Sea Kayaking Base Camp - Kayaking with Orca's

Sample Itinerary - Orca Base Camp

Day 1 - Meet in Campbell River, BC
Meet your guides in Campbell River, British Columbia Canada. Although our launch point is Telegraph Cove, Telegraph Cove it is difficult to get to and lodging can be expensive, while meeting in Campbell River is easy to find with plenty of economical accommodations, large stores for last minute items and entertainment abound. Campbell River is also cheaper to arrive at than any destination farther north. Ride our Expedition Van to our launch point.

Your guides give a basic but thorough kayak instruction and trip discussion, then pack the kayaks with our guides support. It’s time to board your kayak and paddle in to the Orca realm! You are immediately immersed in this spectacular area which is frequented by the Northern Resident Orcas. Keep your eyes and ears open for your first exciting sighting of this incredible marine mammal!

We paddle at a leisurely pace to the camp which we call home for the duration of the trip. We beach the kayaks, unload our gear and set up the base camp. Enjoy a shore lunch prepared by your guides and then spend a while exploring the shoreline, while watching for passing Orcas and other wildlife.

Listen to the portable kayak hydrophone for the call of the Orcas. Have your camera ready for those snapshots you won’t want to miss. After a fantastic afternoon spent familiarizing ourselves with this area we return to camp to enjoy a tantalizing dinner and desert. Enjoy an early evening paddle to take in the majestic sunset or a night paddle to see the Bioluminescence. Return to camp to enjoy a beach fire and spend an evening sharing stories with new found friends.

Day 2 - Wake up to Wilderness, Whales and Eagles
Poke your head out of your cozy tent and be inspired by the beauty of your wild surroundings. Join us for an early morning paddle to view the sunrise and an opportunity to see wildlife when they are most active, seeking out their breakfast as this beautiful world awakens.

Return to camp and after enjoying a gourmet cup of coffee and a hearty breakfast, then we will set out to explore the area around Robson Bight Ecological Reserve.

We will also enjoy a short, easy hike to view an inspiring waterfall and spend lunch on the shore while we gaze in to the distance watching for Orcas, Dall’s Porpoises and other whales. When we see Orcas from the shore, we scramble for our cameras and binoculars and exclaim in delight at the site of these amazing mammals. It’s OK to jump up and down, you have the ground beneath your feet! When we are in our kayaks, we do not disturb or approach the Killer Whales. We give way to them and do not chase or harass them maintaining the 100 meter required distance from them at all times.

The Orcas know full well exactly where we are and are at no time a concern to us, and give us the show of a lifetime as they interact with each other and express their intelligent curiosity at the sight of us. Sometimes the Killer Whales travel in a sleeping line, or they spy hop. Learn all about the Orca’s behavioral patterns from your experienced guides. 

Enjoy another delightful dinner and another opportunity for an evening or night paddle. Then sit beneath the stars around the camp fire as we reflect on the last two days adventures. Retire to your comfortable tent complete with expedition Thermarest sleeping pads with a view of the Johnstone Strait.

Day 3 - Sea Kayaking Early - Great Rewards
Taking advantage of the opportunity for another early morning paddle, not wanting to waste a minute of our last day in Johnstone Strait with the Orcas, we venture out in our kayaks and once again are awestruck by the beauty of this area. Return to camp for breakfast. It is time to pack up camp and stop to take a look around this place you are reluctant to leave.

We paddle along the remote shoreline making the most of seeing the Orcas and other wildlife. We hear the Eagle as it calls out it’s goodbye’s to us. We enjoy a beach lunch, and smile to ourselves as we take in the home of the Orca, closing our eyes to impress this image in to our minds forever, so that we may always remember. We paddle back to Telegraph Cove, where we started this journey.

We unpack our kayaks, some will take the opportunity to have a hot shower (with a small donation for shower use), and then spend some time walking through Telegraph Cove to visit the Bones Museum. The exhibits are our final insight into the life of Johnstone Strait and the whales that call it home as well as other marine mammals including a Fin Whale.

Most say this trip has been the experience they will never forget, many call it life-changing. We wish you to take from it all that you can.

Return time: Return time to Telegraph Cove is approximately 2:30 pm, return time to Campbell River at approximately 6:00 pm.

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