Excellent guides who were caring knowledgeable and very respectful of the ecology and the long indigenous history of the area. The equipment was top notch and the camp sites were amazing. Unfortunately we had some bad weather and our guides consideration for our safety meant we had to end early. The biggest hitch was a group of guests who behaved in an entitled manner abusing the kayaks, appearing the be disinterested in the "slow" details of the guides historical education and generally disrespecting the guide. They looked after themselves and left the group early and probably left no tip. To the guides I say please remember those of us who appreciated your hard work and didn't blame you for the weather. I highly recommend this tour. read more

Fantastic adventure in the Broughton Archipelago with top level guides, food and equipment. Brad and Georgia were extremely skilled guides. Encouraging, knowledgeable, hard working, attentive, fun. We felt safe and cared for. Ben and Matt created meals that were amazing - such a lovely daily food experience. We saw such diverse wildlife and paddled through beautiful coastline. We loved every moment. We will be back for sure. read more

My husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary with a 3-day 2-night guided kayak tour. The guides Dan F and Johnno were personable, knowledgeable and great cooks to boot. Each Basecamp was outfitted with tents, a kitchen that accommodated grilling and cooking gourmet meals that were designed for the specific dietary needs of the group. We were a group of 10, all marine wildlife enthusiasts but hailing from around the world. The conversations were all fascinating and seeing the pod of orcas swim by us as we kayaked is a memory we will all cherish forever. Other wildlife siting included bald eagles nests, families of bald eagles, humpback whales, a river otter enjoying a meal on our beach, seals and porpoises. Tidal creatures identified include sea stars, moon jellies, lion mane jellies and water jellies. Highly recommend! read more

See all

My wife and I went on a 4 day backcountry kayak trip with North Island Kayak, August 24-27, 2023. We had a great time! The gear provided to us was clean and in great working order, and we felt fully supported. We ate extremely well, and accommodations were made for any dietary considerations for everyone in our group. Each base camp had large tents that each couple or individual had to themselves, complete with cots and air mattresses. I cannot say enough good things about our guides Bree and Naomi - they were excellent! In addition to all of the support they provided in basecamp - they prepared all the food, and always had warm drinks, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc, as well as snacks at the ready, they also were great guides on the water, sharing their extensive knowledge and passion of the area and the wildlife - it was like having our own personal naturalists on our 4 day trip. Their love of the area and the work they do was easy to see and feel. We were lucky to see whales every day of our trip, and were visited by a pod (or more) of orcas early one morning (3:45 am) - they stayed in the area right off the beach at our campsite for over an hour where we heard them splashing and vocalizing! I highly recommend this trip, operator, and especially, the guides if you want an opportunity to see some of the most beautiful and untouched wild lands, animals and mammals in a fun, safe and comfortable environment. read more

Of all the wild and wonderful and exciting things we did on our Canadian Vacation, this had the majority vote as favorite activity. Maybe it was the simple fact that it was a calm and peaceful "adventure" in a whirlwind week of exhausting outings. Of the 10 of us there on vacation, five of us signed up for their half day tour which was from 8-12. I had seen some videos on youtube of close encounters with orca on kayaks and I really wanted to try it! However, I knew going in that a sighting was not guaranteed and they usually have more luck on the longer day or multiple day trips. Still....it was definitely worth the money to try and even tho we didn't see any orca on our trip, we still had a great morning. Our guides, Scott and Julian, gave us plenty of pre-kayak instruction which was necessary as hubby and I are novices. In fact the one other ocean kayak we had done off the Keys of Florida almost ended with one of us murdered in the mangroves. We decided this trip that I would be up front and hubby would be in the back and steer. We had a few tense moments before hubby realized that even tho he was steering, he had to follow my paddling pace in order to propel gracefully. Like marriage, once he realized who was REALLY in control, everything went smoothly and we could easily outpace everyone in the group if we wanted. Scott and Julian set us up with our "skirts" and raingear and got us settled in our two man kayaks without us even getting wet. They were great guides, friendly, funny and very educated about the flora and fauna we saw along the way (did you know they actually have a college degree in "Tour Guide" in BC??? "Oh yeah, last semester I took rafting, skiing and kayaking" Talk about a dream college!). They made the trip very interesting by gingerly picking up starfish and sea urchins for us to handle, always making sure to put them back where they found them. They eventually took us (I think) across the Johnstone Strait to a rocky beach where we took a break and had snacks. They told us about the local native tradition of making little stone men that would be a sort of message to travelers. We all made our stone men and women (I'm pretty sure my lady's message was "Well, hello there sexy traveler! Come see me in my hut sometime."). Apparently the locals call August "Faugust" as every day the bays are covered in a deep fog that usually will burn off by early to mid afternoon. So our trip, gliding quietly and smoothly over the glass-like water in the fog, occasionally hearing the blowspouts of the Dalls Porpoises close by, was both creepy and utterly beautiful. Sure it decreased visibility, but it heightened your sense of hearing as well as the excitement of coming upon a little island or a porpoise suddenly in the water. As we paddled back in the late morning, the fog burned off and enabled us to see all the landscape we'd missed going in. Just a perfect trip. Hubby and I have plans to return to this area someday, without the family and the crazy cram everything into every minute of the day schedule. When we do, maybe we'll sign up for the day trip with North Island. I wanna give those orcas another chance to star in my video. read more

