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The remote wilderness of Gwaii Haanas National Park in British Columbia offers the perfect location for this small group trip. Travelling on a comfortable yacht allows you to watch black bears, humpback whales, Pacific-white sided dolphins, orca and a wealth of seabirds.

Explore Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site - one of North America’s richest biological and cultural areas. The shores of Moresby Island contain Gwaii Haanas National Park, an area of immense natural beauty that comprises over 100 islands, forested creeks, rugged headlands and sheltered channels between towering mountains.

Travelling on board a comfortable sailing yacht allows you to easily roam the sheltered waterways and search for an array of wildlife. Several cetaceans frequent these waters, including humpback whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins and harbour porpoise, and in early summer Steller’s sea lions often occupy the beaches. Other hopeful sightings include, Risso’s dolphin, Dahls porpoise, orca and maybe even sperm, fin or minke whales. The islands’ rich ecosystem supports breeding colonies of more than a million seabirds and in between a visit to ancient Haida villages, we look for Haida Gwaii black bear, sometimes seen foraging along the shoreline. 

This isolated archipelago is difficult to reach and rarely visited, cruising in these waters provides an exceptional opportunity to journey through a unique, pristine wilderness. Travel to shore on inflatable Zodiacs, walk on beaches that may have seen no other footprints, and anchor in secluded bays. Your naturalist guide will help identify coastal plants, animals, birds and marine life and there's time to explore the protected waters and shoreline using our stable sea kayaks. 

Typical Itinerary

  1. Day 1: Fly to Vancouver

    Fly from the UK to Vancouver; depending on your arrival time, you may have time to explore the city. Please note: you’ll be unaccompanied until you join your vessel on day 3. 

    Accommodation: Hotel in Vancouver, 1-night

  2. Day 2: Fly to Sandspit

    Fly from Vancouver to Sandspit. Spend the afternoon at leisure. 

    Accommodation: Local hotel, 1-night

  3. Day 3: Visit Haida Heritage Centre, ferry to Moresby Island & board boat

    Today, enjoy a land tour of Haida Gwaii, transferring to the ferry landing at Alliford Bay to take the ferry across to Skidegate Landing, on Graham Island (a 25-minute crossing). Your first stop is a guided tour of the newly renovated Haida Heritage Centre followed by a traditional Haida lunch, hosted by a local Haida family from Skidegate.

    Afterwards, you take the ferry back to Moresby Island and board your vessel, anchored at Moresby Camp. Once cabins are assigned, participate in a safety orientation followed by dinner before spending your first evening anchored in a sheltered bay.

    Accommodation: Island Odyssey or Island Solitude, 7-nights

  4. Days 4-10 : Explore Gwaii Haanas National Park

    Over the next week or so, you sail to the south of the island to explore Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. Around these islands the Pacific Ocean drops off to incredible depths, and the nutrient rich waters are tempered by warm offshore currents, resulting in a variety of whale species frequenting the waters. Pods of orcas may be seen just about anywhere, and groups of humpbacks congregate throughout the season. Pacific white-sided dolphins and porpoise can also be seen from the boat. Floating through the waters at low tide provides an opportunity to see and learn about a vast array of intertidal species.

    The best time for birds is May and June, when the spring plankton bloom creates a rich influx of food that supports breeding colonies of up to a million seabirds. Above us, eagles and a wide array of seabirds can be seen, and constant companions include marbled murrelets, common murres, phalaropes, and gulls. Other colourful species such as tufted puffins, horned puffins, rhinoceros auklets, black-footed albatross, black oystercatchers, and pigeon guillemots can also be seen. With such abundant bird life, raptors, such as the peregrine falcon, are common.

    While the wildlife in itself is magnificent, to have the backdrop of the ancient coastal rainforests of the Pacific Northwest and Haida Gwaii make it all the more powerful. Here you can find the largest accumulation of biomass on the planet.

