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Sea Kayaking Johnstone Strait - Orca Waters Family Base Camp Tour Itinerary

Below is a sample itinerary and exact routes will vary depending on possible wildlife sightings, currents, tides and weather.

Day 0:

Plan to arrive in Port McNeil the night before in time to attend the trip meeting at 8:00 PM at the Haida-Way Inn.  We will issue you with dry bags to pack your gear in, provide an overview for the trip, and answer any questions you have.

Meals Included: None

Day 1:

Meeting at 8:30 AM in the lobby of the Haida Way Inn, we’ll head down to the marina to load our water taxi.  It’s just a short walk from the hotel, and all your equipment can be transported by our van. Vehicles and extra bags can be left at the Haida Way while you’re on the trip – just ask at the front desk

The 45-minute water taxi ride takes us to our campsite, where we’ll settle in.  The guides will provide a site orientation and paddle briefing.  We will head out for a paddle before lunch giving you time to get used to the kayaks, the wilderness setting and each other.

Meals Included: Lunch - Dinner

Days 2 and 3:

Each day brings a new journey; our base camp is ideally situated for exploring the area.  Close to Orca travel routes, routinely visited by Humpbacks whales, and close to numerous islets thick with sea birds and seals, there is plenty to see.

Orcas regularly pass by our camp, and we’ve enjoyed many dinner shows from around the beach campfire, but if we see the Orcas on the water, we’ll try and drop one of our hydrophones, so you can listen to their beautiful vocalizations.

Your guides will plan each day according to weather conditions, wildlife spotting, and guest interests.  Lunches are usually spent on a secluded beach, each night returning to the comforts of our Base Camp.

Every day is different, but rest assured, our goals are the same as yours – exploration, paddling, wildlife viewing, and relaxing.

Meals Included: Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Day 4:

On the last day of our journey, we’ll enjoy a hearty breakfast and pack up our personal gear before our water taxi pickup at approximately 10:00 AM.  This will take us to the village of Telegraph Cove, a historic logging and fishing community.  Here, we’ll have a chance to visit the ‘Bones Project” whale interpretive center and walk around one of the last boardwalk communities on eastern Vancouver Island.  Our van will transport us back to the Haida-Way Inn in Port McNeil just after lunch.

We usually arrive back in Port McNeil by 2:00 pm giving you enough time for you to fly out of Port Hardy or catch a late ferry back to the mainland, but delays do happen.  We suggest that our guests spend the last night in Port McNeil, enjoy the hot showers, and slowly transition out of vacation mode.  Most guests choose this, and we often get together for a no-host farewell dinner at the Haida-Way Inn.

Meals Included: Breakfast – Lunch

What to expect on our Family Base Camp tours:

On our family trips, we use primarily double kayaks for their comfort and stability.  For smaller children, we use a Current Designs Libra XT, with room for two adults with one child in the centre.  Older children can paddle from the front seat of a double, with an adult helping them out from the back seat.  We provide properly sized life jackets for children.

No paddling experience is necessary to join our trips but experienced paddlers will not be disappointed. We usually paddle for 4 – 5 hours per day, with breaks for lunch, snacks and shore exploration.  On our family trips we may cover less distance as on our regular tours and stop more often to allow everyone to explore the tide pools, beaches and forest.

Our guides for our family trips have experience working with children in both educational and outdoor settings. They are well versed on interpreting the area’s natural environment, and share their knowledge in a fun and educational manner.

Our Base Camp tours add that extra bit of comfort and luxury.  Tents are already set up when you arrive, there is no need to pack kayaks during the trip, and we have a covered dining area, propane heated shower, and solar powered camera re-charging station for your convenience.

What is provided on all of our tours?

We provide you will all the necessary kayaking and camping equipment, including: kayaks, paddling jacket, life jacket, group shelters, tents, sleeping pads, camp chairs and with enough notice, we can even provide sleeping bags, although most guests bring their own. A comprehensive list of required personal items can be viewed here.

All meals from lunch on the first day to lunch on the last day are provided and prepared.  We’re proud of our menu that includes abundant fresh fruits and vegetables, a wide variety of international dishes, and freshly baked treats.  Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated given sufficient prior notification.  We can discuss the menu with you to ensure that we have along the right food for any “fussy eaters”.

Transportation is all-inclusive from the Haida-Way Motel in Port McNeil.  Our network of vans and water taxis will transport you to and from your journey in comfort.

What is not included with our tours:

We do not provide transport from your home to Port McNeil, nor do we provide airport transfers.  Any meals outside the kayak portion of the tour are your responsibility.  Travel insurance for accidents or emergency evacuation is not provided; we recommend you purchase a policy before leaving home.  The trip price does not include guide gratuities; should you feel that the service was exemplary, it is always appreciated.  We suggest 5 to 10% of the trip cost, based on the service and attention provided.