See all

We were students quite keen on seeing the orcas, we were told by the man on the phone that there was a 50% chance. But upon further kayaking and discussing with the guide (mixed in with my own experiences with a Bachelors degree in ecology) it was rather evident there was no or little chance of ever seeing the orcas on a full day trip. We were all extremely disappointed, though our guide was excellent (only reason this is 2/5, not a 1/5). However we did see porpoises, eagles and a black bear cub. But when you live and explore BC these are not the experiences you pay $163/person. If you want to see orcas take a motorised boat, or rent your own kayaks and launch them in the area, or other areas known to contain pods. Visited July 2014. read more

Just went on the full day trip and it was an intense experience. Let me start off my saying that the staff and tour guides are awesome. Everyone is super friendly and understanding especially if this is your first time kayaking. Kayaks, life jackets, windbreakers, water shoes and dry bags for your food items (food you bring on your own) are all provided. The day tour was eight hours long. The scenery is stunning. We got to see minks, sea urchin, starfish, bald eagles, seals and jelly fish. My goal on this trip was to encounter the orcas which unfortunately did not happen. It is usually a hit or miss with seeing the whales. We stopped for lunch. They have bathroom spots but it's more like a "nature portapotty". So there is no running water or flush and it's out in the woods. I can't stress enough how amazing the scenery is. I had a hard time with the kayaking personally as it was my first time and it was eight hours so my arms were jelly. The guides are supportive and no one rushes you. I recommend it for anyone who wants to try it out. If you are not that physically active, just remember that you will be hurting the next day. It was worth it and I highly recommend this place!!! read more

See all

Took a 5 day tour with Bree and Heather. I can't say enough for every aspect of this tour. The guiding was exceptional, knowledge of the area, the tides, safety, history, flora and fauna and see life, anticipation of where wildlife would be-I was so impressed with the knowledge and ease of our guides. Although camping was lovely-exceeded any expectations I had.This was a trip of a lifetime- we were extremely fortunate with the weather, though I feel even in more inclement conditions, we would've had a great time with our guides. The staff and the organization of the trip was also very well done and thought out. Equipment was excellent. I felt very well cared for and safe. I am a seasoned backpacker and Hiker, and haven't done that much kayaking trips-I do think it helps to be in decent physical condition for kayaking, but it is a lot less strenuous than backpacking for sure. I am grateful for Bree and Heather's excellent guidance and would love to do another tour with them. read more

See all

My wife and I did the 2-day overnight guided kayak tour. Although it's labeled as a whale watching tour, there are numerous cautions to moderate your expectations as whales are obviously unpredictable and their activity and locations vary with the seasons. We decided ahead of time that we were going for the overall experience of paddling in a remote and beautiful area - and if we saw whales all the better. Our guides, Jonathan and Jamie, were honestly two of the most enjoyable people I've met. They were extremely knowledgeable and professional, and maintained a safe and structured trip while still having loads of fun. It was apparent that they both truly love what they do. We ended up seeing and hearing numerous whales, but also saw so much more than I had expected - seals, sea lions, urchins, jellyfish, eagles...and more. The camps were comfy and fun, the guides made amazing camp food and the equipment we were provided was great. We are already planning our next trip. read more

My first experience with them, day trip, was awful. They didn'train us properly and my dad fell in and couldn't get back into his boat. Thank goodness a gude came along and helped us out My 2nd experience with them was a 4 day trip and it was amazing!! We saw deals and orcas and met some wonderful people!! read more