Sea kayaking is a hugely popular activity in BC, but humans in Canada's north have been travelling and exploring this way for more than 4,000 years. With its Broken Group Islands, Ucluelet offers some incredible and relatively safe sea kayaking opportunities.
Sea Kayaking Tours
Companies like Majestic Ocean Kayaking and Coastal Knights cover the territory with affordable kayaking tours in exquisite wilderness settings.
Majestic's three-hour tour of Ucluelet Harbour is ideal for newbies. It takes place in gentle, sheltered waters and incorporates the town's colourful maritime history, coastal scenery and wildlife, including black bears and bald eagles. Venturing beyond to open sea for sea lions, gigantic kelp beds and an ancient Aboriginal whaling beach is optional.
Full-day tours focus on the islands and marine life of Barkley Sound. Majestic's full day-tour to the Broken Group Islands promises the most adventure, with a focus on best kayaking techniques and the islands' abundance of whales, eagles, sea lions and sea birds.
Kayaking with Black Bears
Kayakers aged eight to 80 are welcomed on Coastal Knights intimate Bear Watching Sunset Tour. They follow shoreline and estuaries in pursuit of black bears and the indelible hues of a Ucluelet (or "Ukee" as the locals call it) sunset. With the largest population of bears per sq km on this continent, chances of sightings are excellent.
River Kayaking
Kayaking isn't just an ocean thing. West Coast Wild takes kayakers to the pristine Kennedy River for three hours of adventure paddling.
Rentals
Independent travellers find fibreglass kayaks easy to rent at Majestic Ocean Kayaking. Spare paddles, spray skirts, whistle, pump, throw lines, paddle floats and personal floatation devices come included.
For more information on sea kayaking in Ucluelet, head to the Visitor Centre.