    Each day you explore on small boat excursions or shore landings, and your naturalist guide will help identify coastal plants, animals, birds and marine life. There's time to explore the protected waters and shoreline using stable sea kayaks, and you spend each evening in a different secluded anchorage.

  5. Day 11: Disembark, transfer to Sandspit & depart

    The cruise ends with your arrival back at Moresby Camp this morning, when you disembark and transfer to Sandspit airport by private bus for an afternoon flight back to Vancouver.

    Accommodation: Hotel in Vancouver, 1-night

  6. Day 12: Depart Vancouver

    This morning is free for you to explore before your international flight back to the UK. 
  7. Day 13: Arrive UK

Please note: Some departures spend one extra day cruising the islands of Haida Gwaii, and as a result the trip is one day longer.

Key info

  • Duration and price including flights from/to UK: 13 days from £6,055 pp
  • Duration and price excluding international flights: 11 days from £4,675 pp
  • Single supplement: On request – please contact us.
  • Trip type:
    Voyage
  • Group size: 12
  • Group Departures: View all departure dates
  • Included in the price/package:
    • 7 nights wildlife cruise in shared cabin
    • 2 nights hotel in Vancouver (flight inclusive package)
    • 1 night hotel in Sandspit (flight inclusive package)
    • All meals on board the boat
    • All excursions with on board naturalist guide
  • Activities available:
    • Birdwatching
    • Boat trip
    • Culture
    • Kayaking
    • Zodiac cruising
Featured locations:

Haida Gwaii

The peaks of the seven largest islands of this archipelago rise like a submerged mountain chain, with the tallest perpetually capped in snow. Fiords plunge into the sea, misty forests cover their flanks and windswept sandy beaches lie at their feet and the continental shelf plummets into the Pacific Ocean. Find Out More about {acc:title}

  • Where: British Columbia
  • Ideal for viewing: blue whale, humpback whale, minke whale, orca, sperm whale
  • Excellent for: Wildlife cruises, Whale watching, Dolphin watching

Gwaii Haanas National Park

Arguably one of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in the world, Gwaii Haanas National Park is a remote reserve of 138 islands in the southern Haida Gwaii. The park – a place of wonder – is an untamed wilderness, home to a superb array of marine life and land species, including the humpback whale. Find Out More about {acc:title}

  • Where: British Columbia
  • Ideal for viewing: blue whale, humpback whale, minke whale, orca, sperm whale
  • Excellent for: Wildlife cruises, Whale watching, Dolphin watching

Moresby Island

One of the two largest islands that form the Haida Gwaii, the San Cristobal Mountains form its backbone and rise over 1,200 metres. The higher elevations are dominated by mountain hemlock and alpine tundra, whereas the lower elevations are mainly cedar, pine and western hemlock, becoming densely wooded. Find Out More about {acc:title}

  • Where: British Columbia
  • Ideal for viewing: blue whale, humpback whale, minke whale, orca, sperm whale
  • Excellent for: Wildlife cruises, Whale watching, Dolphin watching

Vancouver

British Columbia’s largest city stands in a fine coastal setting, against a backdrop of lofty tree-covered peaks - a great starting point to any wildlife holiday in the province. There is plenty to see in this lively, multi-cultural city, such as exploring Stanley Park on foot or by bike. Find Out More about {acc:title}

  • Where: British Columbia
  • Excellent for: Activity & adventure, City stopover, History & culture
This itinerary is available on the following cruise vessels:

Island Odyssey

Island Odyssey is a 21-metre ketch-rigged yacht, designed for cruising the coastlines of British Columbia and Alaska. Originally built as a luxurious private yacht, she has been renovated to update the cabins and all safety systems. Accommodation consists of eight double cabins, showers and a lounge/library. Find Out More about Island Odyssey

Island Solitude

The Island Solitude accommodates 12 guests in large, spacious cabins, each with two lower berths and an en suite bathroom. At 24 metres in length, she has been built locally and specifically designed for cruising the coastline of British Columbia in search of the prolific wildlife to be found there. Find Out More about Island Solitude