Kunghit Waters - Totems and Whales in Southern Gwaii Haanas

2027 marks our 36th season operating trips in Haida Gwaii. We run this Haida Gwaii kayak tour itinerary in the remote southern portion of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. The trips are timed for the best weather and structured as journeys that include what we feel are the two most compelling features of the tour area: one of the largest seabird colonies on the British Columbia coast and the best waters in Haida Gwaii for encounters with humpback whales, and on occasion, Orca whales, as well as the standing totem poles at the SGang Gwaay village (Ninstints), a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Located 130 kilometres (80 miles) off Canada’s extreme northwest coast, the islands of Haida Gwaii (meaning Haida Place) are home to the Haida, an indigenous people with a formidable seagoing lineage and a remarkable artistic tradition. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve (Gwaii Haanas means Place of Wonder) was founded to protect the natural and cultural integrity of the remote southern portion of the archipelago.

Sea kayaking routes on Canada’s west coast rank among the best in the world, and experienced paddlers regard Haida Gwaii, formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, as the best of the best. You’ll travel the Islands in style with the best equipment available. Each day, your guides will surprise and delight you with freshly prepared meals that reflect Tofino Expeditions’ reputation for high-quality trip food and campfire cuisine.

Your guides take you on a multi-day kayak-camping journey through the southern portion of Gwaii Haanas, where sea lions lounge on rocky haul-outs; gulls, petrels and tufted puffins perch on cliffs; humpback and orca whales glide through the channels and straits; and tidal shallows are scattered with brightly coloured sea stars.

Since we began running trips in Haida Gwaii in 1991, one of the most remarkable changes has been the number of Humpback whales we see. The net change in the North Pacific Humpback whale population since 1989 is a large increase — the population has roughly doubled, from the low tens of thousands to today's ~30,000 in the North Pacific. As a result, our Gwaii Haanas trips are now marked by encounters with Humpbacks, both offshore and, most excitingly, shallow-water feeding close to our campsites. Rarer but very memorable encounters with transient pods of Orcas are a feature of early-season trips.

Feel the silent power of the standing totem poles at the SGang Gwaay (Skung Gwaii) UNESCO World Heritage Site. Float through the richest inter-tidal life on the planet at Burnaby Narrows. Experience the incomparable blend of landscape, cultural history, and wildlife that make Gwaii Haanas National Park truly a place of wonder.

Tofino Expeditions has been operating trips in Haida Gwaii since 1991. As one of the most experienced kayak guide teams in Gwaii Haanas, we know the Park in a way few paddlers do. All of our trips are run with tandem expedition kayaks because their added speed (at least 25 percent faster than singles) and stability ensure safety, comfort, and route success. Our Gwaii Haanas program is operated by the same Canadian company I founded in Tofino in 1989, which has been running trips on the BC Coast ever since.