The waters off the west coast of Vancouver Island offers the intrepid kayaker some of the best paddling in the world.
As one journeys up the coastline, small settlements are left behind and a true sense of solitude evoked by the timeless beauty of coastal mountains, ancient rain forests and the raw energy of the Pacific Ocean surround us. This is the Wild West Coast of Vancouver Island.
The 200 year old village of Zeballos, picturesquely nestled at the foot of towering green-cloaked mountains, is one of the North Islands’s gateways to the west coast. This charming and peaceful logging community, named after the Spanish explorer Lt. Ciriaco Cevallos, is built around the mouth of the clear and swift-running Zeballos River. In earlier days, gold mining was a major industry here, with more than $13 million worth of gold bricks being shipped out of Zeballos between 1938 and 1943.
Launching from this quaint little village, we will spend six fantastic days paddling some of the most isolated waters of Vancouver Island’s coastline. The days promise tranquil paddling in aquamarine lagoons and hidden coves, sand strewn beaches and the raw drama of the open west coast. In addition to great paddling, we may encounter a variety of wildlife including black bear, cougar, deer, seal and porpoises, chance encounters with both Orca and Grey whales, thousands of seabirds and the colourful marine life within the intertidal zone. This expedition is sure to “blow you away!”
2012 Departure Dates
The Nuchatlitz, North Nootka - 6 day tour for advanced paddlers
July 29 - Aug. 3
August 5 to 10
$ 1,500 per person
Brief Itinerary
DAY 1:
All participants meet in Zeballos at 8:70 am at the government boat launch in the township, located at the end of the main road in Zeballos, just before the General Store. Participants should arrange to have breakfast prior to meeting. We recommend Mason’s Motor Lodge both for the night prior and as a good place for breakfast. At the boat launch, we’ll load kayaks and all personal and group equipment onto our boat shuttle for the outside coast and the gorgeous Nuchatlitz Achipeligo. After disembarking the boat, the guides will assign you to a kayak and help you get your personal gear stowed away. When everyone is ready, we'll go over some basic paddling fundamentals and a safety orientation and then launch into the pristine west coast waters and six days of discovery and enchantment.
With helpful advice and instruction from your guides, it won't take long till you feel you're getting the "hang of it" as we paddle amongst gorgeous islets and explore inlets and coastline of this Vancouver Island paradise. These waters are home to a large variety of different marine wildlife and it is not uncommon for us to encounter everything from Grey whales, sea lions, otters, porpoises, and eagles throughout your time in this spectacular area.
Sea otters are especially common here and rafts exceeding one hundred otters is far from a rarity. Along the way, we'll land on one of the pristine beaches in the area and you can sit back and enjoy a delicious lunch the guides will prepare. After lunch, there is always time to explore, take some photos, read a book or have a swim...then we'll launch the kayaks and make our way to our campsite for the next two nights. We'll then make camp, set up our tents and you are free to explore the area, go fishing, beachcomb...whatever your fancy...A sumptuous dinner around a cozy campfire with a canopy of stars above is the evenings entertainment.
DAY 2:
With another spectacular day ahead of us, we'll wake to a hearty breakfast. After everyone has had their fill, we'll pack for the day (we return to our site in the later afternoon) and launch yet again into the pristine waters of this magnificent area...bring along lots of film today because you'll need it! Bears and wolves are just some of the wildlife we may see along the coastline of north Nootka Island and in the early morning, it isn’t uncommon to see black bears along the coast, lifting up rocks and eating the small crabs underneath. Bald Eagles watch over us from a towering canopy of cedar and fir. Our destination today is a paddle further out along the outer islands of Nuchatlitz. Depending on the conditions and weather, we may visit the outer coastal area of Ferrer Point. The Nuchatlitz area of northern Nootka Island, with it’s variety of islets and inlets, allow us to meander through a myriad of different paddling environments...one minute we’re in the protected solitude of tiny islands and inlets paddling over a kaleidoscope of intertidal colors and next we can be crossing channels with ocean surge (thrilling yet very safe) and curious seals following close behind...we’ll lunch on one of the inner coastal beaches and after a relaxing sojourn, make our way back to our campsite for the late afternoon . Another delicious meal and warm campfire to put a great end to a magnificent day!
DAY 3 & 4:
We'll wake to the aroma of coffee and a tasty cooked breakfast and the sounds of the gently lapping waves and the cry of a loon or eagle. After breakfast, we’ll break camp because today we venture across the Esperenza Inlet and the open coast to one of the jewels of Vancouver Islands west coast, Catala Island. Definitely one of the highlights on our
Nuchatlitz trip, Catala Island boasts several ancient native summer village sites, burial caves, fantastic sea caves, and a gorgeous coastline where sea otter colonies abound. The fishing on this outer island is especially good, with great opportunities for both salmon and bottom fish. We’ll camp for two nights on Catala Island and wish we had more time there, when we depart on Day 5.
DAY 5:
Today after another great breakfast, we’ll break camp and pack up our kayaks for the morning paddle up Esperenza Inlet to Garden Point. Arriving in the early afternoon, this gorgeous campsite boasts a fresh water creek, a forest of massive cedar and fir trees and a beautiful beach – the perfect place to relax and enjoy our final night together reminiscing over the experiences and sights of the past week.
DAY 6:
We break camp for the paddle up Espinosa and Little Espinosa Inlets to our disembarkation point of the Causeway. Here we will unload the kayaks and be shuttled back the twenty minutes to Zeballos. We should be completely unloaded and back in Zeballos by noon to 1:00pm.
