More Sea Kayaking in British Columbia
Barkley Sound
Clayoquot Sound
Desolation Sound
Gulf Islands
Johnstone Strait
Nootka Sound
Queen Charlotte Islands
Vancouver Island
BRITISH
COLUMBIA
Home
BC
Map
BC
Cities List
Vancouver
Victoria
BC
Travel Regions
BC
Rockies
Cariboo
Country
The
Islands
Northern
BC
Thompson
Okanagan
Vancouver,
Coast & Mountains
More
Sea Kayaking
Idaho
Montana
Oregon
Washington
|
British Columbia
Sea
Kayaking
Vancouver Island
List with GoNorthwest!
Smooth paddling and calm weather
can be found at many Vancouver Island paddling
destinations. Go Northwest!
photo by Dave Dean.
Vancouver Island, located off of the
west coast of British Columbia, Canada offers sea kayakers unparalleled beauty, rocky
shorelines, fjords, expansive wind swept beaches, concentration of orca
whales, and climates varying from Mediterranean to cold, windy and harsh (click
for Vancouver Island Google map).
Vancouver is the largest
island off the Pacific Coast of continental North America -- larger than
many European and Asian countries.
At its narrowest Vancouver Island is 39 miles
(65 kilometers) and 58 miles (97 kilometers) at its widest.
The Island stretches
southeast to northwest along the western coast of British Columbia.
The west coast of the island is exposed to the
full force of the ocean, winds and waves. The coastline on the west side of
Vancouver Island includes deep cut fjords, vast sounds with sheltered and
exposed islands, high mountains rich with timber and wildlife.
The east side of the
island, faces the Straight of Georgia and the southwestern mainland of BC.
On the east side of the island one will discover richly forested lands,
rivers and streams brimming with fish, quaint villages and cities, and
winding rolling roads.
Kayakers will find many
once-in-a-lifetime kayaking experiences off of Vancouver Island. Top sea
kayaking destinations around Vancouver Island include:
-
West Coast:
Barkley Sound
and the Broken Group Islands comprise one of the three main recreational
components in
Pacific Rim National Park.
The popularity of these islands with paddlers and boaters has soared
over the past decade. Barkley Sound lies south of Ucluelet and north of
Bamfield on the west coast of Vancouver Island, covering an area of
approximately 800 square kilometres that includes hundreds of islands.
-
West Coast:
Clayoquot
Sound. Located just north of the Broken Islands with the city of Tofino
acting as launching point for expeditions in this area. Clayoquot
Sound offers kayaking adventurers miles of sandy beaches to the north
and south,
islands of old-growth cedar, migrating grey whales, sea lions,
porpoises, hot springs, and a temperate climate.
-
West
Coast: Nootka Sound. Located on the west coast of North Vancouver
Island, approximately 45 miles (70 km) north of Tofino. Nootka Sound
offers kayakers sheltered coves, rocky coastlines, remote sandy beaches
and dense rainforest. The waters are rich with wildlife, including gray
whales
-
East Coast:
Gulf Islands.
Located on the south east coast of Vancouver Island in the Strait of
Georgia between mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island, the Gulf
Islands are a unique archipelago of Mediterranean like islands. The Gulf
Islands are made up of over 200 Gulf Islands in total within which there
are six main islands, Gabriola, Salt Spring, Galiano, Pender, Mayne and
Saturna
-
East Coast:
Johnstone
Strait. Located north of the Gulf Islands, in the Strait of Georgia
between mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Offering THE
best opportunities to observe orca "killer" whales from your kayak.
Johnstone Strait offers sheltered waters, rich marine life and rugged
beauty.
Vancouver Island paddling experiences can
take the shape of base-camping and day paddling near to civilization or it
can accommodate paddlers looking for expedition-type paddling in extremely
remote locations. There are years worth of paddling ahead of you when you
launch your boat in these waters!
|
Please report
broken links to:
info@gonorthwest.com
Go Northwest!
Bookstore
Best selection of books on the Northwest.
Click here!
 Kayaking Vancouver Island: Great Trips from Port Hardy to Victoria
by Gary Backlund, Paul Grey
Paperback - April 1, 2003
Using a
guidebook format with journal-like entries from their own travels, the
authors cover detail on launch sites,
lunch sites, currents, tides,
local mythology, folklore and history,
local conditions, charts, marine weather and
coastal regulations.
Order Now. . .
 Easykayaker: A Guide to Laid-Back Vancouver Island Paddling
by Paul Grey, Gary Backlund
Paperback: 192 pages, Greyswan Publications, January 1, 2002.
Focuses
mainly on eastern Vancouver Island and other popular Vancouver Island
paddling locations ranging from the Gulf Islands to the Broken Group and
Nootka Sound.
Order Now. . .
 The
Wild Coast 1: A Kayaking, Hiking and Recreational Guide for North and
West Vancouver Island by John Kimantas.
Paperback, 300 pages,
Whitecap Books, June 15, 2005. ISBN: 1552856488.
This guide to kayaking
and exploring the west coast of Vancouver Island covers the history,
geography, ecology, and attractions with color photographs and maps.
Each of 11 chapters describes a distinct area, with attractions,
amenities, ecology, Native and European history, place names, landing
sites, campsites, and trivia all included.
Order Now. . .
We appreciate your orders. They help keep
Go Northwest! online.
Northwest Books
from . . .
Shopping at
Go Northwest!
|
