Queen Charlotte Islands - Haida… (trip)

Log in or Register

Queen Charlotte Islands - Haida Gwaii

  • Sandspit Airport, BC, Canada
  • Active & Adventure
Canada, North America

To check availability or book,
contact Bluewater Adventures:

Period offered: May-August. The provider (view their profile) can provide you with specific departure dates, final prices, and other information.


privacy notice
Your email address is safe from marketers! The address you provide will be used to contact this provider just like a regular email message. No third parties will be given access to your email address, nor will we ever sell it to them. TravelDragon hates spam too!
Do you want a brochure/catalog?
How should the provider respond to you?


from $4,750* per person9 DaysMay-August
Comfort accommodations Exertion level: 3
Operator: Bluewater Adventures 16 people max
Haida Gwaii, formally known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is one of the richest biological and cultural areas in North America. This remote archipelago provides unparalleled wilderness cruising and exploring. Aboard our 68’ sailing vessel, we will see ancient native Haida villages, an incredible abundance of wildlife and outstanding wilderness scenery. Our trips primarily explore the eastern and southern shores of Moresby Island, and area called Gwaii Haanas. When you sail Haida Gwaii on a small ship vessel, you can explore Haida Gwaii in a way few people ever get to.

Haida Gwaii is home to some remarkable “old-growth” forests with giant stands of Sitka spruce, western hemlock, red and yellow cedar. The coastal rain forests of the Pacific Northwest - reaching a zenith in these islands - hold the largest accumulation of biomass (living matter) on the planet, even more than tropical rain forests. The forest floors are deeply carpeted with hundreds of species of mosses, salal bushes, huckleberry, and ferns. One of the fascinating ecological aspects is that the alpine zone almost reaches the ocean in many areas here.

This is a fabulous area with over 100 islands, beautiful forested creek walks, rugged exposed headlands, and protected passageways between towering mountains. Theories suggest that parts of Haida Gwaii escaped the last ice age, forming a glacier refuge for certain forms of plant and animal life. How else to explain the presence of plant species found nowhere else in the world, and noticeably different sub-species of bird, fish and mammal? The Charlottes provide a remarkable evolutionary showcase - thus, their description as the “Canadian Galapagos”.

A small-ship cruise through Haida Gwaii allows guests to get up close to nature. Haida Gwaii is home to some remarkable “old-growth” forests with giant stands of Sitka spruce, western hemlock, red and yellow cedar. The coastal rain forests of the Pacific Northwest - reaching a zenith in these islands - hold the largest accumulation of biomass (living matter) on the planet, even more than tropical rain forests. The forest floors are deeply carpeted with hundreds of species of mosses, salal bushes, huckleberry, and ferns. One of the fascinating ecological aspects is that the alpine zone almost reaches the ocean in many areas here.

Tidal changes of up to 23 feet between high and low tide create remarkably rich shoreline marine life. A highlight of the Gwaii Haanas/ South Moresby region is Burnaby Narrows, a 150 foot wide channel connecting the waters of Juan Perez Sound and Skincuttle Inlet. With our naturalist we explore intertidal areas to find many varieties of sea stars, giant barnacles, mussels, clams, snails, urchins, crabs, sponges, chitons, sea cucumbers, nudibranchs and a wealth of other colourful and interesting creatures. We often float through the shallow waters observing the variety of life just beneath the surface.

Loading map, please wait...

Locations visited/nearby

Canada, North America

Comments from Facebook

Special information

  • Family oriented trip.

Itinerary


Arrival day:
Plan to arrive in Sandspit, BC the day before the trip start date to overnight at the Inn at Sandspit. Most
of our guests fly with Air Canada on one of their two daily flights, direct from Vancouver.
Your first night’s accommodation has been arranged at the Inn at Sandspit. You will not require
transportation to the Inn as it is located across the street form the Airport. It is a quick walk (approximately
150 yards), out the main doors and to your right. There are carts available to help you transport your
baggage. In order to facilitate the check-in process, we have reserved a room for you under your name at
the Inn’s front desk. Dinner that night is on your own – we recommend the Inn’s dining room. If you would
like to venture out, Sandspit has a Chinese Restaurant and on some evenings, the Willow Golf Course &
Clubhouse offers dinner.
Please note - your evening’s accommodation at the Inn at Sandspit on June 26th and breakfast the
following morning are included in your Bluewater Adventures Trip Package.

Trip Start: Day 1 - - Begin your day with an a la carte breakfast in the Inn’s dining room prior to your
journey to the Island Roamer. Please allow plenty of time to enjoy your breakfast, as the restaurant cooks
all meals to order.
The group will meet in front of the Inn at Sandspit in the morning. Please be sure to check out of your
hotel room with luggage in hand, prior to this time. You will be greeted in front of the Inn at Sandspit by
our shuttle bus driver/guide for your land tour. You will be transported to the ferry landing at Alliford Bay to
take the ferry across to Skidegate Landing on Graham Island. The ferry crossing takes approximately 25
minutes.
Our first stop will be the beautiful Haida Heritage Centre, Kaay Llnagaay on Graham Island for a guided
tour followed by a traditional Haida lunch, hosted by a local Haida family from Skidegate. Following lunch,
we may have time for a short walk around Spirit Lake before catching the ferry back to Moresby Island.
Then we are off to Moresby Camp to meet up with the Island Roamer and her Crew. After boarding the
vessel, there will be introductions, a safety orientation and cabin assignments. Dinner will be served at
this time too. Depending on the weather we may spend our first evening anchored nearby, or head out of
Cumshewa Inlet to begin our exploration of the southern waters of Haida Gwaii.

Day 2 to 7 - Exploration of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve! We will be spending most of our
time exploring the incredible shorelines and surrounding water of the southern islands of Haida Gwaii.
Daily activities include wildlife watching, shore excursions to explore beautifully forested creek walks and
intertidal zones. While at anchor, there will be opportunities to explore the shoreline by kayak and we will
visit ancient Haida villages. We will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, SGaang Gwaii (Ninstints) to
view the impressive mortuary poles still standing there. Another great stop will be Hotspring Island where
we’ll go ashore for a warm, soothing, relaxing dip and spectacular ocean and forest views. Each evening
we will anchor in a different secluded spot in time for slide shows or discussions on the wildlife sightings
encountered during the day. The daily itinerary remains flexible in order to meet group interests, mind
weather patterns and take full advantage of wildlife sightings.

Day 8 -Trip Finish: July 4th – 11:00am
This trip will finish mid morning. Guests will disembark at Moresby Camp and will be transferred by
charter bus to Sandspit airport. The trip by bus takes one hour. You can expect to arrive in Sandspit by
midday. This will give you time to have lunch and do any last minute shopping at the souvenir shop
located in the Sandspit Airport, prior to your afternoon flight to Vancouver.

More information from Bluewater Adventures: