Only 15 minutes from Port McNeill, the islands of the vast, sheltered Broughton Archipelago -BC's largest marine park – are revealed as an ocean kayak wonderland. Welcome to this otherworldly realm of misted seas, uninhabited bays and beaches, lush temperate rainforest, bald eagles, jumping salmon, sea lions, bears and Orca, Minke and Humpback whales.
Ocean Kayaking Tours Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures
Among Port McNeill's handful of operators, Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures offers year-round ocean kayaking expeditions from one to 16 days from its Orca Waters Base Camp. The six-day tours focus on the whales, wildlife, scenery and Aboriginal history of the vast Archipelago. Its five-day Nuchatlitz Inlet tour takes visitors kayaking among a huge concentration of sea otters.
B&B Kayaking
B&B - bed and breakfast, that is - Kayaking introduces the element of B&B accommodations combined with kayaking in the Johnstone Strait. The 16-day tour invites kayakers to explore Gwaii Haanas National Park, with its 10,000 years of Haida First Nation history and flabbergasting wilderness.
Ecosummer Expeditions
Based in Clearwater, BC, Ecosummer Expeditions offers whale-watching by kayak from its Orca Camp on Johnstone Strait. Its base camp sits on a half-moon bay flanked by old-growth forest. Activities accommodate both seasoned and newbie kayakers. Participants observe and photograph whales on the surface and listen to their communications with underwater microphones. Hikes and interpretive walks supplement an experience of incomparable wonder.
West Canada Tours
West Canada Tours' five-day kayak tour whisks participants from Port McNeill through the Inside Passage to the exclusive Pacific Orca Floating Lodge. The lodge is base camp for three days' kayaking in Johnstone Strait. The tour also includes a visit to Glendale Cove to observe grizzly bears up close and a day of great whales aboard Mackay Whale Watching's 48-passenger Naiad Explorer. The luxe boat comes with heated interior, washroom facilities, hydrophones for listening to whale music and stable platform for photography.
Columbia III Ship
Not least, Mothership Adventures offers extensive ocean kayaking tours from the venerable Columbia III. Now lovingly renovated, this is the ship that once delivered medicine, religion and society to communities along the North Island coast. With skilled naturalists, first-rate cooking and an abiding love of kayaking, the voyage is an unforgettable adventure.
U'Mista Cultural Centre
The outfit's four-to-six-day itineraries begin with a journey to the heart of First Nations history and culture. At Alert Bay, kayakers explore the U'Mista Cultural Centre and Museum with its stunning Potlatch Collection of Native masks and regalia once outlawed in Canada. Then it's all about paddling the misted waters and lagoons of Blackfish Sound, Johnstone Strait and the islands of the Broughton Archipelago. Whales, wildlife, great companionship and starry skies pack the remarkable agenda.
Practical Points
- Best time for kayaking the Broughton Archipelago is late June to early Sept.
- Overall, kayaking is rated moderate to difficult in the Port McNeill area. And paddling conditions can be dangerous at times.
- Newbie paddlers are wise to join an organized tour.