Half Day Trip

Join us for four hours of non-intrusive sea kayaking in the dynamic Johnstone Strait! Our half day trip spends either the morning or afternoon exploring islands, remote beaches, and the rugged coastal shallows of Vancouver Island. This tour is designed to be comfortable and approachable for all. Your guide will ensure that you enjoy this introductory sea kayaking experience.

Our half-day trip typically heads east towards the Blinkhorn Peninsula! Sit atop shallow underwater habitats, home to weird and wonderful intertidal creatures. Venture to deeper water and watch bald eagles fishing, seals sunbathing, and porpoises calmly trolling by. With an emphasis on wildlife encounters, scenery, and nature interpretation, our professional and experienced guides will ensure your experience is one to remember!

Though our shorter tours are sometimes treated to incredible orca, humpback, sea lion, and dolphin encounters, we do not guarantee any larger marine mammal sightings. If larger wildlife is something you would like to see, consider joining us on a multi-day tour! The longer you spend on the water, the better your chances of spotting wildlife become.

ENVISION YOUR TOUR

high quality kayaks included

no experience required

seals and sea lions

whales and cetaceans

wildlife watching

unforgettable coastal views

Trip Focus:

Family fun and relaxed nature interpretation!

Start Location:

Telegraph Cove, Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Arrival Time / Check-in:

7:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. (30 minutes prior to departure)

Start Time / End Time:

8 a.m. to 12 p.m. / 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Start Dates:

May 16th - September 21 - Daily

Meals Included:

None - bring a snack and something to drink

Experience Required:

None - we use stable tandem sea kayaks and provide all required kayaking equipment

Suitability:

This trip is suitable for all over 8 years old

Other Options::

This tour is available as a private adventure!

Trip of a lifetime!!!! If I could give 10 stars I would! This is an experience of a lifetime and North Island Kayak is a top notch company. I did the 5 day base camp trip and would highly recommend this trip length to everyone, it just adds to the list of amazing sights and wildlife you will see. And yes, we saw orca (day 3), humpback whales (day 2, 3 and 4 I believe), giant stellar sea lions, seals, porpoise, blue herring, eagles, salmon, lions main jelly fish……the list goes on! Connor and Brad were our guides and they were AMAZING! Knowledgeable, friendly and fun; they didn’t make us lift a finger! And the food! Seeing orca was of course the highlight of my trip but the food was a close second! You will not go hungry and you will ask for seconds and thirds!

dunkeltl
12/06/2023
Feeling one with nature The views and silence were amazing and we had dolphins and sealions swimming close to our kayak. We also saw seaotters. We just felt so one with nature in our kayak. Incredible!

Gijshertje
10/08/2023
“Trip of a Lifetime!!!” What an incredible adventure!!!! This was a trip we had wanted to do for a long time and I had such... read more

R5925XSpeterf
8/29/2022
“Trip of a lifetime” Our three day kayak adventure with North Island Kayak was a trip of a lifetime! Reid and Mia took... read more

mbelore
8/29/2022
Trip of a lifetime Our three day kayak adventure with North Island Kayak was a trip of a lifetime! Reid and Mia took excellent care of us - they were so experienced, knowledgeable, hardworking and prioritized our group's safety and comfort. Their attention to all the details made this experience extra special. The food was incredible, base camps were super comfortable and scenic, and we were lucky to experience so many amazing wildlife encounters (Orcas!!). It was a magical three days in one of the most stunning corners of Canada. Thank you Reid, Mia and North Island Kayak!

mbelore
8/29/2022
Unforgettable trip! Amazing trip! What an incredible experience!
I was so lucky: superb guides - Brad and Josh, a friendly group, good weather and lots of wildlife.
Brad and Josh went above and beyond to make our trip safe, comfortable and fun. They cooked great meals and are so knowledgeable about the area and kayaking. Never once did i feel unsafe.
The only drawback from the trip was the lack of maintenance of the compost toilets in some of the camps.

rbkprz2016
8/29/2022

Trip Features

WILDLIFE

While we do not guarantee sightings on any of our tours, Johnstone Strait attracts an abundance of marine mammals during the summer. Your guide will be using marine VHF radios to communicate with other guides regarding wildlife sightings. If there are any reports of orcas, humpbacks, bears, or other mammals in your immediate area, your guides will do their best to ensure your group does not miss the opportunity to see them!

EXPERIENCED SEA KAYAK GUIDES

Our outstanding team of certified guides is the backbone of our company, facilitating your experience from start to finish. On trips, our guides fill the roles of group leader, paddling instructor, naturalist, risk-manager, weather forecaster, chef, and wildlife tracker.

QUALITY EQUIPMENT

We provide all kayaking equipment for our day tours. Come with the clothing and personal items noted in the ‘What to Bring’ section and we do the rest. Some of the equipment we provide for our trips includes:

DOUBLE KAYAKS: safe and stable, the best way to enjoy your tour together!
DRY BAGS: Photos are a must, having a waterlogged phone is not.
PADDLES, SPRAY SKIRTS, PFDS, AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT: The essentials for safety and comfort.

FLUID ITINERARIES

No two trips are the same! We pride ourselves on our fluid itineraries. The weather, tides, wildlife, and interests of groups are different every trip. Because of this, we both trust and empower our guides to adapt the trip as they see fit, so you can have the best experience possible!

What to bring

Day Trip Packing List

View Download

Tour Map

Starting From

$159

CAD/ADULT

+ Tax. Seasonal rates may apply.

Spend four hours kayaking and enjoying the unparalleled scenery and wildlife around Telegraph Cove. This tour is just long enough for you to encounter all sorts of wildlife, especially during mid-July to early September. This tour does not include meals so make sure to pack lunch and liquids!

May 16 - September 21