’ll settle in. The guides provide a site orientation and paddle briefing. We head out for a paddle before lunch giving you time to get used to the kayaks, the wilderness setting and each other.
Meals Included: Lunch – Dinner
Days 2 to 5: This tour is a roving, nomadic tour, and we do have distance to cover to return to civilization. We generally camp at three different sites during the trip. We try and camp on sites close to travel routes of orcas, humpback whales, and other wildlife, but actual spots depend on weather, tides, and group objectives.
The trip starts in the Broughton Archipelago, a maze of small islets, and heads south into Johnstone Strait, where the chances of seeing orcas and humpback whales is greatest. Along the way, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for wildlife; sightings may dictate our itinerary for the day. We often see orcas, humpbacks, bald eagles, deer, black bears, seals, sea lions, and fantastic intertidal life.
Each trip is different, and your guides may change the itinerary based on weather, tides, campsites, and group interests.
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 6: Our final day – a chance to revel in the beauty of the area for one last time, linger over coffee, snap a few more photographs, and turn towards home. We break camp after breakfast and complete our journey by paddling to Telegraph Cove, a historic logging and fishing community. Here, we will have a chance to visit the Whale Interpretive Centre and walk around one of the last boardwalk communities on Vancouver Island.
Our van transports us back to Port McNeill. We arrive back in Port McNeill between 3:30 and 4:00 pm giving you enough time to fly out of Port Hardy or catch a late ferry back to the mainland, but delays do happen. We strongly suggest that our guests spend the last night in Port McNeill, enjoy a hot shower, and slowly transition out of vacation mode. Most guests choose to do this, and guests and guides often get together for a no-host farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch
When using our online booking from you can choose the below optional items to add to your kayak tour.
Black Bear Resort: (opens in a new tab) We can arrange your pre and/or post night accommodations in Port McNeill at the Black Bear Resort
Grizzly Bear Viewing Day Trips: (opens in a new tab) Many of our guests add a grizzly bear watching day trip before or after they join us kayaking.
Sea Otter Viewing Day Trips: (opens in a new tab) Add a sea otter viewing day trip before or after you join us kayaking.
Includes: We provide you with all the necessary kayaking and camping equipment, including kayaks, paddling jackets, PFD (life jacket), group shelters, tents, sleeping pads, camp chairs and sleeping bags (you may bring your own). A comprehensive list of required personal items can be read by clicking on the “Preparation” tab above. All meals during the kayak trip are provided and prepared by your guides. We’re proud of our menu that includes abundant fresh fruits and vegetables, a wide variety of international dishes, and freshly baked treats. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated given sufficient prior notification. Transportation is all-inclusive from Port McNeill by our network of vans and water taxis. We also carry a small library on each trip with a collection of cultural and natural history books for your perusal at camp.
What is not included: We do not provide transport from your home to Port McNeill, nor do we provide airport transfers. Accommodation in Port McNeill is not included. Any meals outside the kayak portion of the tour are your responsibility. Travel insurance for accidents or emergency evacuation is not provided; we recommend you purchase a policy before leaving home. The trip price does not include guide gratuities; should you feel that the service was exemplary, it is always appreciated.
Our Guest Handbook contains details on preparing for your kayak tour. Included in the handbook is travel and accommodation information, a list of what to bring, what you can expect while you are kayaking, wildlife viewing etiquette, and medical and release forms. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any specific questions you may have that are not covered in the Guest Handbook.
While the summer months in British Columbia are mostly warm and sunny, we still have a few cold and wet days. After all, the coast of British Columbia is the world’s largest temperate rainforest. For maximum enjoyment on your trip in all types of weather please bring the items listed below.
This tour departs from Port McNeill on northern Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. You can travel to Port McNeill by car or plane.
Driving
If driving from the Vancouver area on the Mainland of British Columbia to Port McNeill you need to sail on BC Ferries to either Nanaimo or Victoria on Vancouver Island. From Washington State, Coho Ferry sails between Port Angeles and Victoria. Drive time from Victoria to Port McNeill is approximately 5.5 hours, and from Nanaimo to Port McNeill is approximately 4 hours.
Driving to Port McNeill is quite straightforward. From Victoria drive north on highway 1 to Nanaimo. From Nanaimo head north on Highway 19 until you see the sign for Port McNeill. Port McNeill is 1 minute off the main highway. The only other option to this route is north of Nanaimo just before you reach Parksville you can take the seaside route on Highway 19A. This route rejoins the main Highway 19 at Campbell River. The seaside route may add an extra hour to your trip.
Flying
Flights to Port Hardy (YZT), the closest airport to Port McNeill, depart from the south terminal of Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and are approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. These flights are operated by Pacific Coastal Airlines. Port Hardy airport is a 30 minute taxi ride from Port McNeill.
If you are planning on renting a car on Vancouver Island (and not stopping in Vancouver), you can also fly with Air Canada to either Nanaimo (YCD), Victoria (YYJ) or Campbell River (YBL) on Vancouver Island. Another option is to fly with WestJet Airlines via Calgary (YYC) or Edmonton (YEG) to Comox (YQQ) on Vancouver Island. Comox is about 2 1/2 hour drive south of Port McNeill.
Kenmore Air operates float plane service to Port McNeill from Seattle, Washington.
Recommended Port McNeill Accommodations
Black Bear Resort – Can be booked with your kayak tour.
Additional Port McNeill Accommodations
Humpback Inn
Haida Way Motor Inn
Dalewood Inn
Ocean Comfort B&B
Cluxewe Resort
Even with little or no kayaking experience, you can join our Base Camp tours. Our Vancouver Island Explorer tours are suitable for beginners with a sense of adventure.
Due to the length of our Haida Gwaii tours and their remote location they are also best suited to people with some previous kayaking experience.
Our Great Bear Rainforest expedition is designed for kayakers with a moderate amount of previous kayaking experience and is our most challenging trip.
What are your best tours to see whales?While whales are often viewed on all of our kayak tours, the Base Camp and Whales and Wildlife Explorer kayak tours have by far the most reliable sightings of both orcas and humpback whales.
Please keep in mind that while these tours offer great viewing opportunities we are still dealing with wildlife and we cannot guarantee any particular sightings.
When will I have the best chance of seeing orcas?The northern resident (fish-eating) orcas are most reliably seen around northern Vancouver Island from mid-July through September. They may be seen in June and early July, along with the transient (mammal-eating) orcas, however, sightings become more consistent later in the summer. As they are wild, we cannot guarantee any particular sightings.
When is the best time for wildlife in general?There is a lot of different wildlife along the British Columbia coast year round. However, we find that the greatest and most diverse wildlife is often found off northern Vancouver Island from mid-August through September.
What are the accommodations like on the base camp tours?The Base Camps feature roomy canvas tents raised off the ground on wooden platforms, are situated throughout the forest with views of the ocean. The tents provide ample room 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. 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.
What are the toilets like?For our base camp tours, the camps have two out-houses made from locally milled cedar. The outhouses incorporate a holding tank and cedar sawdust to cover the waste. The tank is replaced every few days. Guests often comment on the cleanliness of our system. We pack out all holding tanks to be properly disposed of at a sewage disposal station. When away from camp during the day we use the inter-tidal area for low impact toilet use.
How many guest and guides are on each tour?We pride ourselves on small group sizes, allowing close personal attention and minimal impact on the environment and the wildlife we view from our kayaks. Our base camp tours have a maximum of ten guests and three guides, while our explorer tours have a maximum of eight guests with two guides.
In addition to minimizing our impact on the land we find the smaller group size allows us to better manage our groups around wildlife giving us better viewing opportunities.
For answers to more frequently asked question please visit our complete FAQs page.
