The Islands of Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) are one of the richest biological and cultural areas in North America.

Aboard our 68’ sailing vessel, we will cruise the waters of this remote archipelago seeing ancient Haida villages, an incredible abundance of wildlife and outstanding wilderness scenery. In June 2010 Canada’s first marine protected area was announced surrounding the islands. Our trips primarily explore the eastern and southern shores which lie within the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site.

Gwaii Haanas is a incredible area with over 100 islands, beautiful forested creek walks, rugged headlands, and protected passageways between towering mountains. Thousands of seabirds nest on the islands. Theories suggest that parts of Haida Gwaii escaped the last ice age, forming a glacial refuge for certain plants and animals. How else to explain the presence of plant species found nowhere else in the world and the noticeably different sub-species of bird, fish and mammal? Haida Gwaii provides a remarkable evolutionary showcase - hence, their description as the “Canadian Galapagos”.

Haida Culture: Haida Gwaii is home to the Haida - one of the most culturally rich and developed groups of people to inhabit early North America. The Haida name for the southern islands, Gwaii Haanas, appropriately translates as “islands of beauty” or “place of wonder”.
Among the southern islands are many ancient villages - K’uuna (Skedans), Cumshewa, T’annu and SGang Gwaay (Ninstints). These sites contain the remains of the great long houses and the best remaining examples of original totem poles in the world. The United Nations has recognized the cultural value of these sites and designated SGang Gwaay as a “World Heritage Site, of importance to the history of mankind”.
For many people, the highlight of their trip is the opportunity to listen to a Haida story and learn about the traditional and modern Haida way of life.

Wilderness: A sailing voyage to Gwaii Haanas provides the rare opportunity to explore a pristine wilderness region. These islands are an isolated archipelago, difficult to reach and rarely visited. Access is possible only by boat or charter float plane. We travel ashore in our inflatable zodiacs which enable us to pull right up on to the shoreline.
We will walk beaches that may have seen no other footprints that year and may even find Japanese glass fishing floats that have washed ashore. We will anchor in secluded bays and expect to see few other people as we explore this remarkable wilderness area.

Wildlife: Blue, sperm, minke, sei, gray, fin, humpback and killer whales (orca) all historically frequented these waters. Local whaling severely effected these populations in the 1900’s. Now humpback and fin whale populations are rebounding; we will often encounter these fascinating creatures. In early summer, several thousand Steller sea lions also congregate at Cape St. James - at the southern tip of Haida Gwaii - to mate and give birth to their pups. It is quite a marvelous sight!
You may also spot a few Queen Charlotte Islands black bears, the largest black bears in the world. Through isolation from their mainland cousins these black bears have developed a larger lower jaw because of frequent foraging and feeding along the shoreline.
Interesting birds will be with us throughout these trips. Some of the more colourful species include tufted puffins, horned puffins, rhinoceros auklets, black-footed albatross, black oystercatchers, and pigeon guillemots. With such abundant bird life, raptors, such as the peregrine falcon, are common in Haida Gwaii. The concentration of bald eagle nests along the coast is second only to Admiralty Island in Alaska. Our constant companions will be the smaller seabirds such as ancient murrelets, marbled murrelets, common murres, phalaropes, and gulls. Watch and listen to the tiny ancient murrelet chicks hatch and join their parents at sea in May!
With our naturalist, we will also 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.

Hot Springs Island:We will be soaking in the picturesque scenery on the beautiful Hot Springs Island. Relaxing in the natural hot springs surrounded by enchanted flora and fauna, you are only steps away from a refreshing dip in the ocean... what a wonderful way to spend a day!

Notes:

• Applicable Canadian taxes will be added in addition to trips in British Columbia (12%)
• Some departures may be reserved for groups. If you are interested in chartering a date for your group, special pricing is available
• Bring a sleeping bag as there are no facilities for laundry onboard except for North America clients because of weight restrictions
• Rain gear needs to be completely waterproof
• Rubber boots should be comfortable. Rubber boots are essential
• Suitcases cannot accommodate aboard the boat and ask that your clothing and equipment be brought aboard in soft sided, compressible bags, for example duffel bags or some other soft case that can be easily stowed
• Plan to dress in layers to accommodate changes in weather
• Please be aware that there may be weight restrictions for float planes, if your trip includes this option
• If you are concerned about seasickness your doctor can recommend medications designed to prevent motion sickness. - We do not travel in rough waters, and anchor each night in a secluded bay
• If you are traveling on a Southeast Alaska departure, a passport is needed! Trips aboard the Island Odyssey or the Snow Goose require participants bring identification for clearing customs and immigration. A birth certificate and passport are the best type of identification. USA regulations now require all travelers to the USA have passports

Day 1: Arrival Sandspit

Arrival day in Sandspit: Plan to arrive in Sandspit, BC the day prior to your trip start, 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 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 Odyssey. 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 at 8:30 am. 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 20 minutes.

Our first stop will be the newly renovated Haida Heritage Centre 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 meet up with the Island Odyssey, anchored at Moresby Camp, and her Crew. After boarding the vessel, introductions, a safety orientation and cabin assignments dinner will be served. We will spend our first evening anchored nearby and will depart early the next morning into the waters of Southern Moresby Island to explore the Gwaii Haanas Park Reserve.

Lodging

Island Odyssey

Description

The Island Odyssey is the sister-ship to 'Island Roamer'. Originally built as a luxurious private yacht in 1984, she completed a major renovation in 2003 to update the cabins and all safety systems. She features 8 private cabins (double occupancy), 3 heads with hot showers and a comfortable salon with a natural history library. On deck, the large deckhouse provides a comfortable spot to watch for wildlife.

Days 2-7: Haida Gwaii

We will spend our time exploring the eastern and southern shores of Moresby Island. Daily activities include wildlife watching, shore excursions to explore ancient Haida villages, “old growth” forests, beautiful creeks and shoreline, intertidal zones. Be sure to keep an eye out and your cameras ready, as we will encounter a wealth of marine wildlife on our journey. We aim to spot humpback whales, porpoise, dolphins, sea lions and orca. We hope to capture the sight of the mighty, Gwaii Haanas black bear foraging along the shoreline and we will be amazed by the myriad of intertidal creatures found in these nutrient-rich areas.

We visit the old Haida village of SGang Gwaay (Ninstints), a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site to see the fabulous totem poles. We will stop at Hotspring Island for a warm and soothing dip while gazing at the San Christoval Mountain Range. Each evening we will anchor in a different secluded bay with time for discussions on the wildlife sightings encountered during the day. While at anchor, there will be opportunities to explore the shoreline by kayak.

Lodging

Island Odyssey

Description

The Island Odyssey is the sister-ship to 'Island Roamer'. Originally built as a luxurious private yacht in 1984, she completed a major renovation in 2003 to update the cabins and all safety systems. She features 8 private cabins (double occupancy), 3 heads with hot showers and a comfortable salon with a natural history library. On deck, the large deckhouse provides a comfortable spot to watch for wildlife.

Day 8: Trip Finish

This trip will finish mid morning. Guests will disembark at 11:00am from “Island Odyssey" 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.

Note: The daily itinerary remains flexible in order to meet group interests, to mind weather patterns and to take full advantage of wildlife sightings.