Kayaking Vancouver Island - Kayak Tours British Columbia

Wilderness Sea Kayaking Retreat & Tours in Kyuquot Connect  ~  Experience  ~  Refresh   Truly Diverse West Coast Adventures

Kayak with sea otters in Kyuquot on northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia! West Coast Expeditions invites you to share in the joy, wonder, and discovery of the best kayaking that Vancouver Island offers - a luxurious base camp or expedition kayaking vacation in Kyuquot Sound. This is coastal British Columbia at its finest! West Coast Expeditions' kayak tours and base camp accommodations on remote Spring Island are ideally situated for some of Canada's most spectacular west coast kayaking. Wildlife viewing abounds from your kayak with sea otters, or viewing black bears as they forage along the rich Vancouver Island shoreline. With options for novice to expert paddlers, families, groups, couples, and independent travelers consistently appreciate our professionally guided kayak tours, delicious menu, and unmatched First Nations cultural and community interaction.

Specializing in Kyuquot since 1972!

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	"You have changed the way I'll walk across beaches and through the woods forever..." - Sandi Munro, Vancouver, B.C. [ read more of our guests' comments ]

Connecting with coastal ecology - owner & guide, Dave Pinel, introduces the voracious sunflower star!

Our location on idyllic Spring Island, British Columbia, is unlike anywhere else in the world! Off the beaten path, the journey to the remote coastal kayaking and comforts of our kayak camp in Kyuquot are well worth it! Picture yourself kayaking in the spectacular Kyuquot Sound area, removed from the summer crowds visiting Johnstone Strait, the Broken Group and Pacific Rim National Park, Clayoquot Sound, and Nootka Sound and the Nuchatlitz Islands. Our multi-talented and flexible staff cater professionally guided west coast Vancouver Island kayak tours and instruction for a wide range of interests and abilities. Our camp is enjoyed by newborns and 80+ year olds, and all ages, interests, and abilities. Once you've experienced a kayaking adventure, family event, or wilderness retreat with West Coast Expeditions, you'll want to keep coming back year after year!

A kayaker's paradise - image copywrite Gordon Ross Photography

We know the area intimately - it's our backyard. We love sharing this with guests and want you to fully relax and become absorbed in your eco-adventure holiday or group event, savouring the coastal wilderness of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. This area is home to the welcoming Ka:'yu:'k't'h' / Che:k:tles7et'h' (Kyuquot - Checleset) First Nations' people. Since 1972, West Coast Expeditions has operated almost exclusively in the areas of Kyuquot Sound, including the Mission Group Islands, Rugged Point Provincial Park, Checleset Bay, the Bunsby Islands, the Acous Peninsula, and the Brooks Peninsula. We help you to learn about native culture and are committed to respecting and collaborating to support local community aspirations, cultural protocols, and ecological stewardship objectives.  Our Park Use Permits and First Nations permissions are in place. We care about this home, and consciously work toward minimizing our carbon emissions and ecological footprint.

Simplify! Reconnect with yourself, family, friends, and wild places! Join us for your family sea kayaking holiday at our base camp, expedition sea kayaking vacation, or group event. Experience and appreciate the coastal camping luxuries of this wilderness kayaking retreat with:

Relax with remote base camp comforts and conveniences

• spacious walk-in tents privately situated on scenic waterfront sites
• dream-friendly thick mattresses and fluffy pillows on wooden beds
• inviting dining and activity shelter with cozy wood stove
• scrumptious multi-course meals featuring local & fresh ingredients
• propane-heated shower with picturesque ocean views
• extensive resource library and intriguing natural history collection
• daily choice from a diverse fleet of single & double fiberglass kayaks
• activity options for all weather with inviting shoreline & forest trails
• early sunshine, evening light, and stunning sunrises and sunsets

Native elder Chris Jules preparing a salmon dinner

Our professional guides will facilitate a truly diverse experience catered to your interests in this remarkable place.  You can relax and shed the stresses of everyday life while exploring small island and islet paradises. You will be lured to see what's under the next rock or around the next corner, or lulled into a blissful afternoon beach nap.

Relax with your playful, curious, and calm self! With unparalleled kayaking options from scenic sheltered waters to more rugged outer coastlines, let us introduce you to charismatic sea otters, bizarre creatures in colourful tide pools, the lush layers of magnificent old growth coastal rainforest, the marine birds and mammals that pass us on the water, and our friends and family in the local First Nations community of Kyuquot.

