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 explore 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
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Day 1:
Visit Haida Heritage Centre, ferry to Moresby Island & board boat
Enjoy a land tour of Haida Gwaii, discovering the rich Haida culture. Transfer 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 Roamer, 7-nights
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Days 2-7
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Explore Gwaii Haanas National Park; whale watching & wildlife excursions
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.
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Day 8:
Disembark
The cruise ends with your arrival back at Moresby Camp this morning, when you disembark and transfer to Sandspit airport by private bus.
Please note: Some departures spend one extra day cruising the islands of Haida Gwaii, and as a result the trip is one day longer.
EXPEDITION VESSEL
EXPEDITION VESSEL
