Thanks to its jagged coastline as well as its many islands, inlets and coves, British Columbia is one of the world's premier ocean kayaking destinations. Kayakers enjoy easy-to-challenging waters, spectacular scenery and myriad wildlife viewing opportunities. Grey, Orca and Humpback whales are commonly seen during their migration seasons, as are a variety of marine birds, seals, otters and porpoises.
The province's 25,725-kilometres (15,985-mile) coastline includes deep, mountainous fjords, dozens of marine parks, First Nations cultural sites and nearly 28,000 marine islands, the vast majority of which are uninhabited. British Columbia offers a variety of kayaking destinations both for flatwater paddlers and those that have graduated to open water areas. Some of BC's best beaches, landscapes and wildlife are found in remote, secluded spots along the coast.
Learn More About Ocean Kayaking in BC
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Kayaking (White Water)
Kayaking (Lake)
Kayaking in BC a Unique Experience
Victoria and Vancouver offer kayaking excursions just minutes from downtown.
Wilderness lodges are found all along British Columbia's coast and offer convenient, ideal locations to start a kayaking excursion. Often tucked into protected inlets where salmon are plentiful and wildlife everywhere, lodges are popular as a home base for both guided tours and self-guided paddling. Accommodation might also be at a campsite, a romantic island inn, a First Nations big house or a mother ship (a boat "base camp").
Whales thrive in BC, and kayakers often find themselves paddling among pods of Grey and Orca whales as well as porpoise and seals, and countless sea birds.
Easy paddling areas, where the water is flat with very little tidal currents and kayaks move through the water with little effort, are are throughout the province thanks to long inlets and hundreds of islands that protect paddlers from open ocean. There is also no shortage of challenging spots where tides, winds and narrow passages churn up water to provide even the most experienced paddler with a memorable trip.
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Highlight Ocean Kayaking Areas
Paddling hotspots on the west coast of Vancouver Island include the Broken Group Islands and Clayoquot Sound while the Gulf Islands archipelago and Nanaimo are some popular destinations on the east. Vancouver, Coast & Mountains' Bowen Island provides the gateway into island-dotted Howe Sound with the neighbouring Sunshine Coast communities of Sechelt and Gibsons and Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park (near Powell River) close by.
Heading north, the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast lush, pristine coastline sees Klemtu, Bella Bella and the Hakai Luxvbalis Conservancy Area popular areas while paddlers can truly escape to some of the most remote areas around Prince Rupert and the Queen Charlotte Islands in Northern British Columbia.
For the city slicker/paddler, Vancouver is home to the protected waters of Deep Cove, False Creek and Jericho Beach and the Vancouver Island city of Victoria offers paddling directly from the Inner Harbour, the Gorge Waterway and the nearby Discovery Island Marine Provincial Park. The proximity of these cities to marine playgrounds makes kayaking very accessible.