Adventure 16: Outdoor and Travel Outfitters - Since 1963

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Kayaking Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands)

Kayaking in Canada with Explorer's Corner LLC

Highlights

  • Intermediate sea kayaking
  • 2 nights bed and breakfast lodging, 6 nights wilderness camping in tents
  • Option to combine the north and south portions for a 2-week trip with 12 nights of camping

 

Full Description

Perched on the outer edge of the continental shelf 60 miles from the mainland of British Columbia lies Haida Gwaii, ‘Place of the Haida People.’

Its ancestral name recently restored by the B.C. government, the archipelago was previously called the Queen Charlotte Islands. In May and June, nutrient-rich waters around Haida Gwaii bring more than a million seabirds here to breed. The sea also supports an incredible mosaic of intertidal and subtidal marine life, as well as whales, porpoises, seals and over half of British Columbia’s sea lion population. Thriving in the cool, moist maritime climate are giant red cedars and centuries-old Sitka spruce and western hemlock.  The southern main island of Haida Gwaii is called South Moresby, home to Gwaii Haanas (‘Place of Wonder’) National Park. This new park encompasses 138 islands and 42 freshwater lakes, with the peaks of the San Cristoval mountains — the rugged backbone of South Moresby — rising 3,000 feet above sea level.

Our sea kayak trips traverse the east coast of the archipelago through Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve during springtime, when wildlife and weather conditions are typically in their prime. This paddling odyssey features superb campsites, where we absorb the majesty of the wilderness around us while enjoying gourmet meals skillfully prepared on the campfire. 

It takes two weeks to complete the entire traverse. It’s possible to combine two different one-week trip departures to experience all that Haida Gwaii has to offer in a single 16-day trip. For those joining a 9-day trip only, one trip will paddle the northern half of the traverse, and the other will paddle the southern half. Weather permitting, the southern trip will travel south of Burnaby Narrows through the Houston Stewart Channel to the Pacific Ocean, where we will hopefully visit Rose Harbor and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ninstints, an ancient Haida village. The northern trip will visit the old-growth forest at Windy Bay, enjoy the scenic pools of Hotsprings Island and visit the village of Tanu. On all trips, we will break camp and travel to our next camp taking advantage of low tides to explore the abundant intertidal life. There will be ample time for snorkeling. We will also plan to spend a night with the nocturnal burrow-nesting auks and petrels on trips in both directions.

Includes:

  • The services of two fully certified expedition guides
  • All group equipment including kayaks, paddles, tents, safety gear and communication devices
  • All accommodations as noted
  • Meals as noted (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner) 
  • Transportation from Sandspit to Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve
  • Group transfers as indicated in the itinerary
  • Traditional Haida Feast (farewell dinner)

Excludes:

  • International airfare (round-trip from home to Sandspit, B.C.)
  • Insurance of any kind including mandatory evacuation insurance or suggested cancellation insurance
  • Personal belongings and gear per the Clothing and Equipment List
  • Park fees
  • Excess baggage charges
  • Airport taxes
  • Any extra expenses incurred because of delayed departures of charters or scheduled aircraft
  • Items of a personal nature (clothing, sodas, liquor, snack foods, laundry, souvenirs, etc.)

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1

We arrive independently in Sandspit, B.C. where we are met and transferred to our local B&B. The afternoon is free to walk along the beach, enjoy the peace and quiet, and photograph the eagles. If time permits, we will visit the local museum. After dinner, we’re briefed on the week of adventure ahead.

Day 2

The group will transfer south by motorized boat, a two-hour ride during which we enjoy our first immersion in the gorgeous scenery of the islands and keep an eye out for whales. We arrive at a site in Gwaii Haanas National Park where we share the collective fun of making camp and organizing our kayaks. Time permitting, we will launch the kayaks for a short introductory paddle.

Day 3-7

During the heart of our journey we travel by expedition sea kayak, traversing the east coast of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve between the Haida village sites of Tanu and Ninstints. Highlights include superb campsites on secluded beaches, exploring the intricate world of intertidal life, cooking fresh fish over the campfire, snorkeling in clear waters rich with marine life, walking in moss-carpeted rainforest, and enjoying the presence of marine mammals that are often close by.

Day 8

As we conclude our journey by sea, we meet our charter flight that returns us to Sandspit, where we are transferred to our comfortable bed & breakfast lodgings. After a welcome hot shower, we are treated to a Haida dinner feast in Skidegate.

Day 9

The day is free for further exploration around Sandspit until we meet our early afternoon flight (cost not included) south to Vancouver.

