Day Trip

Spend a full day getting back to nature in the Johnstone Strait! The dynamic Johnstone Strait is home to everything from sea stars to orcas and is surrounded by incredible rainforests and mountains. This tour is designed for all ages and ability levels, though you will be paddling for up to four hours, so a certain level of physical fitness is advised. Your guide will provide you with all the instruction and equipment you need to comfortably enjoy a day of spectacular paddling.

We typically encounter bald eagles, seals, massive groves of bull kelp, entertaining jumping herring, sea stars and other intertidal life on our two-hour tours. The beautiful British Columbian mainland mountains create an incredible backdrop for an evening paddle. These tours are appropriate for anyone! Follow along next to your guide and you will likely find something you have never seen before.

ENVISION YOUR TOUR

family fun

no experience required

comfortable kayaks included

Coastal Wildlife

wildlife viewing

wildlife watching

Whales and cetaceans

Trip Focus:

Family fun and relaxed nature interpretation!

Start Location:

Telegraph Cove, Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Arrival Time / Check-in:

9:45 a.m. (30 minutes prior to departure)

Start Time / End Time:

10:15 a.m. / 4:30 p.m.

Start Dates:

Every day from May 18th to September 24th

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 10 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!

Itinerary

Our Day Trip departs from picturesque Telegraph Cove in northern Vancouver Island. You will need to arrive here by 9:45 a.m. on the day of your tour as we plan to be on the water by 10:15 a.m. The day starts with introductions to your fellow adventurers and a brief discussion on safety and paddling to ensure you're comfortable on the water. After being fitted to your kayak, you will be ready to launch from Telegraph Cove's natural harbour. You will have some time to get used to being afloat before we head through the narrow opening to Johnstone Strait and the seemingly unending wilderness beyond.

You will be spending the morning heading north easterly with the spectacular, rugged coast of Vancouver Island to your right, the distant mountains of mainland BC on your left and the dynamic Johnstone Strait in between.

Bring your lunch and something to drink as you will enjoy your meal on a remote beach, overlooking the Johnstone Strait. Marine wildlife frequents this area, so keep your eyes peeled. Groups usually experience incredible marine mammal sightings from the beach during this time.

After lunch, you will begin the paddle back to Telegraph Cove. Again, you will stop to explore areas that abound with the intertidal and invertebrate life that thrives in our cold, nutrient rich waters. We regularly see sea urchins of various colours, ochre stars, leather stars, sunflower stars with many legs, brittle stars, crabs and other shellfish, and an abundance of bull kelp. Naturally, if there are opportunities to observe larger mammals, we will take it. The day trip usually arrives back in Telegraph Cove between 4:00 and 4:30 p.m.

What to bring

Day Trip Packing List

View Download

Tour Map

Starting From

$199

CAD/ADULT

+ Conservation Fee & Tax. Seasonal rates may apply.

One of our most loved tours! Spend one whole day exploring the rugged coastlines of Vancouver Island. Our stable tandem kayaks are perfect for navigating the waters of the Johnstone Strait safely and comfortably. This tour does not include meals so make sure to pack lunch and liquids!

May 18 - September 22