Queen Charlotte Islands Tour Duration Kayaking in the Queen Charlotte Islands Off British Columbia's north coast lies an archipelago often referred to as "Canada's Galapagos": the Queen Charlotte Islands, or Haida Gwaii (The Haida Place). For those that choose to kayak the Queen Charlottes, remoteness, coupled with the lure of this pristine land and aboriginal culture combine to make this a kayaker's wilderness paradise. The archipelago comprises some 154 islands, which lie 80 kilometers off the BC coast and about 50 kilometers from the southern tip of Alaska. It also contains BC's second and third largest islands: Graham Island and Moresby Island at 6,361 and 2,608 square kilometers, respectively. As the only part of Canada that escaped the last Ice Age, the Islands are rich in flora and fauna markedly different from those of the mainland. Essentially still a wilderness area, the Queen Charlottes are warmed from an ocean current from Japan, and experience 127 centimeters of rain annually. These factors created a landscape of 1,000-year old spruce and cedar rainforests, abundant animal life and waters teeming with marine life. The Islands have been inhabited continually for 10,000 years and are the traditional home of the Haida nation, recognized as the prime culture at the time of the arrival of the Europeans. The arts of the Haida people - notably their totem poles and carvings in argillate (a black glass-like aggregate) are world famous. They were also fearsome warriors who dominated the west coast. Our kayak tours of the Queen Charlotte Islands paddle by some of the most spectacular terrain on the islands, from the waters of Hecate Strait to the open Pacific through an area of extraordinary biodiversity and cultural significance. We visit Hot Spring Island for a well-earned soak in the natural hot pools and to enjoy the panoramic views of Juan Perez Sound and the San Christoval Mountains. Kayaking in the Queen Charlotte Islands also take us into more remote southern portion of Gwaii Haanas (Place of Wonder) National Park Reserve. This area ranges from the gloriously colourful inter-tidal display at Burnaby Narrows south to Kunghit Island and the waters around Anthony Island. This route offers some of the most extraordinary scenery and archaeological sites in the world including the jewel of the Queen Charlottes: the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Skun Gwaii village on Anthony Island (Ninstints). Their standing totem poles bear powerful silent witness to the Haida's rich culture and artistic heritage.