Burnaby Island to Ninstints - Sea Kayaking Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands)

This kayak tour traverses the southern section of Gwaii Haanas National Park and Haida Heritage Site between Burnaby Island and Anthony Island (Ninstints). It’s an area known for it’s rugged beauty, excellent wildlife viewing opportunities, and spectacular campsites.

Heading south from Burnaby Island, we cross Skincuttle Inlet, and pass the abandoned Haida village of Haigi, long since deserted as a result of the smallpox epidemic. We also pass by the former town site of Jedway, a community that developed to extract the mineral deposits in the area. It also has long since been absorbed back into the environment by the magnificent forests of Haida Gwaii.

Towards the southern end of the trip, we turn into Houston Stewart Channel, separating Moresby Island from Kungit Island, also the location of Rose Harbour – an abandoned whaling station.

Near the end of the kayak tour we will visit the poles at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ninstints (SGang Gwaay Linagaay), weather and sea state permitting. Our final campsite is usually on the west side of Haida Gwaii, looking out into the open pacific. Please note that some tours may start near Ninstints and travel north to Burnaby Island.

Haida Gwaii is a wildlife viewers dream. There are 750,000 seabirds breeding in Gwaii Haanas National Park, more bald eagle nests per kilometre of shoreline than anywhere else in Canada, and the highest breeding density of Peregrine falcons in the world. One third of British Columbia's Steller sea lion population calls Haida Gwaii home and humpback whales may be seen throughout the park. Burnaby Narrows has some of the highest levels of living material (called biomass) of any intertidal zone in the world.

Haida Gwaii has at least 39 distinct subspecies of plants and animals including the Haida Gwaii black bear which has developed exceptionally strong jaws in order to take advantage of the abundance of hard shelled seafood available - they are the largest black bears in North America.

Burnaby Island to Ninstints Kayak Tours

Departure Point: Sandspit, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands)

Dates:  2012 and 2013 Tour Dates ... July 16 to 23, 2012 July 23 to 30, 2012 July 30 to August 6, 2012 ... July 15 to 22, 2013 July 22 to 29, 2013 July 29 to August 5, 2013

Cost: $2500 CAD per person plus tax

View taxes and other currencies +/-

Approximately $ USD plus tax
Approximately € EUR plus tax
Approximately £ GBP plus tax
Approximately $ AUD plus tax

Taxes: Canadian Residents pay 12% HST. Visitors to Canada only pay 6% HST as our multi day kayak tours qualify for a 50% tax rebate at the point of sale.

All prices are charged in Canadian funds. Your credit card company will convert to your home currency using their exchange rates. The above foreign exchange prices are approximate and for reference only and are updated daily using rates provided by www.coinmill.com

Includes: National Park user fees of $120 per person is included in the above price.  We provide you will all the necessary kayaking and camping equipment, including kayaks, paddling jacket, PFD (life jacket), group shelters, tents, sleeping pads, camp chairs and sleeping bags(you may bring your own). A comprehensive list of required personal items can be viewed here. All meals during the kayak trip are provided and prepared by your guides. 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. Transportation is all-inclusive from Sandspit by our network of vans and water taxis and/or float planes.

What is not included: We do not provide transport from your home to Sandspit, nor do we provide airport transfers. Accommodation in Sandspit is not included. 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.

Suggested reading: All of our kayak tours carry a small library of field guides and local history books, including many listed below. We recommend the below books if you want to learn a bit about the area before visiting. Each title is linked to Amazon.com and will open in a new window.

The Queen Charlotte Islands Book 2: Of Places and Names
Ninstints: Haida World Heritage Site
The Golden Spruce: A True Story Of Myth, Madness, And Greed
Raven's Cry
Islands at the edge: Preserving the Queen Charlotte Islands Wilderness
To The Charlottes - George's Dawson's 1878 Survey of the Queen Charlotte Islands
A Guide to the Queen Charlotte Islands
Chiefs of the Sea and Sky: Haida Heritage Sites of the Queen Charlotte Islands

Charts: You do not need to bring charts on this kayak tour. Your guides have charts of the area and will review them with guests each day. If you wish to bring your own copy of charts the following are needed for this kayak tour. Each chart is linked to the corresponding page on the Canadian Hydrographic Service's website and you can search where to buy these charts locally (links will open in a new window).

Chart 3808 - Juan Perez Sound - 1:37,500
Chart 3809 - Carpenter Bay to/à Burnaby Island - 1:37,500
Chart 3825 - Cape St. James to/à Houston Stewart Channel - 1:40,000

The below chart covers the entire area of this kayak tour but not does provide the same level of detail as the above charts
Chart L/C3853 - Cape St. James to/à Cumshewa Inlet and/et Tasu Sound - 1:150,000