Sea
Kayak Tour Itineraries
Here are brief
itineraries for the variety of trips we offer.
When we look
at the "number of days" a trip is, we don't count your
travel days. Day 1 is the first day of your trip with us. When we
say it's a six-day trip, for example, it's six full days.
For more detailed
trip itineraries, please fill out our Request
Info form and click on the itineraries you would like mailed
to you.
 Inside
Passage - Wildlife
Discovery
- Day 0:
Arrive in Port McNeill, British Columbia, on the northeastern
shore of Vancouver Island, by air or road.
Introductory evening meeting with your guides and fellow travelers
after settling into your comfortable hotel or B&B.
- Day 1:
Early morning water taxi ride from Port McNeill to your first
island campsite.
After introductory camp and kayak orientation, an afternoon of
exploring by kayak.
Evening in camp
- Days 2-3:
Day trips from camp explore channels and islands, seashore intertidal
life, search for eagles nests and forest wildlife on the low tide
beaches. Great opportunities to see whales on some of the possible
routes.
Evenings in camp
- Day 4:
Pack up and paddle to a new camp, passing across the waters of
Blackfish Sound, home of the largest variety of marine mammal
life in the region.
Arrive at new camp. Afternoon paddling and drifting on the currents
that bring small fish to the surface for the sea birds to feed
on.
Evening in camp
- Day 5:
Day trip from camp with a focus on searching for whales.
Evening in camp
After dark, a “night paddle” to experience the incredible
glowing, bioluminescent waters of the Inside Passage.
- Day 6:
A final day of kayaking and searching for whales in the Johnstone
Strait area, savoring the final moments of your incredible week.
Late afternoon water taxi arrival back in Port McNeill.
An evening get-together with your co-travelers and guides for
dinner in town.
Optional add-on days - Supplement your kayaking adventure with
an extra day of grizzly watching or whale watching.
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Wildlife Discovery page
 Inside
Passage - Orca/Humpback
Odyssey
- Day 0:Arrive
in Port McNeill, British Columbia, on the northeastern shore of
Vancouver Island, by air or road.
Introductory evening meeting with your guides and fellow travelers
after settling into your comfortable hotel or B&B.
- Day 1:
Early morning water taxi ride from Port McNeill to your first
island campsite.
After introductory camp and kayak orientation, an afternoon of
exploring by kayak.
Evening in camp
- Day 2:
Circumnavigate an island that is prime territory for humpback
and minke whales, harbour and Dall’s porpoises, seals and
otters, and black bears who are frequently seen on its beaches
by passing kayakers. Orcas also commonly pass by one side of the
island. Numerous small islands and islets surround this island
and the kayaking is simply gorgeous.
Evening in camp
- Day 3:
Pack up and paddle to a new camp, passing across the waters of
Blackfish Sound, home of the largest variety of marine mammal
life in the region.
Arrive at new camp. Afternoon kayaking through nearby islets,
where seals haul out porpoises and whales are common.
Evening in camp
- Day 4-5:
Day trips from camp in the most beautiful sections of the Johnstone
Strait shoreline.
Our panorama from camp offers many miles of Johnstone Strait and
Vancouver Island shoreline to scan for whale activity. Whales
often pass within feet of shore.
Evening in camp
After dark,
a “night paddle” to experience the incredible glowing,
bioluminescent waters of the Inside Passage.
- Day 6:
A final day of kayaking and searching for whales in Johnstone
Strait, looking for telltale blows and then fins breaking the
surface.
Late
afternoon water taxi arrival back in Port McNeill.
An evening get-together with your co-travelers and guides for
dinner in town.
Optional add-on days - Supplement your kayaking adventure with
an extra day of grizzly watching or whale watching.
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Orca Humpback Odyssey page
 Wild
Orca Adventure
A
sea kayaking tour focused on discovering and learning about whales
in the wild.
- Day 0:
Arrive in Port
McNeill, British Columbia, on the northeastern shore of Vancouver
Island, by air or road.
Introductory evening
meeting with your guides and fellow travelers after settling into
your comfortable hotel or B&B.
