Canada: Paddling the Coastal Wilderness of Haida Gwaii

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 Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. 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 and Haida Heritage Site 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 17-day trip. For those joining a 10-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.