A description of the routes we travel in the Queen Charlotte Islands
Whale and Bird Migration
New Route: Moresby Camp to Tanu
NEW: Hunting and Gathering (Tanu area)
North Route
South Route
South Route: Rose Harbour to Hot Springs
Hotsprings to Moresby Camp
Geological Exploration Trip
Kunghit Island Circumnavigation
Gwaii Haanas
WHALE & BIRD MIGRATION: Late April – Early May 2012
In the northern hemisphere, most animals tend to sense spring and summer sooner than the human animal does. We are still shivering beneath multiple layers of clothing while hundreds of thousands of nesting seabirds are flying day and night, driven by their memories of northern breeding grounds. As early as April, mature schools of herring are making their way to the shallows where they lay their eggs on the fronds of the great kelp forests. And not far behind these nutritious bait fish are the hungry humpback whales who have left their breeding grounds in Hawaii to hunt in coastal waters for the summer.
Join us as we brave the early Spring weather to hopefully catch a glimpse of these incredible animals! Our trip will follow the North Route since it includes places most often frequented by migratory whales and birds.
NEW ROUTE: MORESBY CAMP TO TANU: July 20-27, 2012
Highlights: From Moresby Camp, we will kayak east towards the Hecate Strait through Cumshewa Inlet, stopping at Cumshewa Village and New Kloo (a site chosen by the people of Tanu when it was decided to abandon their home in 1887). Skedans (K’uuna Llnagaay), with its standing mortuary poles and house pits, is an amazing place to experience before travelling south across Laskeek Bay which is rich in marine bird life (and possibly some whales!). Limestone Island is a major nesting ground for ancient and marbled murrelets. We will finish this trip near the village of Tanu (T’aanuu Llnagaay), a site that often leaves the most enduring sense of awe and wonder.
Difficulty: This trip is similar to our North Route, which is a bit less exposed than the South Route.
Start/End: Your trip starts and ends in Sandspit.
Transport: A local zodiac tour operator, Moresby Explorers Ltd., will pick you up in Sandspit and drive you the 1 hour distance to Moresby Camp on a logging road. At the end of your trip, Moresby Explorers will pick you up on a zodiac and take you back to Sandspit. The zodiac ride is 1-2 hours long. *Unlike our other routes, this trip only entails 1 transport and so we can offer it at a reduced rate.
NEW: HUNTING AND GATHERING (TANU AREA): July 27 – August 3, 2012
Highlights: Have you ever wondered if you could do it? If you could survive and thrive off the land and sea as the Haida did for millennia? Well, we have, and this trip will be our first attempt at sustaining ourselves for eight days with the plants and animals we can hunt and gather in the Tanu area. The focus of this trip will not be kayaking per se, but rather kayaking in order to get to places where we can procure food. If Haida Gwaii wasn’t still so rich in life, this might actually be hard core! We are open to your thoughts and have considered allowing food that we have harvested throughout the year to be brought along as well.
Difficulty: This trip is our least exposed route.
Start/End: Your trip starts and ends in Sandspit.
Transport: please copy the Transport section from our North route.
NORTH ROUTE – TANU TO BURNABY ISLAND: August 3 – 10, 2012
Highlights: Our northern journey takes us to the moss covered village site of Tanu (T’aanuu Llnagaay) and the old-growth trees of Windy Bay (Hlk’yah Llnagaay). We also hope to visit the rich intertidal life of Burnaby (Dolomite) Narrows, and take the opportunity to have a mid-trip soak in the natural hotsprings on Hotspring Island (Gandll K’in Gwaay.yaay). The waters on this route are alive with nesting and fledgling sea birds (e.g., pigeon guillemots, ancient and marbled murrelets, black oystercatchers), and the spawning herring in Juan Perez Sound attract the great humpback whales.
Difficulty: Of our two routes, this trip is generally a bit less exposed.
Start/End: Your trip starts and ends in Sandspit.
Transport: A local zodiac tour operator, Moresby Explorers Ltd., will pick you up in Sandspit and take you into Gwaii Haanas. At the end of your trip, Moresby Explorers will pick you up and take you back to Sandspit. A one-way zodiac ride is 2-3 hours long.
SOUTH ROUTE – BURNABY ISLAND TO ROSE HARBOUR: August 10 – 17, 2012
Highlights: Our southern journey includes an exploration of the intertidal life at Burnaby (Dolomite) Narrows (or the equally impressive east coast of Burnaby Island) as well as a visit to the greatest number of standing mortuary poles at the UN World Heritage Site of SGang Gwaay Llnagaay (Ninstints). On this route you will get a chance to experience the energy and wildlife (e.g., Stellar sea lions, tufted puffins, common murres, rhinoceros auklets) of the Pacific Ocean and the opportunity to explore the remnants of the old whaling station at Rose Harbour.
Difficulty: Of our two routes, this trip is generally a bit more exposed.
Start/End: Your trip either starts in Sandspit and ends in Queen Charlotte City, or the reverse.
