Location,
Location, The Real Story
The internet offers great
advantages for those searching for their next adventure. At the
same time, it seems to have turned into the most confusing source
of information as well. In the unique Inside Passage waters we paddle
through, the visibility through the water can be as much as 100
feet. The internet waters, however, are as muddy as can be. At Northern
Lights, our goal is that our web site help un-muddy those waters,
so when you finally arrive at our paradise, you’ll be floating
over the best places of those profoundly clear ocean waters.
 This
one spot on Earth just happens to have some of the best sea kayaking
routes you could imagine. At the same time, it is the epicenter
of activity for many of the Northwest Coast’s killer whales.
No place in any ocean has this concentration of orcass. And our
camps are located at the focal points, where the greatest numbers
of orcas most frequently pass close to shore.
The maps below
show the essential paddling and whale travel areas of our area of
the fabled “Inside Passage.” The “routes”
the whales most commonly travel are shown for all three of our local
species: orca (killer whale), humpback
and minke. The areas of shoreline where
our camps are located are also shown. And finally, some of the other
companies’ camp sites, claimed to be the “ultimate”
in the area, etc., and a few notes to help paint the clearest picture
we can for you of what your adventure would be like if based at
any of the camps: ours or theirs.
Great
Kayaking Waters Include These Elements:
Variety
of Shoreline Topography:
One of the magic elements of sea kayaking is finding a whole new
view around every corner. Or a new habitat for another species.
The routes from Northern Lights’ camp sites enable us to seamlessly
transition from ideal habitat for orcas to secret coves where we
know seals will likely be. Or we can round a corner and come into
sight of a beach where we know a bear can often be found scavenging
for crabs. Spots where orcas stop to hunt for salmon, where the
currents push herring to the surface for the porpoises to feast
on. Long, straight shorelines simply don’t offer these habitats.
Variety and Abundance of Wildlife to be Found:
While Johnstone Strait has its share of orcas, the areas near Robson
Bight have little else. The further you go from the center of our
kayaking waters, the rich “transition zone” of Blackfish
Sound and the waters surrounding Hanson (Yukusam) Island, the less
variety of wildlife you’ll find.
Waters
You Can Actually Paddle in (Non-Restricted Waters):
If you are camped at the edge of an area that’s off-limits
to boating of any kind, including kayaking, you’ve only got
one way to go – the other way, along a straight, often windy
shoreline. One company camps at the boundary of the only ecological
reserve in the world specifically set aside to give killer whales
a body of water where they won’t have to encounter any boats.
So not only can they only paddle one direction from camp (the other
direction), but being set on the edge of a sanctuary isn’t
in our code of environmental ethics and shouldn’t be in anyone’s.
To top it off, whales visit this sanctuary no more than other areas
kayakers frequent; it’s simply one small, special area that
has been set aside where the whales can have the highest level of
peace when they do pass through. We don’t paddle near the
ecological reserve and we don’t believe setting up camp on
its boundary is the way to show care and respect for the whales.
Protection
from the Wind (and therefore waves):
Where’s the rough water? Look for straight coastline, a lack
of bays, inlets, or channels between islands. Our camps are located
where there is almost always safe, calm water to paddle in, even
when it’s blowing hard in Johnstone Strait and kayakers there
are – or should be – stuck safely on shore.
Scenic
Beauty:
We locate our camps where our views are of natural forests rather
than clear-cut patches, gorgeous sunset views, less, rather than
more, boating traffic in sight, and no signs of “industry.”
Each of our camps is specifically chosen because it includes all
of these elements. Camps near the Robson Bight ecological reserve
see clear-cut logging areas and even the smoke from a nearby logging
camp. Boat traffic is nearly constant as well, 24 hours a day, along
Johnstone Strait near Robson Bight Ecological Reserve.
How
You Get There:
Some of the outfitters– especially those whose camps are near
or across from the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve – bring
in guests via a long, often rough, boat ride up nearly the entire
80-mile length of Johnstone and Chatham Straits, including the roughest
sections of water. The shoreline is practically unbroken by variety
and in the waters of Johnstone Strait, it can be a very uncomfortable
trip, as well as taking valuable time away from your kayaking adventure.
All Northern
Lights camping adventures begin with an early water taxi ride to
camp. The trip takes about 40 minutes on almost perpetually calm
waters, protected from any wind by groups of islands large and small.
We pass some of the most wildlife-dense spots on the BC coast en
route, making the trips to and from camp some of our guests’
favorite parts of their trips.
On
Multi-Day Trips, a Variety of Routes to be Kayaked Each Day:
From our camps, there are least as many great day trips as there
are nights we spend in each camp. Take a look at the maps to imagine
where you might go from each of our camp areas. And of course take
a look at the shoreline where the Robson Bight area camps are located.
The same goes for those located along the long, straight shoreline
of Vancouver Island along Johnstone Strait. Where are you going
to go?
Plus,
Again On Multi-Day Trips, No Need to Change Camp Sites Each Day
It’s a fun adventure to pack up and move camp, loading all
your goods and traveling as fully-contained bands of sea gypsies
from one camp site to the next. For many, that’s part of the
essence and allure of sea kayaking. But it does take time, so once
a week is enough! The key in not needing to move each day is in
locating each camp at a site where you can enjoy more than one superb
paddling route from the particular camp. And that’s one of
the key elements in each of our site choices.
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