- Day 1:
Early morning water taxi ride from Port McNeill to our Wild Orca
campsite. After introductory camp and kayak orientation, an afternoon
of exploring and whale watching by kayak and from camp.
- Days 2-3:
Always searching for signs of passing whales, our daily paddling
routes from camp can take us along rugged shorelines, past cliffs
where eagles perch, through hidden lagoons, into Blackfish Sound,
the Inside Passage’s richest wildlife waters, and most of
all, where the orcas come to feed on salmon.
- Day 4:
A final day of kayaking and searching for whales in Johnstone
Strait, looking for telltale blows and then fins breaking the
surface.
Late afternoon water taxi arrival back in Port McNeill.
An evening get-together with your co-travelers and guides for
dinner in town.
Optional add-on days - Supplement your kayaking adventure with
an extra day of grizzly watching or whale watching.
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Wild Orca Adventure page
 Mothership
Voyages
Luxury, Mothership-based sea kayaking and cruising
in orca waters and all along the Inside Passage.
Itineraries
vary by trip and location and can often be customized to your preferences.
Most trips are 5 - 7 days in length.
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Mothership Voyages page
 Baja
Vacations
Occasionally Northern Lights offers Mothership-based
and camping/kayaking adventuring in Baja. Sea kayaking, snorkeling,
hiking and relaxing in the sun.
- Day 1:
Arrive at port of departure (generally the city of LaPaz, Baja
California, Mexico)
Meet with your guides and group.
Dinner in town and night in a seaside hotel.
- Days 2-5:
Cruising, kayaking, wildlife watching, beach combing, snorkeling
and hiking. You'll have many options each day.
- Day 6:
Arrive back in La Paz late afternoon. Dinner and overnight in
town.
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Baja Vacations page
 Guest
House
Lodge-based
sea kayaking in the wilderness.
- Day 0:
Arrive in Port McNeill, British Columbia, on the northeastern
shore of Vancouver Island, by air or road.
Introductory evening meeting with your guides and fellow travelers
after settling into your comfortable hotel or B&B.
- Day 1:
Day-long, boat-based grizzly bear watching trip into the Great
Bear Wilderness.
Late afternoon arrival at the Guest House, introduction to the
kayaking portion of your trip and a restful night .
- Days 2-4:
Day trips from the guest house, exploring channels and islands,
seashore intertidal life, searching for eagles nests and forest
wildlife on the low tide beaches. Exploring wilderness waters
in remote channels, bays and inlets. After dark, a “night
paddle” to experience the incredible glowing, bioluminescent
waters of the Inside Passage. Look for bears on the beaches, visit
ancient village sites, and listen for the howling of wolves.
You always have your comfortable guest house to spend evenings
in and the exceptional meals of our Blackfish Café .
- Day 5:
A final morning of kayaking, savoring the final moments of your
incredible adventure.
Early afternoon water taxi return to Port McNeill – we’ll
take a leisurely trip back, right through the heart of whale watching’s
best waters, past the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve whale sanctuary,
taking time to looks for orcas and humpback whales along the way
.
Optional add-on
days - Supplement your kayaking adventure with an extra day of
boat-based whale watching.
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Guest House page
 Grizzly
Watching
The
bears of the coastal islands and fjords - Grizzly and Black Bears
Trips begin
and end in the historic boardwalk village of Telegraph Cove, a 30-minute
drive or taxi ride from Port McNeill.
Any Day: Drive
to Telegraph Cove or take a taxi.
Viewing by Boat
- June & July: 7:30am to 4:00pm
- August & September: 7:00am to 4:30pm
Platform Viewing
- August 25 to mid-October: 7:00am to 4:30pm
Evening at hotel or Departure
Note: Telegraph Cove is a 1 hour drive from the Port Hardy airport.
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Grizzly Watching page
 Whale
Watching
A
full day ride on a quiet, high-speed whale watching vessel. Great
for photographing whales.
Any Day: 10am
to 4pm from Port McNeill harbour. 5-minute walk from your hotel.
Note: Port McNeill is a half-hour drive from the Port Hardy airport.
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Whale Watching page
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