Transport: A local zodiac tour operator, Moresby Explorers Ltd., is responsible for shuttling you between Sandspit and the Burnaby Narrows area. A one-way zodiac ride is 2-3 hours long. A local float plane operator, Inland Air Ltd., will transport you between Queen Charlotte City and Rose Harbour. The float plane ride is 45 minutes long.
SOUTH ROUTE: ROSE HARBOUR TO HOT SPRINGS: August 17 – 26, 2012
Highlights: This route includes all the highlights of our traditional South Route with the additional possibilities of exploring the rich Juan Perez Sound and soaking in the natural hotsprings on Hotspring Island (Gandll K’in Gwaay.yaay). The extended trip length also allows you to enjoy the pace and rhythm of the place for a bit longer!
Difficulty: Of our two routes, this trip is generally a bit more exposed.
Start/End: Your trip either starts in Sandspit and ends in Queen Charlotte City, or the reverse.
Transport: A local zodiac tour operator, Moresby Explorers Ltd., is responsible for shuttling you between Sandspit and the Burnaby Narrows area. A one-way zodiac ride is 2-3 hours long. A local float plane operator, Inland Air Ltd., will transport you between Queen Charlotte City and Rose Harbour. The float plane ride is 45 minutes long.
HOTSPRINGS TO MORESBY CAMP: August 26 – September 2
Highlights: This route is essentially our Moresby Camp to Tanu route in reverse with the additional opportunities to visit Hotspring Island (Gandll K’in Gwaay.yaay) and the ancient forests of Windy Bay (Hlk’yah Llnagaay) on our way to Tanu (T’aanuu Llnagaay).
Difficulty: This trip is similar to our North Route, which is a bit less exposed than the South Route.
Start/End: Your trip starts and ends in Sandspit.
Transport: A local zodiac tour operator, Moresby Explorers Ltd., will pick you up in Sandspit and drive you the 1 hour distance to Moresby Camp on a logging road. At the end of your trip, Moresby Explorers will pick you up on a zodiac and take you back to Sandspit. The zodiac ride is 1-2 hours long. *Unlike our other routes, this trip only entails 1 transport and so we can offer it at a reduced rate.
Great news! Geologist extraordinaire, Paul Wallace, has agreed to come back again this summer to do a trip with us! We don’t know which trip it will be yet but will keep you posted.
PS. Paul, the real reason we are excited you are coming back is because, your geological knowledge aside, you are such a fun and lovely person to go on an adventure with.Hawa’a!
In addition to its spectacular wildlife and rich cultural heritage, Haida Gwaii has a fascinating geologic history stretching back more than 200 million years that is recorded in rock formations along the shorelines. On this geological exploration trip we will see the remains of giant undersea volcanoes (similar to those in Iceland and Hawaii, only much larger), ancient coral reefs, granite plutons that formed beneath large volcanoes like those in the Andes, and metal-rich ore deposits that drove early explorations of the islands. We will also see sedimentary rocks that formed at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary, a time of one of the 5 most severe mass extinctions in Earth history, when as many as 80% of all living species went extinct. Through these rocks we will learn about the fascinating plate tectonic history that makes this region such a geologically unique place.
This trip will follow our normal South Route but with a few additional stops and a bit more time spent looking at different rock formations along the shores of Gwaii Haanas. Our guide through this geological wonderland will be Paul Wallace, Professor of Geology at the University of Oregon. Paul is not only a wealth of geological knowledge, he is an intrepid kayaker, a kind and helpful touring companion, a wonderful teacher and a dear friend. We are really honoured and excited to paddle with and learn from Paul again this summer!
CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF KUNGHIT ISLAND
For years we looked down the east coast of Kunghit Island (the southernmost island of Haida Gwaii) and wondered what it would be like…..big sandy beaches, stunning shores of sheer rock cliffs, a chance to touch the tip at Cape St. James. It would be a trip for the more experienced paddler, those comfortable with surf landings and spending long hours in the kayak. But what an exciting ride it would be!
In the waning days of summer in late August 2010, Julie Fisher and Jo Hager ventured off from Rose Harbour to realize this long-held dream, and what a journey it was! We gave ourselves 10 days but a weather window opened up early on in the trip and we were around the island in 2 days. It was over too soon and we wanted to go back around and explore the area more fully. So, if you are interested in this trip, please let us know and together we can arrange the logistics for this truly remarkable trip!
Protected in 1988 as a National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, Gwaii Haanas, or Islands of Beauty, are just that, beautiful. It is a place with record-breaking everything: moss, humpback whales, cedars, skies, bald eagles, old-growth forests, black bears, ancient murrelets, sea lions, waves, peregrine falcons, and First Nation history. Lying eighty miles off the northwest coast of BC, they are islands on the edge, apart, and therefore unique. It is something in the air that you sense when you first arrive, and you leave feeling somewhat changed.
Combined, our routes span the length of Gwaii Haanas. Regardless of which route you choose to take, your journey will encompass a wide breadth of experiences. The diverse and ever-changing nature of Gwaii Haanas ensures that no two days are ever alike!