Five Day Marine Wildlife Sea Kayaking Adventure (265.248)

Itinerary

• Day
  1

  Your Five Day Marine Wildlife Sea Kayaking Adventure departs from the boat ramp located adjacent to our store in Telegraph Cove. You are welcome to come visit us, at your convenience in the days before the tour with any of those last minute questions or to pick up dry bags for your gear. Alternately we meet you at 8-30am on the morning of your trip. Your professional kayak guide will be here to greet you with dry bags and advice on how to pack. We recommend that you will have already had your breakfast – the Seahorse Café located right in the Cove can look after most tastes. Your kayaks will be already loaded with all the camping and group equipment with space left for your gear.
  
  The tour starts with introductions to your fellow adventurers and a brief safety and paddling technique discussion to ensure your comfort on the water. After being fitted to your kayak you will be ready for launch. This tour is typically on the water before 9-30am while other companies are still unloading kayaks from their trailers. Never kayaked before? Within the first 10 minutes you will have grasped the basics.
  
  We will ensure you are comfortable as we paddle along the shoreline of Vancouver Island in the direction of our remote beach camp site. As you glide along in your sleek, non-intrusive Kayak, we stop and watch for any wildlife and enjoy the majestic scenery of Northern Vancouver Island. The timing of any wildlife encounters cannot be predicted but there are five whole days of great opportunities in front of you. We will stop to stretch our legs and enjoy a picnic lunch on a remote beach and will cross Johnstone Strait towards Hanson Island, our first camp spot of the journey.
  
  During the day watch for Bald Eagles and their nests; See the inquisitive Dalls Porpoises and if we are lucky spot a black bear turning rocks, looking for breakfast. Maybe we will see killer whales or even humpback whales right outside the mouth of Telegraph Cove or maybe we will not see any today. Rest assured, your experienced guide is monitoring the local chatter on their marine radio to ensure we do not miss a single opportunity.
  
  You will likely reach camp in the mid afternoon. This ensures we miss getting caught in the afternoon winds that frequently come out of the North and gives you a chance to get settled in and explore. Just because we are on shore does not mean that spectacular wildlife encounters are over for the day. Of the many creatures that abound in the vicinity, the killer whales, Stellar sea lions, eagles and seals will frequently hunt along the kelp forest just in front of camp. Keep your eyes and ears open.
  
  The days paddling and the fresh air will likely have caused you an appetite, which will be satisfied by our healthy and filling dinner. After dinner, take a stroll and explore the beach or hang around the campfire and get to know the other members of your group. If weather permits, an evening paddle may be on the cards. If not there is always tomorrow! At bedtime, snuggle into your sleeping bag and enjoy the feeling of sleeping under the stars that only a camping experience can provide.
  

  Meals: Lunch, Dinner

  Accomodation: Camping
• Day
  2

  If you are not already up to see the sunrise your guide will call you to coffee and breakfast. Our plan for the day will have us heading through Blackney or Weynton Passage and into Blackfish Sound and the lower reaches of the Broughton Archipelago. The tide times and weather forecast will be the driving factor of this journey as there are only four times a day, with fairly narrow windows of opportunity that it is safe to kayak through these passages. This is due to the tidal currents that can reach speeds of over five knots (10km/h); it is only safe to paddle when these tidal currents swap direction.
  
  The tidal currents are one of the factors that contribute to the diversity and quantity of marine wildlife in the area. It is not uncommon to see Humpback whales feeding on the krill and bait-fish, Sea Lions or Orcas gorging on Salmon along with an abundance of seabirds. During the course of the day, we will either stop for lunch or grab a snack on the water.
  
  Once through into Blackfish Sound, you will enter the western gateway of the Broughton Archipelago. A region of hundreds of islands and passages, it almost seems as though it was created as a kayak paradise. Rich in marine and land animals it is a place that is still the ancestral homeland of six Kwakwaka’wakw tribes.
  
  Evidence of their ancestors’ existence is still found to this day. Abandoned ancient village sites and harvest areas have beaches made up of white shell from countless shellfish harvests. Black soils known as middens lay testament to occupation by the Kwakwaka’wakw within the forest just off the beach. The beaches in many locations have boulders pushed to the side leaving a clear path so that cedar canoes would not be damaged through the centuries. These sites make for great areas to land kayaks to this day. We will pitch camp on one of the multitude of small islands that populate this area, where your guide will again prepare a great dinner for you.
  

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  Accomodation: Camping
• Day
  3

  Almost as soon as you fall asleep, the third day of your tour will dawn. After breakfast we will break camp and you will be back in your kayaks to head out through narrow island channels and passages that offer great shelter in summer winds. The rain forest grows right down to the waters edge with branches cloaked in moss and morning dew. Our route will take us by an ancient rock painting on a cliff adjacent to a traditional burial site. This is a very culturally sensitive site for the Mamalelaqala Band and other Kwakwaka’wakw, so we only enjoy this spot from our kayaks. No one is allowed to actually enter the site. We will choose a remote island beach for lunch before moving on to our next camp site.
  
  From witnessing the jaw-dropping beauty of this part of the world, you may start to understand why people choose to live out here in the wilderness. Throughout the day there will be opportunities to observe a multitude of creatures and paddle between tiny islands with a new and even more breathtaking view around each corner. Your guide will once more surprise you with their culinary skills to ensure you do not go to bed hungry. On a clear night, be sure to sit up late as the lack of light pollution this far away from civilization allows for spectacular star-gazing on dark, moonless nights.

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  Accomodation: Camping
• Day
  4

  
  After breakfast on day four we will break camp and head out between the islands en-route to our final campsite of this adventure. Exactly where we choose to camp for the night will depend on the weather forecast and the direction of the tides, however you can be sure that the scenery will be second to none and that we will encounter all sorts of wildlife. We will stop on another beach for lunch before paddling to our campsite for the night and our final dinner of the tour.
  
  We always carry at least one research grade hydrophone on our sea kayaking tours.
  
  When we find ourselves in the vicinity of a pod of Orca, your guide will deploy the hydrophone so we may hear them communicating. We use an external amplifier and speaker so all may hear. If you have a video mode on your camera, this can allow you to capture the sounds as well as the sight of these spectacular animals.
  
  During the fall of 2012, the Humpback whales we have in the area started singing. This is a new and exciting development as singing was thought only to occur when they were in warm waters and intent on breeding. We are hoping the song continues into summer 2013.
  

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  Accomodation: Camping
• Day
  5

  
  Coffee and breakfast will again greet you, on this our last day exploring by kayak. After the kayaks are packed you paddle, once more among the marine mammals of the Pacific Northwest. The route home will vary depending on our afternoon weather forecast but our focus will remain on wildlife viewing and photo opportunities. Your guide will always have the hydrophone at the ready so no opportunity to listen in on whale talk will be missed. Lunch will be had on a remote beach before the last leg towards Telegraph Cove. On arrival and after the group photo has been taken, you can just grab your belongings and enjoy the rest of your vacation.
  
  A Killer Whale in Johnstone Strait BC during an evening kayaking trip
  
  We do the entire cleanup! Many guests stay a while, reliving the adventure with new friends and exchanging contact information so pictures can be shared. Be sure to take time to visit the Whale museum before leaving this pristine wilderness haven.
  
  We typically follow this itinerary; however on some occasions need to make changes due to weather or tidal considerations; Our goal will always remain to provide you the best possible experience. On some occasions it will not be practical or desirable to change camp every day.
  

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

  Accomodation: