Our trip sets off from the shores of Telegraph Cove, a picturesque community pocketed away on northern Vancouver Island. We meet early and gather for introductions and a brief orientation on paddling technique and safety measures to ensure that your time on the water is both enjoyable and safe. From there, we launch from Telegraph Cove’s natural harbor and start out toward a passage leading to the boundless wilderness of Johnstone Strait.
As we paddle, we follow the jagged coast of Vancouver Island with the shadowy peaks of mainland BC standing sentry in the distance. Our kayaks skim through wild waters where orcas play and feed on the passing Salmon runs. Our trip takes you through the Orca’s main corridor, and your opportunities for spotting these achromatic creatures are best from mid-July through September with a peak in August. Leave your daily stress behind as you float through islands and coves filled with Orcas, sea lions, dolphins, Pacific harbor seals, river otters, mink, porpoises, bald eagles, black bears and more.
We find our way to the shore for lunch, stopping over at Little Kai Beach. Once we’ve eaten, we hike through the thick green forests surrounding the beach and take time to wander the intertidal zone, where creatures and driftwood can be found among the pebbles.
After our landlocked afternoon excursion, we return to our kayaks for the return trip to Telegraph Cove. Our trip back will be relaxing, and we stop to explore coves where marine life thrives in the region’s cold yet nutrient rich water. Bull kelp may be the most omnipresent sight, but a rainbow of sea urchins, sunflower stars, brittle stars, and more can be seen clinging to the rocky shores. You never know where an adventure will lead you, and so while we return to Telegraph Cove, we’ll follow nature’s guidance and take any opportunity we see to spot more of nature’s most striking creatures.
Take a day off with Sea Kayak Adventures to discover Johnstone Strait’s unrestrained wilderness and free your adventurous spirit for the day.