Enjoy and share our passion for good food! A balanced and healthy diet is essential to maintaining energy and enjoyment on an adventure trip. “Fresh and Delicious” is our food motto, and we pull inspiration from all corners of the globe to appeal to diverse palettes. We are blessed to operate in an area of natural abundance and locally sourced fish and seafood are incorporated into our meals whenever possible. Our garden on Spring Island provides us with fresh herbs and produce throughout the summer.

Base Camp Kayak Trips & Adventures - Kayaking the Mission Group, Kyuquot Create multi-generation family or group memories Our Spring Island Explorer kayaking adventure and vacation packages offer you 4 days, 5 days or 7 days in this spectacular remote west coast setting. Our kayak trips introduce you to this home of the fascinating sea otter and the traditional territory of the Ka:'yu:'k't'h' (Kyuquot) First Nations people. Whether new to kayaking or a seasoned paddler, the options are plentiful. Most of our guests return - often several times - eagerly anticipating the diverse kayak day-tripping destinations from our ideally situated base camp on Spring Island. Compared with expedition paddling, our established camp allows more time to relax and explore each day, and makes night times more luxurious (particularly by camping standards!). We use a mixed fleet of single and double kayaks to access serene and spectacular beaches, estuaries, islets, sea otter viewing opportunities, tide pools, geologic curiosities, dramatic shorelines, and enchanting old-growth forest walks. At the end of each day, you're likely to feel the wonderful sensation of having experienced something special without having been too rushed to enjoy the moment.

Expedition Kayaking - Brooks Peninsula & Bunsby Islands Truly getting away - a foggy morning at the Brooks Our Destination Brooks Peninsula (8 or 9 days) or Bunsby Islands and Beyond (7 days) kayaking trips, as featured in Men's Journal (May 2008), are indeed "real adventures for mere mortals". Either could be the trip-of-a-lifetime designed for experienced kayakers. Join us for one of these more committing expedition-style educational kayak trips through the rugged territory of the Che:k:tles7et'h' (Checleset) First Nation, amidst the wild riches of Checleset Bay Ecological Reserve and the Bunsby Islands, and toward the dramatic Brooks Peninsula. We operate with important First Nations permissions and BC Park Use Permits in place -- fully respecting the areas we visit and honouring local relationships.  Home to over 1000 Sea Otters  Starting from our base camp on Spring Island, you will venture through a mix of exposed and sheltered waters to access remote islands and expansive sandy beaches. This is the true west coast of British Columbia at its finest. Once near the Brooks Peninsula, we are most likely to share the ocean swell with diverse marine creatures - this can include Killer Whales, Minke Whales, Grey Whales, Humpback Whales, Harbour Porpoises, Stellar Sea Lions, Sea Otters, Tufted Puffins, Marbled Murrelets, and the giant Mola Mola (Sunfish).

Instructional Kayaking Programs Practice new skills... or watch with warm drink in hand! Our Novice (7 days) or Intermediate (5 days) Instructional Mission Group packages take full advantage of our base camp amenities to maximize the learning adventure of each day. Our Intermediate Instructional Expedition (7 days) uses the finest of west coast classrooms to build your kayak touring knowledge, skills, and judgement. All of these instructional programs are designed to make you a more competent captain of your own ship, which includes knowing when it's best to stay on shore, and how to resolve common kayak touring decision-making challenges. Each day's lessons are interwoven with practical opportunities to apply the learning while touring and fully experiencing what this world-class paddling area has to offer. By request, we can arrange for group training that includes Paddle Canada skills certification, or guiding certification programs through the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of British Columbia.

Wilderness Sea Kayaking Retreat and Field Research Station - Groups & Events Group presentation in the comfort of our dining shelter Customize a Family Reunion or Event (weddings, birthdays, annual vacation gathering) with a modified Base Camp Kayaking Adventure package or facility rental that takes full advantage of our coastal wilderness setting, local knowledge, kayaking expertise, and base camp infrastructure. This Wilderness Sea Kayaking Retreat is regularly enjoyed for family gatherings with toddlers, tykes, teens, twenty-to-sixty-somethings, matriarchs and patriarchs. The sheltered beach, waterfront tent sites, dining shelter, comfortable private outhouses, propane heated shower, resource library, kayaks, trails, and island separation from black bears and cougars makes our site well-suited to a diverse and relaxing holiday.  Our facilities and location as a Field Research Station is rich with options for field study courses (secondary and post-secondary institutions) in marine biology, coastal ecology, forest ecology, geology, protected areas and conservation, and cultural studies. Researchers also find our facilities to be an excellent affordable base while pursuing a similar range of studies. We provide an unmatched comfortable wilderness platform as a refreshing alternative for Corporate or Organizational Leadership Training, or Themed Programs (e.g., yoga and kayaking, photography and adventure writing).

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