About The Operator:

Explorer's Corner LLC

Headquarters:

Berkeley, CA

Established:

November 2000

About Explorers’ Corner

Explorers’ Corner is a high-end, specialty adventure company offering unique destinations and experiences, custom adventures and “old-world” one-to-one customer service. We stand firmly behind our slogan: Real Explorers Wanted - True Adventures Guaranteed!

Explorers’ Corner was founded in November of 2000 by Olaf Malver. After working in the travel industry for over 15 years, Olaf felt strongly that there was a market of travelers whose “true adventure and exploration” needs were not being met. At a time when the meaning of adventure is being watered down in travel, Explorers’ Corner is dedicated to fostering a community of curious and driven travelers that dare to make their travel dreams come true - only limited by their imaginations. We will provide the leaders and the safety and your participation will enhance the experience.

Explorers' Corner's passion has been to pioneer real adventures that provide an authentic experience rather than buffer you from what these places are all about. If, for example, you join us in an expedition to the Antarctic or to Greenland you’ll be expected to pitch in and do your part to make for a safe and successful journey for all. The reward is that you will have a true and direct experience, which you play an integral role in creating.

Real explorers are flexible and team players: for instance, if the weather changes to the worse then you might have to pitch your own tent, help the team haul your kayak out of the water, and lend a hand with the other camp chores. In a place like the Douro River of Portugal you might have to jump in and get your feet wet, not in the river, but stomping grapes to help the locals with the crush! An authentic experience means making the efforts to get up before the crack of dawn to be the only ones at a Galapagos landing site to watch a Pacific Green Sea Turtle returning to the ocean after a night of laying eggs.

True adventure is seeking out and safely experiencing the fullness of what the world has to offer on its own terms, not terms dictated to it. We say “real explorers wanted, true adventure guaranteed” because we mean it.

Custom Adventures

Making travel dreams a reality is a closely held philosophy at Explorers’ Corner. Therefore, creating and making custom adventures come true for our clients is a large part of Explorers’ Corner’s business. Explorers’ Corner will customize any one of our listed adventures to create a special event for families, groups of friends, or business associates. Guests can request special departure dates, custom activities, or extra accommodations as part of their group adventure. We will work with you to make your ideas come to fruition -- as long as they are seasonally appropriate and your group meets the minimum person requirement.

Explorers’ Corner can also custom design an adventure for our clients to any new place (on Earth, at least!) that only they have imagined exploring — again, providing the trip is seasonable and the minimum persons requirement is met. Bring us your dreams and our travel specialists will work to make your trip a reality. We love to travel, and we love to send travelers to any of the world’s most wonderful destinations.

Explorers’ Corner Founder

Dr. Olaf Malver—CEO, Chief Exploratory Officer. Olaf founded Explorers’ Corner, a boutique adventure travel company, 7 years ago. He, his guides, and his staff have since taken like-minded adventurous folks to far-flung corners of the world. In addition to running Explorers’ Corner, Olaf is a passionate eco-tourist activist working for the United Nations to help promote sustainable tourism in developing countries in the quest to save the world’s natural habitats.

Olaf is a true explorer who has sea kayaked, climbed mountains, dog sledded, and hiked in more than 100 countries spanning 35 years. He's led trailblazing expeditions to diverse locations such as South Georgia, Kamchatka, Antarctica, Pakistan, Nepal, Greenland, Indonesia, Vietnam, Panama, the Nicobar Islands, Zanzibar - and many other "frontier destinations”. Olaf claims many "firsts" in the world of high adventure, such as sea kayaking in Irian Jaya, Burma, North Vietnam, Panama, French Polynesia and British Guyana. He also led the first dog sled crossing across the Northern Brooks Range in Alaska and soloed around Zanzibar in a Hobie Cat. He is a lifetime fellow of the world famous Explorer’s Club, in recognition of his “true” explorations. Olaf is a living proof that the world of modern day exploration is still infinite and only limited by our lack of imagination and dreams! And Olaf is not alone. We have attracted some of the best adventure guides in the world.

Explorers’ Corner Guides

Our guides have more than 80 years of collective guiding experience and have been to over 150 countries, safely leading hundreds of travelers to unique destinations via kayaking, hiking, boating, and biking. They naturally carry with them the mission of Explorers’ Corner—to experience unique destinations and make travel dreams come true. Explorers’ Corner’s seasoned guides include Olaf Malver, Dave Mention, Mick O’Shea, Nancy Moore, Baldvin Kristjansson and many more.