Island Wilderness Adventure - Kayak & Camping Tour BC, Canada

Explore an area of extraordinary wilderness off northern Vancouver Island offering secluded kayaking away from other people, scenic campsites and incredible wildlife encounters.  See humpback whales, seals and porpoises while paddling your kayak on a one-way route through a beautiful maze of islands and intricate channels making up Broughton Islands Marine Park, one of the most stunning archipelagos on earth, before entering Johnstone Strait and the realm of the orca (a.k.a. killer whale).

Experience by kayak a marine environment few others share -- the shrill call of a bald eagle perched in a treetop, a family of killer whales cruising by camp and vibrant sea stars below the waterline -- this area is magical. Visit islands rich in native history. Your adventure includes a water taxi ride at one end so you can go deeper into places far from civilization.

The meeting point for our six days of adventure is the north Vancouver Island town of Port McNeill. The snow-capped mountains of mainland British Columbia create a stunning backdrop as we head out into the straits to island-hop. This is more than just a vacation - you want an escape that stimulates and enriches your life. Naturalist guides, gourmet meals, high quality equipment, superb whale watching and all the special details we're known for can be found on this trip.

Trip Highlights: Visit ancient native sites; view incredible wildlife including humpback whales, orcas, seals, black bears, and soaring bald eagles.

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Our BC Island Wilderness Adventure kayak tours meet in Port McNeill. Port McNeill is located on northeastern Vancouver Island and is accessible by road from the south or by scheduled air service from Vancouver, British Columbia (Port Hardy is the closest airport to Port McNeill). Please call our office if you need assistance on deciding how to get to Port McNeill. We are familiar with traveling to Vancouver Island and we'll be happy to help you select the best way there.

Click here for a detailed guide [.pdf download] about travel to Port McNeill for your BC Island Wilderness Adventure.

Accommodations in Port McNeill: Haida-Way Motor Inn (800) 956-3373/(250) 956-3373. Let the Haida-Way know you are on a Sea Kayak Adventures tour. We will meet here for our pre-trip meeting the day before your tour begins.

Extra things to do in the Port McNeill/Telegraph Cove area: For extra days in the area, we recommend side trips to Alert Bay and the U'mista Cultural Center on Cormorant Island, or Sointula - both reached by short ferry ride from Port McNeill. The last days of this tour will wind through Johnstone Strait, the heart of orca territory in the Pacific Northwest, but you may or may not see these whales due to the limited time in the Strait. We recommend an orca watching cruise with Mackay out of Port McNeill or Stubbs Island out of Telegraph Cove to ensure great sightings.

Please review our FAQ section for general questions and details about our BC kayak tours. See below for specific questions relating to this particular tour.

Is previous kayaking experience necessary?
Our tours are suitable for novices. However, this particular tour is more-kayak focused than our standard Baja and BC tours, and therefore best suited to those with some prior kayaking experience or a regular fitness program. Call us with any questions! 1-800-616-1943. 

Will I see whales?
Humpback and Minke whales are often encountered on our Wilderness Islands tours in August.  Although Johnstone Strait is considered the best place to see orcas (killer whales) in the wild, we only spend the last day or two in Johnstone Strait as we paddle back from the Broughton Archipelago. Consequently, depending on the location of the whales during our tour, we cannot estimate your orca sightings on the tour.

What do the trip costs include?
Skilled professional guide services, dry bags, neoprene shoes, camping equipment including tents, sleeping bags, liners, and sleeping pads are included in your trip cost. Our camping trips include all meals from lunch on the first day to lunch on the last day. The one-way water taxi ride out to the Archipelago is also included on this tour.

Day 0: You can take the scenic drive up island by vehicle or you can arrive in Port Hardy via a spectacular flight over the coast from Vancouver and then take a taxi to Port McNeill. Proceed to the hotel. There is an evening orientation meeting in the hotel lobby where you will meet your guides.

Day 1: In the morning, we'll take a water taxi to the launch site in Echo Bay, listen to an orientation on kayaking and safety, and begin paddling to our first camp.

Days 2-5: We will be kayaking and exploring the adjacent islands and passages located between Broughton Islands Marine Park, Blackfish Sound and Johnstone Strait. We will have four different camps, so we may not move camp every day. On an average day, we will be kayaking for two hours in the morning after breakfast, stop for lunch on a beach, and spend another two hours kayaking and exploring before arriving at camp by the afternoon. Evenings and dinner in camp.

Day 6 Saturday: Break camp and paddle to a scenic beach for lunch, then paddle to Telegraph Cove in the afternoon. We recommend that you overnight in Port McNeill.

Note on Itinerary: We will do our best to adhere to the schedule listed above. However, the itinerary may change due to reasons beyond our control such as wind, waves or inclement weather. The water taxi ride may occur at the beginning or at the end of the trip.