British Columbia: Telegraph Cove Vancouver Island, Sea Kayak Adventures Offers an Amazing Orca Adventure.
The waters off northern Vancouver Island provide an exceptional chance for active families to kayak among orcas and enjoy a quick getaway.
Here’s the scoop. The Vancouver Island sustains one of the world's most diverse ecosystems from rainforests, marshes, and mountains to beaches, rivers, and lakes. And it is framed by awesome ocean currents secret bays and oodles of rich tide pools. The location is nurtured by family-friendly islanders who care about Mother Earth. The region remains one of the world's premier locations for whale watching making it an ideal spot to share with children of any age. During select weeks in the summer Sea Kayak Adventures offers an amazing orca adventure created with families in mind.
New for 2011 – A Quick Family Adventure. The new four-day guided paddling
trips offered in July, August, and September weave through the wilds of British Columbia’s Johnstone Strait off northern Vancouver Island. The new shortened “Orca Quick Adventure” is is ideal for families and novice kayakers and similar to their six-day kayak tours in the area. This narrow sheltered orca freeway is world renowned for its summer congregations of hundreds of “killer whales” following the salmon runs funneled from the sea into this specific area. In fact, Canada is the first and only country in the world to establish and maintain an orca preserve there. The Michael Biggs Robson Bight Orca Preserve is set aside specifically for this unique species called “northern resident orcas”.
Participants will paddle two-person sea kayaks through the glacier-carved waterways between Vancouver Island and the rugged mountains of mainland British Columbia. Along the way, they’ll get close to wild orcas, because the strait is a traditional gathering place for these whales. Guides scan the calm waters for spouts and point out whale behavior. Bald eagles dot the towering trees along the shore, feasting as do the orcas on the prolific salmon runs here.
The group will also explore the area’s rainforest on foot, visit the ancient First Nations sites, visit with orca researchers and hopefully glimpse a black bear from their kayaks. Each night, they’ll camp on secluded island beaches where they can watch orcas from their tents and count millions of stars.
Why this trip? Visit the first and only orca preserve in the world; paddle among salmon-eating orcas; enjoy sheltered waters and quick tour perfect for novice paddlers. Best of all seein orcas is guaranteed in August or you get a free orca-watching day cruise.
Editor’s notes: Kayaking is the ideal way to explore the maze of islands, sheltered waters off Vancouver Island and it is also the best way to observe marine wildlife – not just orcas but also minke whales, dolphins, porpoises, cranky sea lions, and friendly seals. And if you need one more opinion in 2010
Travel + Leisure magazine named Vancouver Island one of North America's Best Whale-Watching Spots.
Planning details. Normally trips depart from Port McNeill on Vancouver Island BC Canada –weekly July through mid Sept (four or six days paddling; USD $1195 or$1450/person).The prices includes camping and kayaking equipment, meals, kayaking instruction and guide services. Youth receive 10% of the above prices.HST tax and airfare not included.
Make it happen. For further information contact Sea Kayak Adventures, toll-free 1-800 - 616-1943 or
www.seakayakadventures.com Content and images provided by Sea Kayak Adventures Gary Luhm and Terry Prichard. Comments by Nancy Nelson- Duac, Co - founder and Editor FTF. Copyright 2011.
