Kayaking Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, and the Great Bear Rainforest

Our trip was the highlight of my entire stay in Canada – four perfect days! We saw so many animals: humpback whales, seals, deer, bald eagles, oystercatchers, salmon, starfish, jellyfish, and even orcas. Our guides Wendi, Kailey, and Emma made the experience unforgettable. They shared their vast knowledge about the ocean, tides, sea life, plants, and wildlife, and also gave us great paddling tips that made kayaking easier and more fun each day.

The camp on Hanson Island has several beaches where you can watch wildlife. The tents are well spaced out and very comfortable, and there’s an outdoor kitchen with a big table where meals are enjoyed together when at camp. In good weather, we also had meals on the beach or at a viewpoint on the rocks – simply magical.

The food was outstanding – fresh, creative, and delicious, with three meals a day plus snacks and desserts. As vegans, we were always provided with special dishes that were just as tasty and inventive as everyone else’s.

At night we could hear whales blowing near the camp – an incredible experience. Sea kayaking was new for us, especially with the pedal-operated rudder in addition to the paddles, and it was so much fun.

I would book this tour again without hesitation and recommend it wholeheartedly.

Michèle

My trip with Kingfisher Wilderness Adventures was nothing short of extraordinary. The combination of expert guidance, intimate group size, and the stunning scenery of British Columbia made for an unforgettable experience. Each day brought new adventures and a deepened appreciation for the wilderness. Can't wait for my next adventure with them!

We did the 4 day orca/grizzly bear tour. The Kayak portion was excellent but I did not like how the cabins were assigned. The guides say, “you figure it out between you” and this resulted in a competitive race to get the cabins. We were left with the tent closest to the kitchen (because we did not join the race) which meant that as a light sleeper, I did not sleep well and it impacted the enjoyment of the trip. Unless there was a change in this process (suggest that people draw numbers and get their choice accordingly), I would choose a different company. If they made a fairer process for tent selection then I would recommend Kingfisher. My advice to future groups is to determine your method for selecting cabins at your pre-trip meeting. For the grizzly tour, know that you cover a lot of ground on the boat and we did not see any grizzlies.

The 6-day kayaking tour exceeded our expectations. Declan and Babs were the best guides you could wish for for this experience. They gave us ALL THE INFO on camping and kayaking. We saw whales every day and learned a lot about life on and in the water.
We expected a lot or fun and a good time but surely didn't expect a trip this spectacular and full of so many interesting facts. The camps were chosen daily depending on the group and the weather, and we always felt included in the decision-making process. We were very comfortable with the group, especially given thé small size. The food was always delicious and varied. We definitely recommend this tour. Once in a lifetime experience.

Everyone who is able, should add one of these tours to their bucket list! Experience of a lifetime. Yummy food, knowledgable and fun guides (great with kids too). Comfortable base camp. Memories made that we will cherish forever!

Tausend Dank an Kelsie und das Team für die tolle Tour, die wir in den letzten 4 Tagen hatten. Ganz viel erlebt, viele Tierbeobachtungen, tolles Essen, super Betreuung und Anleitung, und dann auch noch sehr gutes Wetter - wenn wir nicht so eine weite Anreise aus Berlin hätten, würden wir immer wieder mit den Kingfishers fahren.

World class outfitter in out-of-this-world nature Kingfisher's guides, equipment, and hospitality exceeded all expectations. My friend and I did the 6-day Whales and Wildlife Tour. I've done multi-day trips in San Juan Islands and Baja, and I have not had better outfitters. Our guides Declan and Babs were experts in sea kayaking, camping, marine wildlife, conservation, indigenous culture, and hospitality. We felt educated, entertained, cared for. So many awe-inpiring moments and laughs. Can't recommend it enough. Just know you will get rain and you will be putting on soaking wet paddle gear in the morning -- it sucks for 2 minutes and then is quickly over-shadowed by the joy of another day paddling with whales in some of the world's most beautiful landscape!

I did the 4 day family base camp whale watching tour with my husband and 2 kids (6 yrs and 9 yrs) and it is one of the best things we've ever done. The guides were amazing, the food was delicious and we were lucky enough to see humpbacks and orcas.
Andrew the owner was super accommodating of all our needs and was so passionate and knowledgeable about the local wildlife and the local area, and we loved our guides who made the whole experience so smooth and fun.
Definitely book a family tour with Kingfisher if you want a unique experience with your kids that they'll always remember.

Kingfisher and Johnstone Strait ROCK! The guides were thorough, friendly and safety-conscious. Base camp was fantastic, with roomy tents, comfy beds, terrific views Paddling distance increased each day to allow us to get used to the boats and improve our skills gradually. Guides made it possible to run the trip easily with everyone from non-paddlers to experienced ones. The amount of wildlife we saw was outstanding. We were able to view humpbacks, transient and resident orcas, dall's porpoises, pacific white-sided dolphins, seals, sea-lions, bald eagles, cormorants, ducks, auks and many species of invertebrates, many of them id'd by our guides. Each night at dinner we helped the guides enter all species seen on the day in a logbook.

Guiding at it's very best!! Our Whales and Wildlife Kayaking trip was a fabulous experience from start to finish. Our guides, Ben and Jeff were super knowledgeable and friendly. They looked after us all amazingly well and the whole experience totally exceeded our expectations.