Johnstone Strait Kayaking

Kayaking in the Johnstone Strait. A bucket List Adventure

When you have an opportunity to participate in an adventure that helps you get closer to another bucket list item, kayaking off of Vancouver Island in the summer home of the Northern Resident Orcas, you go. In July 2018, we flew from our tiny home island home in Mexico to experience a 3 nights camping experience in the Johnstone Strait with Spirit of the West Adventures.

Spirit of the West Adventures and Trip Intro

First off, I cannot say enough about the group we went with and the guides. Spirit of the West Adventures provided an excellent experience. The guides were incredibly friendly and knowledgable. Not just about the Johnstone Strait, but also about the wildlife. At every meal they provided us with delicious food prepped by a very thoughtful and generous staff back on Quadra Island.

Not once did we feel like we were not welcome or accepted. While we were the only queer folks on the experience, from the first introductory meeting at the Heriot Bay Inn on Quadra Island the night before the trip through the drop off after the trip ended we were comfortable and got along great with everyone. We even made some new friends.

In case you are wondering. Quadra island is an incredibly gorgeous place as well. The sunsets linger long into the evening and the sounds of nature just appear to calm the body and soul. Across the bay from Campbell River, a quiet little Canadian BC town you can whale watch from in the summer.

The morning after the intro meeting we were picked up by the guides, grabbed other adventurers then headed to the dock, loaded up 2 boats with all the gear and off we went. The boat taxi ride was two hours north to the Johnstone Strait basecamp. This would now our home for the next 3 nights. Each group of 2 were assigned a tent (all of which had stunning views of the water), were prepped on how to be safe and the types of animals we could encounter. All of the tents faced the water  where you could see over to the Robson Bight.

It Was All About the Kayaking

We no sooner landed at camp and the first paddle was planned. From the first paddle until the last (the one where I fell in the freezing cold water) was a majestical and peaceful experience with nature. There were bald eagles flying around the camp, tales of wolves and cougars as well as the hope we would see the mammal we all came for... the Orca whale. After all, this was their favourite place to shop for groceries. The Chinook salmon spawning in the local waters close to the Robson Bight are the north residents favourite meal. The area also attracts the grizzly bears down to the pebbly waters edge in hopes of grabbing a bite.

Despite the excitement leading up to the trip. Despite the call within our hearts to engage with the mighty Orcas in their natural habitat, we never got to see any Orcas. During one of our paddles they were noted to be just farther up the strait at Telegraph Cove. Too far to paddle to make it back to camp before sunset. The rest of the days we all kept hoping it would happen. It just did not. Well, save for that magic early morning with Tara.

I am a person who will need to use the bathroom several times each night. So on the first morning around 4am when we popped out of the tent to relieve ourselves, we paused to hear this strange sound from below the cliffs in the water. It was in rhythm, consistent getting closer and then moving farther away. The mist prevented us from seeing what was making the noise, but we both knew. The Northern Residents were traveling right by our camp. Even better it was a beautiful experience shared by myself and Tara!

Snapshots from the Johnstone Strait Ultimate

4 days and 3 nights deep up in the British Columbia wild at one with nature, getting outside of my current comfort zone and challenging myself to grow. That was what this trip was about, in addition to experience in the wild.

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