Our History - Connecting People with Local Community & Ecology

Early WCE intertidal lesson with Jerry Lang

West Coast Expeditions has been the passionate consumption of marine educators who've fallen in love with the Kyuquot area and people. We've been connecting our guests with the local community, native culture, and ecology for over 35 years, and specifically through sea kayaking trips in Kyuquot for over 20 years.

Started in 1972 by Okanagan College biology teacher Jerry Lang - "Uncle Jerry" - WCE first introduced colleagues, friends and students to the wilds of Kyuquot on excursions with a marine biology theme. In the beginning these were base camp expeditions from nearby Granite Island using motorized launch to access remote destinations, including sport fishing activities. Jerry relocated the WCE base camp to our current location on Spring Island in 1977 after Transport Canada decommissioned the Loran station.

Everyone's Uncle Jerry, early 1970's at Granite Island

Rupert Wong spent many summers as a child and youth helping his Uncle Jerry and grew to know the places and people of Kyuquot. Rupert, also a marine biologist, became a partner in the company in 1988. In addition to the boat-based marine ecology tours, Rupert introduced kayak touring to the area making WCE one of the pioneer sea kayaking tour operators on the British Columbia Coast.

After 20 years with WCE, Jerry sold the company to Rupert in 1992. Together with a growing talent pool of kayak guides and camp staff, WCE continued to grow through the 90's with sea kayak and boat tours designed to "educate, motivate, and inspire", keeping a constant connection with the ecology, culture, and community of the Kyuquot area. WCE was a passion and hobby for Rupert.

The charismatic Rupert Wong

In 2005, after 17 years of WCE ownership, Rupert moved on to full-time consulting as a professional biologist specializing in watershed restoration. He continues to work with the Kyuquot community and Interfor. Mike Simpson, a guide with WCE since 2002, then bought WCE to keep the magic of our Spring Island site and experiences alive.

Together with his wife and assistant kayak guide, Kim Letson, they breathed new life into the layout and comfort of our base camp systems and shared an infectious and welcoming love of the place to anyone who came within hailing distance. By the turn of the last century, WCE was now almost exclusively self-propelled, focussing only on sea kayaking tours and instruction.

The inimitable and dearly missed, Mike Simpson

Sadly, Mike passed away in February 2007 after a brief struggle with a very late diagnosed brain tumour. For the next season, Kim ran the company together with son Brian, long-time friend Paul, and WCE lead guide, operations manager, and close friend, David Pinel.

Dave, guiding with WCE since 1995 and managing operations for seven of those years, had the same Spring Island addictions of all before him. He too has training in marine biology, is a passionate and skilled educator, and has been long-time active developing professional sea kayak guiding practices in British Columbia. He is an integral part of the West Coast Expeditions story - having worked in Kyuquot with Jerry, Rupert, Mike, Kim, and almost all other WCE guides and staff. Thirteen years into this love affair, he (and wife and fellow guide, Caroline) purchased WCE in the spring of 2008 together with Chris Nagle and Bev Hansen. Chris has stepped back from an ownership role but remains part of the guiding team. 

In many ways, the newly described "Wilderness Sea Kayaking Retreat" element of West Coast Expeditions builds on the work of all before us while actually returning to our roots and Jerry's early years, using our Base Camp facilities and location as the perfect platform for family adventures, group learning, field study programs (colleges, universities, and high schools) and researchers.

Together, Dave, Caroline, Bev, and the rest of our team welcome you to become part of the present and future of West Coast Expeditions - Much more than sea kayaking, since 1972!

Rupert, a skilled kayak fisherman, still returns with family and friends